One of my favorite product lines we started carrying in the past year is our repurposed kantha fabric jewelry.  Simply put, it’s stunning, fun to wear and sustainable.

So what exactly is kantha? Kantha quilts, handmade in India, consist of layers of recycled cotton saris that are sewn together with a decorative running stitch throughout.  There are now a number of organizations and businesses using repurposed kantha fabric to make handbags, scarves, wall hangings, etc.   There is no limit to the creative uses of this colorful, vibrant fabric. 

We were so excited to find jewelry made out of Kantha, a newer use of the fabric that is rarely seen. And it quickly became one of our most popular lines! Our Kantha jewelry is handmade by Indian artisans using a meticulous, intricate process.  First, wooden beads are hand carved out of scraps that are collected from a local furniture company. The women then individually cover each bead with repurposed fabric from vintage saris and quilts. The fabric is attached securely to the bead with an adhesive, trimmed to size and then, voila, a bead is made! The beads are colorful and unique – no two are exactly the same.

The talented women who make the jewelry are consistently designing new pieces.  Their creativity is limitless and they beautifully combine the beads with metal and other materials to develop stunning necklaces, bracelets and earrings that we can’t keep in stock! For the fall they have designed a new line called “kantha noir” that features black and gray beads for a dressier look. Stay tuned – there will be some in our new holiday collection!

One of my favorite things about this jewelry is how completely sustainable it is.  From the recycled wooded beads to the vintage fabric, every step of the process involves re-using a material that otherwise would have been discarded. The resources on our planet are being rapidly depleted so everything we do to ensure that we live a sustainable, environmentally friendly life style will make difference. Thanks for helping us do our part!