#lep kantha

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How to Choose the Perfect Kantha Stitch Saree: A Complete Guide

Kantha stitch sarees are a blend of tradition, craftsmanship, and elegance, making them an excellent choice for both everyday wear and special occasions. Whether you’re a saree enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of Kantha, choosing the perfect saree can be overwhelming with so many styles, fabrics, and patterns available. This guide will help you navigate through the essential factors to consider when picking the right Kantha stitch saree for your wardrobe.

1. Understand the Different Types of Kantha Stitch Sarees

Kantha stitch sarees come in various styles, each with unique patterns, motifs, and characteristics. Understanding these different types will help you decide which saree suits your taste and occasion.

Nakshi Kantha: Known for its intricate and elaborate designs, Nakshi Kantha sarees feature storytelling motifs that depict scenes from rural life, nature, and mythology. These sarees are perfect for those who love bold, artistic statements.

Lep Kantha: This type is known for its thicker embroidery, often used to create quilts or wraps. Lep Kantha sarees have a heavier texture, making them ideal for cooler climates or when you want a more substantial feel.

Sujani Kantha: Sujani Kantha features geometric patterns and repetitive designs, creating a minimalist yet striking look. These sarees are great for those who prefer a more subtle style with a touch of elegance.

2. Choose the Right Fabric

Kantha embroidery can be done on a variety of fabrics, each offering a different drape, texture, and feel. The fabric you choose plays a significant role in how the saree looks and how comfortable you feel wearing it.

Cotton Kantha Sarees: Cotton is a popular fabric for Kantha sarees, known for its comfort and breathability. A cotton Kantha saree is an excellent choice for casual, everyday wear, especially during warmer months. It’s lightweight, easy to drape, and comfortable to carry throughout the day.

Silk Kantha Sarees: For a more luxurious and formal look, opt for a silk Kantha saree. The richness of the silk combined with the intricate Kantha embroidery creates a sophisticated ensemble perfect for weddings, festivals, or formal events. Tussar silk and Mulberry silk are commonly used for Kantha sarees, offering a soft and graceful drape.

Tussar Kantha Sarees: If you’re looking for something that balances elegance and tradition, Tussar silk is a great option. It has a subtle sheen and a slightly textured finish, making it a perfect canvas for the intricate Kantha stitch.

3. Consider the Occasion

The occasion plays a crucial role in choosing the perfect Kantha stitch saree. Depending on where and when you plan to wear it, you can select a saree that suits the mood and atmosphere of the event.

For Daily Wear: If you’re looking for a saree to wear daily or casually, opt for a cotton or lightweight silk Kantha saree with minimal embroidery. Simpler patterns and lighter fabrics will keep you comfortable while maintaining elegance.

For Special Occasions: For weddings, festivals, or special events, choose a silk or Tussar Kantha saree with more intricate embroidery and bold motifs. Sarees with elaborate borders and vibrant colors can help you make a striking statement.

For Corporate or Formal Settings: If you’re looking for something more understated yet elegant for formal occasions, opt for Sujani Kantha sarees with geometric patterns in muted colors like beige, ivory, or light pastels. These styles provide a sophisticated, professional look.

4. Color Matters

The color of the saree is a significant factor that can change the entire look and feel. When selecting a Kantha stitch saree, consider your personal preferences, the event, and your skin tone.

Vibrant Colors: If you love bold and eye-catching designs, Kantha sarees in vibrant colors like red, green, or royal blue with contrasting embroidery can make a grand impression. These sarees are ideal for festive occasions and weddings.

Pastel Tones: For a more subtle and elegant look, opt for pastel shades such as blush pink, mint green, or lavender. These hues are perfect for daytime events or when you want a soft, sophisticated appearance.

Neutral Shades: Neutral shades like beige, off-white, grey, and soft browns offer timeless elegance. They work well for both casual and formal occasions, allowing the intricate Kantha embroidery to stand out beautifully.

5. Pay Attention to the Motifs

Kantha sarees are renowned for their stunning motifs, which often tell stories of tradition, nature, and everyday life. Choosing a motif that resonates with you can make your saree feel even more special.

Floral Motifs: If you prefer a delicate and feminine look, go for sarees with floral patterns. These motifs add a touch of grace and are versatile enough for any occasion.

Geometric Motifs: Geometric patterns are perfect for those who enjoy minimalistic, contemporary styles. These designs are usually more understated but create a sophisticated, modern look.

Narrative Motifs: Some Kantha sarees depict scenes from folklore, rural life, or mythology. If you love wearing a piece of art that tells a story, these sarees are perfect for you.

6. Check the Quality of the Stitching

The quality of the Kantha stitch is a key element to consider when choosing your saree. Since this embroidery is done by hand, each piece is unique, but there are a few things to keep an eye on:

Consistency of Stitches: Look for neat, evenly spaced stitches. High-quality Kantha sarees will have uniform stitching throughout the fabric, which ensures the durability and beauty of the embroidery.

