Kantha Quilting or Embroidery

I have been working a sample of Kantha quilting for my course and it has been quite time consuming as it is primarily lots of running stitches worked closely together on layers of cloth.

Kantha quilting originates from West Bengal and Bangladesh.  It was a leisure activity for the women who used worn out saris layered together and decorated with embroidered motifs and running stitches.

 The word Kantha means woven, or Kanthas means rags.  The layers were piled together and stitched into all kinds of different useful things such as quilts, blankets, bags, shawls, cushions and so on.

The women would pull threads from the border of their saris to use for the embroidery.  Many motifs were used often depicting their daily life but also animals, geometric and floral images.

The running stitches around these motifs can create ripples or ridges.  When the stitches are aligned in rows this is called 'Jod' and when random or non-aligned this is called 'Bejod'  These different ways of working the running stitches create different ripples in the work.

There are many images of Kantha work on the internet and some of it is exceptionally beautiful and interesting. Nowadays articles are made to appeal to tourists.

The way I did it:  I used a lotus flower motif and lotus flower leaves.  I am trying to depict these floating on water.  After sketching out the motifs I transferred them to a freezer paper template which could be ironed on to the fabric (3 layers) and drawn around with a pencil. 

Note I wasn't aiming for an artistic elegance here but a means of demonstrating the Kantha stitches.

I worked the outline of the motifs with stem stitch as this is how it was done originally, and finished with some simple embroidery inside the motifs, using only running stitches.

The Kantha stitches are worked with two strands of stranded cotton embroidery thread through the wadding sandwich and I found this quite hard on my fingers as time went on.

I outlined five sections with light pencil and then went over the lines with running stitches.  These blocks would have the stitches worked in different directions so that the ripples would move in different directions.

You may be able to see from the photos that I started out trying to line up the stitches evenly and the same size but this was quite difficult and the stitches were getting larger than I wanted.  When stitches are paired and aligned like this it is called 'Jod'.

I changed then to doing rows of small stitches the same distance apart but in a more random way and this non-aligned method is called 'Bejod'.  (Just thought you'd like to know that!!)

I found this more controllable and less demanding in time and concentration.

The work needs to be started at the centre and work outwards so that the ridges and ripples form evenly towards the edges.




 As I got near to the edges I decided to do some rows further apart, partly because by now I had spent enough time on one sample and secondly because I wanted to see how it would look and I have to say I like the effect as this does look like ripples on a pond.

I think this type of stitching could be a feature in a Journal Quilt since we are using water as a theme for our Journal Quilts at the moment.

It would look even more interesting if the fabric was coloured underneath the stitching and then the ripples on the top.  This might be worth trying out at Quilting Arts.

My next task is to do a sample of Sashiko so I hope that won't take too long and I hope to put the results on here.

Banjara Quilting or Embroidery

Bit of a gap since my last posting but I'm back on my course work now, module 11, the penultimate module of my course. Hope things go smoothly now as I am keen to get this course finished.

Module 11 concentrates on samples of types of quilting from India and Japan.  In addition I have to research how to care for quilts and most importantly get started on my final assessment piece - the quilt which I have mentioned here in earlier posts.

The sample I describe here today is called Banjara Embroidery.  It's included in the patchwork and quilting course because it's worked on layers of fabric and the embroidery stitches hold the layers together.  This also applies to Kantha Embroidery where layers of sari fabric are quilted together with running stitches.  Kantha is the sample I will do next.

The Banjara  were a nomadic tribe from Northern India and today they are more settled but still produce goods for sale to the tourist trade and also for their own use.  The embroidery is embellished with mirrors, shells, buttons, beads and simple stitches.  They use coarsely woven hand dyed fabric and heavy threads.  The colours are bright with no pattern.  They make skirts, bags, shirts and pouches.  To see the genuine article search for Banjara Embroidery on the internet.

These fabrics are my own which I dyed as part of an earlier module of my course. I have used the same stitches for this sample as the Banjara use in their work.  Embroidery stitches used are running stitch, chain, herringbone and shisha stitch around the little mirrors.

