Nakshi kantha is a traditional running stitch from Bengal, made up of motifs influenced by religion, culture and the lives of the women stitching them.
The creation of our nakshi kantha is a lengthy process, laboriously undertaken in the verdant villages of rural West Bengal. Under the auspices or 60 year old Takdira Begum, a national awardee for her kantha work, 100 skilled women artisans hand embroider this beautiful fabric.
The first step in this process is the design of the pattern to be embroidered, which is then drawn onto tracing paper. This is done by Takdira Begum herself, who also decides on the colour palette. Next, the lines of the pattern are punctured by hand with a pin and the paper is then laid over the silk fabric. A paste of chalk and turpentine is rubbed over the paper, and seeps through the small pin-holes onto the fabric below.
Now the silk has the pattern lines traced onto it. It's ironed and distributed amongst the artisans who take it home and stitch the kantha. Once complete, the fabric is hand washed several times to remove any stains and the tracing lines. Any variations or irregularities are part of the design and inherent to the production process.