Durability of the Embroidery: Ensure that the stitches are secure and tightly done so they don’t come loose over time. This is especially important if you plan to wear the saree frequently.

7. Look for Artisanal Authenticity

Kantha stitch sarees are often handcrafted by skilled artisans, many of whom rely on this craft for their livelihood. When selecting a Kantha saree, consider buying from reputable sources that promote fair trade practices and support local artisans. Authentic Kantha sarees may come with a slightly higher price tag, but they represent centuries of tradition and provide economic empowerment to rural communities.

Conclusion

Choosing the perfect Kantha stitch saree is not just about selecting a piece of clothing—it's about connecting with a rich heritage, appreciating craftsmanship, and finding a piece that reflects your personal style. Whether you’re drawn to the vibrant hues and bold motifs of Nakshi Kantha or the subtle elegance of Sujani Kantha, there’s a perfect Kantha saree waiting for you. Keep in mind the fabric, design, occasion, and quality when making your choice, and you’ll be sure to find a saree that you’ll cherish for years to come.

A Kantha stitch saree is more than a fashion statement—it’s a timeless work of art that celebrates culture, craftsmanship, and tradition.

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Kantha Work

WEAVING A STORY: KANTHA EMBROIDERY

Every art form has a story to tell. But none can narrate better than Kantha Embroidery. Known since time immemorial, Kantha work is the best form of personal and artistic expression. What started as a hobby to utilize old and waste fabrics by the rural women of West Bengal became one of the most sought-after crafts of all times. From apparels like sarees, suits, dupattas, shawls, scarves, and skirts to home décor items like the cushion and pillow covers, bed sheets, curtains, tablecloths and mats, rugs, quilts, and blankets, Kantha work creates a perfect blend of the traditional and the contemporary.

The embroidery done on discarded clothes derives its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Kantha’ which means ‘rags’. ‘Kantha’ also means ‘throat’ and thus the embroidery done in earlier times began by telling the mythological tale of Lord Shiva (NeelKanth) consuming poison.

The gorgeous Kantha embroidery involves the simple running stitches done mostly on the cotton and silk fabric with beautiful and colourful motifs of flowers, animals, birds, and basic geometrical shapes. Over time, more elaborate patterns from mythology, folklore, and everyday life scenes developed, which came to be known as ‘Nakshi Kantha’ after the Bengali word ‘naksha,’ which means artistic patterns. The entire piece of fabric is covered with multiple lines of straight, running stitches giving a slightly wrinkled and wavy effect to the cloth. To cater to the modern demands, Kantha embroidery has expanded its reach beyond cotton and silk fabric and is now done on different fabrics like Crepe, Georgette, and Chiffon as well.  

Based on the use of the fabric, Kantha is divided into seven different types:

LEP KANTHA

This type of embroidery is done on a number of sari layers, placed on top of each other to be used as a quilt during winters. Simple geometrical designs are made with straight running stitches using coloured threads.

SUJANI KANTHA

This is the most popular and beautiful Kantha. Mostly done on blankets or clothes used for special functions and weddings, sujani Kantha has diverse patterns like the lotus flower, scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, folktales, dancing girls, men riding on horseback, birds, animals, bees, a procession in motion, etc.  A border with geometrical patterns at both ends of the fabric is a major characteristic of sujani kantha.

BAITON KANTHA

This embroidery is done on the fabrics that are used to cover books and other valuables. The motifs of lotus, pots, conch shells, trees, plants, flowers, birds, elephants, chariot, human and divine figures are generally made using red, yellow, green, and blue coloured threads.  It is elaborately patterned with borders of colourful designs. This kantha is often carried while traveling and is presented as gifts to family and friends.

OAAR KANTHA

In this type simple designs with decorative borders are done. They are generally found on pillow and cushion covers. Simple designs like trees, plants, creepers, birds with a decorative border are made around its four sides.

ARSHILATA KANTHA

Arshilata is used as a cover for mirrors, comb, and other toilet accessories. It has a wide border and the central motif is depicted from the scenes of Krishna Leela or Radha-Krishna Raas. The lotus flower, trees, creepers, spirals, inverted triangles, zig-zag lines are some of the other used motifs.

DURJANI/THALIA KANTHA

It is a square piece kantha that is used to cover the wallet. It has a lotus motif in the center with an elaborate border at the sides.

RUMAL KANTHA

This is the smallest among all the kanthas. Like most of the other kanthas, lotus remains the main theme of this embroidery. At times motifs of plants and animals are also embroidered.  

This exquisite art of Kantha is passed down through generations and is mostly practiced by the women of West Bengal wherein the intricate stitches are woven using just a needle and thread on the fabric. The flourishing art saw a decline after the partition of India and Pakistan when most of the Bengali artisans migrated to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). But in recent times, with the efforts of many art connoisseurs, Kantha embroidery is revived and resurrected. To prevent the imitation of this precious embroidery and to preserve the rights of women workers for whom this art has been a major source of living for decades, Nakshi Kantha is awarded Geographical Indication (G.I.) tag in the year 2008.  

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