Kantha – Embroidery from the cradle to the grave!

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We’ve all encountered a kantha – be it saree, dupatta, suit, cushion or blanket. But a little known fact that differentiate’s this eastern Indian tradition from several other embroidery crafts is that there lies a profound functionality behind it, for it was in it’s truest essence a craft tradition of the poor. Discarded textile scraps sewn together with a running stitch – the basic foundational block of needlework – to create something new. One of India’s oldest embroidery traditions, the … Read Full

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The Jean Project: Bling-it-on with Upcycling

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 I own and have accumulated probably as many as thirty pairs of jeans, being that annoying girl that eats a lot but never gets fat, still wearing the same waist size from high school. And I also own as many mass fashion Forever 21, Zara, or H&M denims as any of you. Then, doesn’t that make me a hypocrite for all the talk of being sustainable, turning to handlooms and handcrafted, and so on? 

Lets face it, not all of … Read Full

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Summer Staples – Shibori, Batik, and other Handcrafted Tales

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With temperatures soaring, it’s time to create an all new summer wardrobe, replete with summer staples in light, breathe-easy and beautifully handcrafted textiles! Hand dyed cotton textiles that undergo traditional processes like mud or wax resist printing/block printing- such as batiks, indigo prints and kalamkaris- are usually incredibly soft, light and comfortable due to repeated washing involved in every stage of the handcrafted printing process.

Left, Ochre and Brown Batik – The making of a batik fabric involves spreading a … Read Full

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