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Four women sit on a wooden floor in a circle, surrounded by colorful patchwork fabric pieces and small sewn items. One woman holds a piece of green and white checkered fabric, another arranges multicolored patches, and a third works with a stack of patterned squares. A smartphone rests on the floor nearby. In the background, a wooden bench holds a bag and cloth, and a sewing machine sits on a table beside a chair with a purple cushion.
  • 2 facilitators

Friday 9 October 2026

Systematic preparation and precision cutting of fabric strips

Facilitated by Shabana K H

We began a new round of work on raw materials before stitching. The team sorted multi-colored fabric scraps by texture, weight and color tone. This kept the colors balanced for the upcoming Kantha panels. To keep strict design uniformity, we accurately marked and cut the selected fabrics into uniform 6 centimetre wide strips.

We checked each strip for neat edges and the right length. Then we bundled and labeled the strips and stored them for the next step, pattern assembly.

What the activity directly produced: sessions held, people reached, things made.
  • 4 Kantha Design

What changed for the people who took part, and what showed it.

* Enhanced material handling and accurate fabric cutting skills.

* Observed: Participants successfully measured and cut fabric strips according to the exact 6 cm specification, reducing material waste.

(Participants told us)

What the team will keep or change next time.

Sorting fabrics by weight and color before cutting worked well and saved time. Keeping straight lines on lighter or stretchable fabrics was harder. It took extra care and steady hand control.

For future sessions, we plan to thoroughly press and iron all scraps before cutting. This will remove stubborn creases and make measuring easier.

LivelihoodStitching Clubaikyam spaceShabana K Haikyam space

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