First I have quilted the three layers together with running stitch to form the base of the design. Then I embroidered a centre square using herringbone, cross stitch, chain stitch and running stitch.

In the picture you can see I added buttons to the corners but these continued to annoy me all the time I was working on the rest of the sample as they didn't fit with the images of Banjara work I had seen so eventually I took them off and added small beads instead.

The shapes used are often geometric and applique is used a lot.  So I appliqued some triangles and diamonds onto the base and attached with embroidery stitches using Perle cotton embroidery thread - some of it was heavier than others.

The shisha mirrors were difficult until I got the hang of it but once I had I loved them and want to do more, perhaps making more of the surrounding embroidery next time.

So I built it up a little at a time hoping to achieve a fair representation of the work these people do.

It is very time consuming but is a type of work that can be done while watching TV as it is not complicated (apart from the shisha mirror stitches which also need to be done in a good light). The sample is 10" square.

Making Silk Bags

The bag shown in this weeks' earlier blog and made in two colours is reversible and here is a picture of it all in one colour with the pocket on the inside (the purple one)

The second silk bag for Bredon Crafters this month in green measures 14" X 12" (not including the shoulder straps).  It is a neat little shape, is lined and a perfect design for adding embellishments such as applique or embroidery (a blank canvas).  It would make an ideal evening or going to a party bag.  In another fabric it would also be useful as an everyday handbag.

As mentioned in my earlier blog the purple and red one is an easy bag to make. The green one is not a difficult bag to make either but takes a little longer. There is no zip or complicated fastener to put in.  It needs half a metre of lining, and a pretty button.  Everything else will be supplied at the Wednesday session for a cost of £3.50.

Worksheets are written up and will be circulated on Wednesday.

I am also going to contact Kay to see if she can bring the instructions for the little reversible bag she brought in to show us some time ago - this means there will be a choice of three different bags.

The patterns will have to be copied but this means you can take them home with the worksheets and use them again with different materials if you want to.

I will bring all the silks that crafters have already chosen and a few extra ones as well in case anyone wants to change their mind, and if making the two colour one this will help to choose two co-ordinating colours.

 Now these bags are finished I want to get back to my course work. The next stage is to do some samples of  Banjara, Kantha and Sashiko Quilting.

Then comes the big one - my final assessment piece which is to be a silk quilt with the emphasis on applique - scary!

I hope to share some of this with you - so watch this space.

Two Colour Silk Bag

The first bag measures 15" X 13", is silk on both sides in different colours so is reversible, has a pocket on one side and padded handles.  It is an easy bag to make. It is based on Simplicity pattern number 2357.

It is elasticated at the top and has a wide opening, making it ideal for keeping craft work or knitting or for carrying something such as pretty shoes to an evening event.

It can be made smaller and tighter at the top by adding some kind of embellishment to close up the side openings, for example embroidery stitches, buttons, or beads.  See the pin placement in the photo.

Doing this would give the bag a different range of uses including using it as an evening or going to a party bag.

  Making the bag: Half inch seams are used throughout. There are only three pattern pieces but the main piece is cut 4 times, 2 of each colour, there is one pocket cut in 2 colours of silk.  The 2 straps are just one colour.

Sew the pocket first.  With right sides together stitch the 2 pocket pieces together across the top and around the sides but leaving a 1" opening at each side for a casing between the large dot and lower stitching line.  Leave an opening at the bottom for turning.

Clip curves and turn to right side.  Tuck in raw edges at gaps and press the pocket. To form casing stitch along stitching lines 1" apart. Pull a 4" length of half inch elastic through the casing with a safety pin and capture the two ends 1" away from the edges with pins.  Stitch on this position catching in the elastic.

Pin the pocket to the front of the bag and stitch close to the side and lower edges which also closes the turning gap at the bottom.  I used an applique machine stitch on mine.

