{"title":"South Asian Embroidery Techniques","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"illustrative-kantha","title":"Illustrative Kantha","description":"\u003cp\u003eSpend a creative evening learning the art of illustrative embroidery inspired by the kantha tradition. 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 range of stitches. The illustrative style is marked by figurative designs drawn from everyday life — botanical, animal and human figures. Over the course of the evening you will learn the stitches used in illustrative kantha, following a design template Ekta has developed for the workshop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will begin by understanding what kantha is — its cultural significance, its ethos, and its vocabulary of stitches and motifs — looking at examples of illustrative kantha that Ekta has chosen from personal and museum collections in India, the US and the UK. She will share insights gained from her years of research into kantha, travelling in Bengal as well as through museums across India. Through step-by-step demonstrations you will learn a range of traditional kantha stitches, including outline and filling stitches, to create motifs and patterns, and you will learn about the structure and construction of kantha.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will also learn the characteristic kantha quilting stitch that gives the cloth its softly rippled appearance so you leave with the skills to complete your own kantha stitched art. Your finished piece might become a wall hanging or a panel to use in future projects. A pdf of techniques and design ideas will be shared with you to take home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThursday, August 13th, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5:00 – 8:00 pm ET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e$110\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTatter Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e____\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShisha, Kantha, and Kachchh: South Asian Domestic Embroidery in the TATTER Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the first long-term exhibition in the Blue Library. Pulling together and highlighting pieces from our collection that present domestic textiles as works of art and their makers as artists, this exhibition will include shisha mirrorwork panels, kantha-stitched coverings for the home, and Kachchh (Kutch) dowry bags. These objects incorporate traditional motifs reflective of rural and nomadic life in the delta and desert regions of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While they display the creativity and individual hands of the women and girls who made them, they also show signs of life in their wear and stains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eThis exhibition emerged as a complement to our educational programming, lending materiality and context to the techniques our beloved veteran teachers, Ekta Kaul and Shahnaz Khan, have been offering our TATTER community for years. Shisha mirrorwork and Kachchh work, as taught by Shahnaz, are practiced by several nomadic communities in modern day India and Pakistan. Shisha is the process of attaching mirrors, coins, or otherwise reflective ornaments to cloth by encircling them with tightly stitched borders. Kachchhwork, also known as Sindhi Tarpoa or Sindhi Kadhai, originated in the Kachchh region and is created by stitching crosses side by side and then interconnecting them through a series of woven stitches. Kantha, as taught by Ekta, is an embroidery and quilting technique practiced for centuries by Bengali women in which cotton cloth, often reused from worn-out garments, is layered together for durability and embellished with brightly colored threads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOur in-person exhibition will be available for early viewing to students attending Ekta’s Illustrative and Geometric Kantha classes on August 13th and 14th. The exhibit will be open to the public from September to December, with an expanded digital exhibition freely available on our Substack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tatter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51769458393409,"sku":"EDU_ILLUSTRATIVE-KANTHA_KAUL_2026.08.13","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/3195\/5777\/files\/Screenshot2026-05-26at4.49.56PM.png?v=1779892519"},{"product_id":"geometric-kantha","title":"Geometric Kantha","description":"\u003cp\u003eKantha 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough 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 i\u003cimg\u003enteresting 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFriday, August 14th, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5:00 – 8:00 pm ET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e$110\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTatter Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Materials\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e____\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShisha, Kantha, and Kachchh: South Asian Domestic Embroidery in the TATTER Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the first long-term exhibition in the Blue Library. Pulling together and highlighting pieces from our collection that present domestic textiles as works of art and their makers as artists, this exhibition will include shisha mirrorwork panels, kantha-stitched coverings for the home, and Kachchh (Kutch) dowry bags. These objects incorporate traditional motifs reflective of rural and nomadic life in the delta and desert regions of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While they display the creativity and individual hands of the women and girls who made them, they also show signs of life in their wear and stains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eThis exhibition emerged as a complement to our educational programming, lending materiality and context to the techniques our beloved veteran teachers, Ekta Kaul and Shahnaz Khan, have been offering our TATTER community for years. Shisha mirrorwork and Kachchh work, as taught by Shahnaz, are practiced by several nomadic communities in modern day India and Pakistan. Shisha is the process of attaching mirrors, coins, or otherwise reflective ornaments to cloth by encircling them with tightly stitched borders. Kachchhwork, also known as Sindhi Tarpoa or Sindhi Kadhai, originated in the Kachchh region and is created by stitching crosses side by side and then interconnecting them through a series of woven stitches. Kantha, as taught by Ekta, is an embroidery and quilting technique practiced for centuries by Bengali women in which cotton cloth, often reused from worn-out garments, is layered together for durability and embellished with brightly colored threads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOur in-person exhibition will be available for early viewing to students attending Ekta’s Illustrative and Geometric Kantha classes on August 13th and 14th. The exhibit will be open to the public from September to December, with an expanded digital exhibition freely available on our Substack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tatter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51769464062273,"sku":"EDU_GEOMETRIC-KANTHA_KAUL_2026.08.14","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/3195\/5777\/files\/Screenshot2026-05-26at4.58.57PM_4edd4500-05cb-4562-87ed-82319915439b.png?v=1785427959"},{"product_id":"shisha-mirrorwork-1","title":"Shisha Mirrorwork","description":"\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eIndian mirror work, known as Shisha, is the ancient Indian embroidery technique of attaching tiny mirrors onto fabric.  