All Kantha! Chapter 4
Recently, I acquired a batch of badly worn Kantha quilts - the kind where the uppermost sari layer is peeling off like old paint. This happens when Kantha quilts are made from very delicate fabrics and subsequently exposed to a lot of friction. At first, the fabric only peels between stitches, but over time, entire layers are shed, with the layer below emerging from underneath. Luckily, there are quite a few layers!
While some of these Kantha throws may simply look shabby, others reveal the most beautiful and random combinations of colours and patterns.
If you own a Kantha quilt, you might notice that it undergoes a certain metamorphosis over time, whether you like it or not! I have used Kantha quilts for about everything. Besides the bags I make from quilts, I have used them for cushion covers on the sofa and for upholstering chairs. As we use the cushions and chairs constantly, the upper layers have started to peel off pretty instantly. I am actually not yet sure, whether I like the result or not!
In any event, here are some examples of "shabby" Kantha quilts that, in my view, have revealed their true beauty by shedding a couple of fabric layers:
