The Making Of Kantha Sari Scarves and Wraps
Our Kantha Sari Scarves begin with a sari. The sari is made, then bought and worn by a woman somewhere in India. One day a sari-trader knocks on the door of the woman and asks if she has any saris to sell or trade. The sari passes to the hands of the sari-trader, who then passes it to another and finally another, and sometime later, the sari finds itself in New Delhi.
The saris are sourced from a community of Gujarati sari traders in Delhi. They are sorted and selected for those that are most attractive both in appearance and texture.
The saris are then cleaned and carefully checked for all defects. Working with pre-loved textiles takes an inordinate amount of time in terms of quality control. Sections of the sari which pass the quality check are cut to size and piled to one side. (Fabric which does not pass the quality control goes to another pile, for cutting into smaller sections and making into Sari Silk Necklaces.)
The fabrics are then paired by those which look fabulous together and which will form the 2 layers of each of our scarves. Complimentary cotton thread is chosen before tying up the fabric and thread into bundles.
The bundles are posted to a remote village in West Bengal where a cooperative, consisting of some 1,400 women kantha artisans, process the bundles and prepare the fabric for the artisans.
Sari Collector
This preparation in itself is a big job: the bundles are counted and each piece of fabric is ironed. One artisan then makes large, tacking stitch around the edges of each scarf to hold the layers of fabric in place. The cooperative manager notes down in his ledger how many scarves will go to which artisan, before distributing the bundles to the workers.
This is where the hardest work begins - the laborious running kantha stitch which covers the entirety of each scarf. This is particularly challenging and time-consuming on silk fabric; traditionally, kantha is done on cotton which is much less slippery and easier to handle. An artisan will finish off a scarf by embroidering her name in the corner, just as an artist will sign their masterpiece.
It takes 15 to 30 days to complete one of our Kantha Sari Scarves, and one to two months to complete a Kantha Sari Shawl, depending on how many hours per day the artisan works; in general, the ladies work around 3 hours per day.
Once a week the artisans drop off the scarves and receive payment. The scarves are quality checked and finished - this involves trimming thread ends and stitching the edges so the finishing is neat and tidy.
After washing and ironing, and approximately 2 months later, the completed scarves go through at least 3 rounds of quality control before being ready for the next and hopefully last, part of their journey…being chosen by you!
No single two pieces of kantha have, or will, ever be the same.
Hand Block Printing
Woodblock printing is an ancient art form known to have been used in India since at least the 12 century although it originated in China long before that. It is one of the slowest of all textile printing methods but results in unique, beautiful patterns incomparable with machine printing.
The blocks are made from wood, usually teak or mango, and are at least 4 cms thick to prevent them warping. The design is drawn onto paper then traced onto the wood. Separate blocks are needed for each colour being used and if the pattern is particularly intricate more than one block will be used to add detail.
Woodblock printing
The process for making a hand block print garment starts with the soaking of the cotton which is then laid out to dry in the sun. Block prints are usually applied to undyed fabric but can be used on pale colours. Natural or vegetable dyes derived from plants and minerals are always used, so turmeric or saffron for example, would give a yellow hue. Once dry, the material is stretched and pinned onto the printing table. The dyes are mixed in trays and the printing begins. Once loaded with ink, the block is pressed firmly down and given 2 or 3 knocks, traditionally with the heel of the hand. Anyone who has tried this will know just what hard (and painful) work it is! The pattern is built up until completed and then again laid out to dry. After a final wash it is ironed and ready for use.
The opposite of this technique but still using wood blocks is mud resist dyeing. Here a mud paste is transferred onto the fabric using wood blocks and set with sand. It is then dip dyed, the traditional indigo plant often being used, dried and finally the paste, or resist, rubbed off to reveal the pattern.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the technique in recent years as more people become interested in crafting and the blocks more readily available
Have a look in our shop for examples of other traditional techniques used in the manufacture of our scarves and wraps.
