I don’t have many raw materials around me at the moment, so I’m making the most of what I have to hand. Luckily I have a bolt of French handwoven fabric and some coloured quilting threads so I decided to make a Kantha stitch tote bag. I’ve just finished it. I love the geometric designs and, although I wish I could be looser and freer, I always come back to straight lines.

Whether you stitch straight or curved lines, there’s something so very soothing about Kantha stitch. It has a rhythm all its own and is very satisfying to sew. It’s forgiving if you’re not the neatest of sewers and versatile as you can create a pattern in stitch and change the colour of your threads for variety. It is embroidery in its simplest form and the ideal activity when you want to pass the time purposefully while you chat virtually, watch telly or listen to a story.

Kantha stitching originated in India and means ‘rags’ in Sanskrit, reflecting the fact that items are generally made up of discarded garments or cloths. The Kantha quilts I’ve picked up when travelling in India are some of my most favourite things. These heirloom pieces with their patches and darns have their own unique story which is now intermingled with my own. They always take pride of place wherever I make my home and represent the epitome of hand stitching to me.