Mita Chowdhury hopes her new project, Kantha, will create a universal sisterhood for the participating women.
The community quilt, Kantha, is a project ranging over 12 weeks and will see women in Wyndham from diverse backgrounds collectively contribute to its creation.
“The making of Kantha is women-dominated group craftwork. Traditionally, a group of women might sit down together to share their daily life and stitch the Kantha in their spare time,” she said.
More important than the manufacturing of the quilt, is the connection the women will form during the process.
“A group of six to eight women will sit down routinely and create this Kantha. When these women sit down regularly, they will develop sisterhoods and a bond that will emerge through this
Kantha,” Ms Chowdhury said.
“They will share the same goal, share their feelings, and invest their time collectively. They might share food and drinks during this process, create memories and momentum, and share their everyday lives and problems.”
Kantha has a history dating back thousands of years, the quilt is traditionally made from recycled clothing, when a long-loved sari became too old to wear.
Intense love, care and passion is behind the threading of every stitch, Ms Chowdhury said.
“A mother may be weaving a Kantha with her own hands for her daughter or son who is about to start their own family or getting married soon. A grandmother maybe stitches Kantha with her favourite sari for her future grandchild, which will be used to welcome a newborn baby into this world.”
Ms Chowdhury, a migrant to Australia from Bangladesh, hopes the project will help other migrants or diaspora communities to release their stresses and express their voice through embroidery.
