Kantha are stitched and quilted textiles from the Indian subcontinent, whose ethos is rooted in sustainability, storytelling and mindfulness. Discarded fabrics are layered, embroidered and repurposed into textiles for function or display using a wide range of stitches. Geometric patterns are often employed in kantha to form bands that decorate edges, as well as to embellish the entire body of the cloth — forming a genre of kantha distinct from the illustrative style. In this workshop you will learn to embroider simple and complex geometric motifs and patterns, and learn their symbolism. You will leave with skills and knowledge to enrich your practice.
Through step-by-step demonstrations you will learn a range of stitches, from simple to complex — including interlaced stitches and combination stitches — to create geometric kantha motifs and patterns. You will gain an understanding of geometric kantha and how it is distinct from other styles of kantha, along with its cultural significance, its ethos and its vocabulary of stitches. Looking at interesting examples that Ekta has chosen from personal and museum collections in India, the US and the UK, and she will share insights from her years of research into kantha, travelling in Bengal as well as through museums across India. You will learn about the structure and construction of kantha, how to develop your own design ideas from traditional forms, and how to transfer them onto fabric before you begin to embroider your designs.
You will also learn the characteristic kantha quilting stitch that gives the cloth its softly rippled appearance. Your finished piece might become a wall hanging or a panel to use in other projects. There will be plenty of time throughout the evening for questions. A pdf of techniques and design ideas will be shared with you to take home.
Date
Friday, August 14th, 2026
Time
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Cost
$110
Location
Tatter Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Class Materials
A curated materials pack — including fabric, needles and threads — is provided. You are encouraged to bring along your own preloved
fabrics or garments to layer into your work, in the true spirit of kantha.
Our Teacher
Ekta Kaul is an artist known for works that explore narratives of place, home and belonging through a cartographic lens, expressed in thread drawings and abstract paintings. Place is examined through a lens of personal and collective histories. Ekta’s interest in nature, poetry and photography inspires marks and textures in her works, while the experience of displacement, cultural memory is often expressed through the colour palette. Her work is held in notable international collections including the Crafts Council (London), Morgan Stanley (India), the London Museum (UK), the Gunnersbury Museum (UK), and the Tatter Blue Library (USA). She has exhibited widely, including at the Saatchi Gallery and Collect in London.
She trained at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and earned her masters degree in the UK. Her practice has been featured on BBC Radio 4 and in publications including Vogue, Living Etc, Financial Times, Selvedge, and Embroidery magazines.
Her book Kantha: Sustainable Textiles and Mindful Making, published by Bloomsbury (UK), was shortlisted for the 2025 R. L. Shep Memorial Book Award, recognizing the most outstanding book in the field of global cultural heritage textile studies. Ekta is regularly invited to lecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and was the featured artist at the V&A during London Craft Week 2025. She is the recipient of the Cockpit Arts Textile Prize (2021), Crafts Council’s Next Move award (2008), Charles Wallace Scholarship (2005) and now serves on its Board of Trustees- the first Asian woman, as well as past scholar, to do so. Ekta lives and works in London.
www.ektakaul.com
Insta @ekta_kaul
www.youtube.com/@ektakaulart