Developed during the 17th century, it is practiced widely throughout India and the East and has many variations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eIn this class, students will be introduced to the history of Shisha, while learning the traditional technique of creating a grid across the mirror which can then be stitched open creating a border. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eStudents will be encouraged to reflect on the cultural significance of embroidery and what it can teach us about the history and traditions of our own and other cultures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eSaturday, September 12th, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e12:00-4:00 pm ET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eTATTER Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e$150\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Materials\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eAll materials will be provided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e_____\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShisha, Kantha, and Kachchh: South Asian Domestic Embroidery in the TATTER Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the first long-term exhibition in the Blue Library. Pulling together and highlighting pieces from our collection that present domestic textiles as works of art and their makers as artists, this exhibition will include shisha mirrorwork panels, kantha-stitched coverings for the home, and Kachchh (Kutch) dowry bags. These objects incorporate traditional motifs reflective of rural and nomadic life in the delta and desert regions of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While they display the creativity and individual hands of the women and girls who made them, they also show signs of life in their wear and stains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eThis exhibition emerged as a complement to our educational programming, lending materiality and context to the techniques our beloved veteran teachers, Ekta Kaul and Shahnaz Khan, have been offering our TATTER community for years. Shisha mirrorwork and Kachchh work, as taught by Shahnaz, are practiced by several nomadic communities in modern day India and Pakistan. Shisha is the process of attaching mirrors, coins, or otherwise reflective ornaments to cloth by encircling them with tightly stitched borders. Kachchhwork, also known as Sindhi Tarpoa or Sindhi Kadhai, originated in the Kachchh region and is created by stitching crosses side by side and then interconnecting them through a series of woven stitches. Kantha, as taught by Ekta, is an embroidery and quilting technique practiced for centuries by Bengali women in which cotton cloth, often reused from worn-out garments, is layered together for durability and embellished with brightly colored threads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOur in-person exhibition will be available for early viewing to students attending Ekta’s Illustrative and Geometric Kantha classes on August 13th and 14th. The exhibit will be open to the public from September to December, with an expanded digital exhibition freely available on our Substack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tatter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52019295682881,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/3195\/5777\/files\/Shisha_Newsletter_Photo-2.jpg?v=1785168970"},{"product_id":"kutch-embroidery-1","title":"Kachchh Embroidery","description":"\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eDating back to the 16th and 17th centuries in India, this interlaced embroidery motif  is believed to have originated with the cattle breeders (Kathis) and shoe makers (Mochis) of Western India.  Practiced in the Sindh regions of Pakistan and the Kutch district of Gujarat, India these  interlaced crosses go by many names. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOften referred to as Sindhi  Tarpoa, Sindhi Kadhai, or simply Kutch stitch, its spiky corners resemble the thorns of the Gando Baval tree leading to its nickname, Bavariya Bharat. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eTraditionally practiced on cotton and silk in vibrant colors, these crosses can be used to create borders, geometric designs and more intricately depicting flora and fauna of the region. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eInspired by an antique textile found while traveling in India, this class will lead students though the process of laying down a foundation using herringbone stitches, followed by an intricate pattern of interlacing. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOnce the basic technique is mastered, students will be given the opportunity to follow a more intricate design and be encouraged to create their own. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eSunday, September 20th, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e12:00-4:00 pm ET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eTATTER Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e$150\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Materials\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eAll materials will be provided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e______\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShisha, Kantha, and Kachchh: South Asian Domestic Embroidery in the TATTER Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the first long-term exhibition in the Blue Library. Pulling together and highlighting pieces from our collection that present domestic textiles as works of art and their makers as artists, this exhibition will include shisha mirrorwork panels, kantha-stitched coverings for the home, and Kachchh (Kutch) dowry bags. These objects incorporate traditional motifs reflective of rural and nomadic life in the delta and desert regions of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While they display the creativity and individual hands of the women and girls who made them, they also show signs of life in their wear and stains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eThis exhibition emerged as a complement to our educational programming, lending materiality and context to the techniques our beloved veteran teachers, Ekta Kaul and Shahnaz Khan, have been offering our TATTER community for years. Shisha mirrorwork and Kachchh work, as taught by Shahnaz, are practiced by several nomadic communities in modern day India and Pakistan. Shisha is the process of attaching mirrors, coins, or otherwise reflective ornaments to cloth by encircling them with tightly stitched borders. Kachchhwork, also known as Sindhi Tarpoa or Sindhi Kadhai, originated in the Kachchh region and is created by stitching crosses side by side and then interconnecting them through a series of woven stitches. Kantha, as taught by Ekta, is an embroidery and quilting technique practiced for centuries by Bengali women in which cotton cloth, often reused from worn-out garments, is layered together for durability and embellished with brightly colored threads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"\u003eOur in-person exhibition will be available for early viewing to students attending Ekta’s Illustrative and Geometric Kantha classes on August 13th and 14th. The exhibit will be open to the public from September to December, with an expanded digital exhibition freely available on our Substack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tatter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52019298402625,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/3195\/5777\/files\/NewsletterPhoto-3.jpg?v=1781019314"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.tatter.org\/collections\/south-asian-embroidery-techniques.oembed","provider":"Tatter","version":"1.0","type":"link"}