Repairing with Love: The Rich (hi)Story of Mindful Mending

Mindful Mending; Harmony, Creativity & Textiles

After visiting Dhaka as a part of my long awaited textile journey, I have deeply fallen in love with the country, the rich culture her people as well as the unique and regional textile techniques that are used in the local fashion scene. One of the most beautiful techniques they have managed to preserve, is that of Kantha, also known as Sashiko in Japan. In my opinion one of the most heart warming stories and so I want to spend some time in this blog explaining this beautiful tradition, what it is exactly, the why of working this way with textiles and share some examples with you as well. 

Tradition & Community 

In today’s extremely high-paced world of fast-fashion and throwaway trends, there’s something deeply grounding about community and traditions. They seem to go hand in hand, slow us down, makes us take a deep breath, look closer and become more mindful. "Mindful Mending" is one of those traditional treasures carried by communities across Asia, almost becoming sacred and spiritual. Born in the rural heartlands of Bengal, Kantha isn’t just a method of decorating fabrics - it’s mainly a functional and has a storytelling foundation, a memory stitched on to cloth, a quiet act of art passed down through generations. 

What Is Kantha anyway?

Kantha embroidery is a form of free intuitive hand-stitching that breathes new life into "waste" or second-hand old fabric. Women in villages across West Bengal and Bangladesh have practiced it for centuries, layering worn-out sarees and cloth and securing them with small, even stitches. These weren’t just scraps turned into something useful—they were stitched with love, care, creativity, in peace mindfulness and often a story or two.

The word Kantha actually comes from Sanskrit, meaning “rags,” which tells you a lot about its humble beginnings. This wasn’t elite embroidery—it was a domestic ritual of repurposing and storytelling. Over time, these heirloom quilts and wraps became cultural symbols and now feature in fashion collections and home décor across the world.

Kantha likely started over 500 years ago as a way for women to create something functional and beautiful out of old materials. These quilts told stories—of daily life, dreams, religious beliefs, and the natural world—stitched lovingly over months or even years. One popular legend speaks of a mother stitching stars and animals into a quilt for her child, creating not just warmth but as a token and form of spiritual protection. Other tales describe widows crafting Kanthas as temple offerings, their needlework doubling as prayers.

Not just Technique: A Cultural Footprint

Although most associated with Bangladesh, Kantha’s influence stretches across Northern India and even parts of Pakistan, where similar traditions like Sujani and Ralli quilts exist. Today, Kantha is still widely found on tunics, scarves, shawls, and soft furnishings globally and therefore we definitely think it proofs its enduring charm. Though the quality and styles can heavily vary and the end of the day they all embody the love for and spirit of reuse, creativity, community and storytelling through stitch.

Kantha also very often carries spiritual undertones. Hindu motifs feature gods, goddesses, and scenes from epic tales, while Buddhist influences emphasize a more practical meditative nature through a repetitive stitching process. From this perspective, embroidery becomes both ritual and art!

How Is It Made...

Despite its elegance, the basic of Kantha and Sashiko are refreshingly simple. The foundation is the running stitch—tiny, rhythmic lines that form waves and textures. Traditionally, women used layers of old cotton sarees or dhotis. Thread came from the fabric’s own borders. No machines—just a needle, a quiet mind and incredible patience!

The experienced "Artisans" prefer to use rich materials, colours and intricate design such as satin, herringbone, and darning stitches to add detail and contrast as shown below. Motifs vary—flowers, birds, elephants, fish, sun symbols, even entire village scenes. Each has symbolic meaning. Fish often signify fertility, while the lotus represents purity and renewal.

How Kantha Is Used?

Kantha was originally used to create functional items such as blankets, baby wraps, shawls, and or pillow covers. These items were more than household goods though, they were handmade expressions of love, gifted during births and weddings.

Today, Kantha is also hugely celebrated in luxury fashion and high end interior use as a token of unique customisation. You may see it ranging and spreading from cultural streetwear jackets, luxury handbags and scarfs but also on bedspreads, wall art, and even lampshades. Both high-end art designers as well as rural community women praise the technique for its handmade texture, sustainability, and rich visual storytelling passing on the love for inspiration and imagination, handmade craftsmanship  and connection through simply care and repair.

Because of our love for Kantha, we have a limited stock - always unique, one of a kind - and a hand made assortment of Kantha products in our store, for example this gorgeous double sided silk ethnic kimono with a beautiful soft salmon pink rose print on the outside and a cool purple grey with orange sleeves on the inside shown below. Feel free to check it out here!

In Closing: More Than Just waste Fabric and a Stitch!

Kantha embroidery shows us how something as ordinary as an old piece of fabric can become an extraordinary unique and gorgeous garment, a true piece of art. Each stitch is done with intention, transmuting energy sometimes even healing sorrow and pain. Each stitch is intentional, each garment is energy, each quilt a history. In a world that moves so quickly and so volatile, Kantha invites us to slow down, look closely, and listen to the stories woven in thread!

Got excited and want to make your own? Let us know! 

* email info@fischermooy.com subject: Mindful Mending
No judgement or expectations,  Just fabric, a needle, thread - some love, time, good energy and you!