Kantha is rich multicolored embroidery from Bengal, done with simple running stitches. Rural women in Bengal typically use old saris, dhotis and cloth and layer them with stitches to make them into quilts, light blanket shawls, throws or bedspreads.
Kantha is a free expression and the motifs used in the embroidery are human figures, animals, floral symbols, and the tree of life. The fabrics used are usually muted since the old fabrics have weathered several washings. The threads used for the embroidery are usually drawn from the colorful borders of the old saris but cotton threads are used as well.
