Kantha Workshop: Stitching Stories Through Thread

Kantha Workshop: Stitching Stories Through Thread

📅 Date: Saturday , 25th July
🕙 Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Venue: Studio Coffee, London, Ontario
💰 Price: $50 CAD | 🪑 Spots: Limited to 10 participants

About This Workshop

Kantha is a traditional style of embroidery that has existed for almost a thousand years. It became a way for women in rural Bengal to journal their stories and experiences through stitches.

The motifs, patterns, and designs are all depictions of their everyday lives and surroundings. At the heart of Kantha embroidery is the running stitch, which was originally used to stitch together old clothes and sarees to create quilts, bedspreads, and blankets. Most often, these soft Kantha quilts were also used to swaddle babies.

For me, Kantha is deeply personal. I grew up watching my grandmother stitch soft quilts from her old saris, and those memories have stayed with me. Over time, I began exploring how this traditional running stitch could become a medium for contemporary expression. Today, I use Kantha to create textile artworks inspired by everyday life.

I use kantha stitches in my own work many times. Whenever I am not painting, I often explore my ideas through running stitches as an alternative way of designing.

As we work on Kantha, every participant's story, imagination, and ideas will be expressed on a piece of fabric using a technique that originated in the rural regions of Bengal, India, thousands of kilometers away. While every creation will be unique, the spirit of the craft will continue to live through each stitch, connecting us to the generations of women who first imagined and nurtured this beautiful tradition.

What We'll Do Together

• Learn about interesting facts of Kantha
• Explore different variations of the kantha stitch
• Reflect on our everyday experiences and translate them into stitches
• come, Relax and create something meaningful to take back home

What's Included

✅ All materials provided — just bring your curiosity.
☕ A cup of coffee, plenty of conversation, creativity, and fun are included!

Who Is This For?

No prior embroidery experience needed. Whether you're an artist, maker, designer, or simply someone curious to explore a traditional craft in a contemporary way — everyone is welcome.

Come stitch a story — and make your journal.