With right sides together pin front and back sections of same colour together matching large dots and notch at the bottom.  Stitch side and lower edges together between large dots, backstitch at large dots.  Trim seam and clip curves. Turn bag and press.

Sew the second colour front and back contrast lining pieces together in the same way but leave an opening at the bottom for turning.

Now with the right sides together pin and then sew the bag and contrast lining together at the side and upper edges reinforcing stitching at the large dots and leaving an opening for casing at each side - this is indicated by the small dots and stitching line on the pattern.

Trim corners and clip curves.

Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the silk lining contrast.  Press and slipstitch the opening closed.

Push the contrast lining inside the bag and press again.

Create a casing at the upper edges by stitching along the stitching lines.  Cut 2 pieces of elastic 8"mlong.  Insert into the casings having ends extend by 1" beyond the edge of the casing.  Pin ends of elastic in place 1" from the opening of the casing.

Make the handles:  Fold handles in half lengthways with right sides together.  Stitch, trim, turn and stuff with fibrefill or quilters wool.

Here you see 8 strands of quilters wool which just padded out the handles sufficiently.  Toy stuffing or similar works just as well.

Leave the  ends of the handles unstuffed and pin closed.

Overlap ends of handle and elastic 1/2" and stitch ends together securely.  Encourage the join to go inside the casing and stitch it in place.



pocket could be inside the bag if preferred
handles could be same colour as outer bag


 

The second smaller bag will follow shortly.

Suffolk Puffs

While making my first Journal Quilt I made some small flowers for the pot at the front. 

These were created from small raw edge circles, gathered around the edges and pulled up into a little pouch and shaped to represent a flower.  This type of thing is commonly known as a Suffolk Puff.


The circles were 1" diameter for the smallest flowers and 1.5" diameter for slightly larger ones.

I used a stencil with circles and drew the circles in pencil on the back of the fabric then cut them out.

Light weight cotton which does not fray much is the easiest to use.

Leave a tail of thread at the beginning, sew small stitches around the edge but not so close that the fabric frays, and finish stitching just before where you started.

Pull both ends of the thread so that the circle gathers up and put your little finger inside while doing this to create a little pouch.

When pulled up fully tie off firmly with two knots (but don't break the thread!) and prick out the soft folds with the end of your needle to form an even circle of fabric all round.


Use the needle and thread, still attached to the flower to sew on to your background.


Add a bead in the centre if you like.





Suffolk Puffs are often made larger than this with a narrow turned in hem around the edge.  They can be joined together at the edges for quilts and other decorative types of work.

The method I have used to make mine is to start by drawing a template on card twice the diameter of the size of puff that I want so the photo here shows a template for a puff to end up measuring 1.75".


Next I copied this on to the dull side of freezer paper and cut out the shape.

I briefly ironed the waxy side of the freezer paper shape to the wrong side of my fabric and drew outside the circle with a scant 1/4" turning - see photo.

Now: pull the freezer paper off and cut out the fabric shape on this drawn line.  Turn the same piece of freezer paper over, place on the fabric circle dull side down and gently iron the seam allowance on to the waxy side of the paper with a medium heat iron.

Start to sew the turning on the right side with a small running stitch all around the edge of the circle and gently pulling off the freezer paper ahead of the stitching, releasing it a little at a time. Leave a tail of thread at the beginning to pull up the gathers.
 
 Once the circle of stitches is completed pull up both threads as before into a neat circle at the centre of the Suffolk Puff.  The side with the gathered centre is the right side - this is the opposite of the small ones described above.

These can be ironed very flat and made in multiples and joined at the edges with a whip stitch to create a lacy cover or curtain.

Alternatively they can be used individually for decoration with the addition of a pretty button in the centre.

As mentioned before I would like to spend some time at one of our sessions in Bredon Crafters, or Quilting Arts (or both) demonstrating how to make dimensional flowers.  There are so many ways this can be done and some of them look truly beautiful. 

These Suffolk Puffs could be the start of that project and which I will filter in over time on the blog then develop into a project for our groups at a later date.