Multicolor Kantha Cluster Bib Necklace

• Two-strand overlapping fringe
• Lightweight wood-core beads
• Mixed prints and colors on every bead
• 3-in extender chain
• Repurposed cotton textile

Every bead is wrapped in a different cut of reclaimed cotton textile, so the colors, prints and their placement will vary from piece to piece and from the photo.

Kantha is a running-stitch textile from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, made by layering worn cotton — old saris, dhotis, yardage — and stitching the layers into fresh cloth for quilts and wraps.

Because each bead here is wrapped in a small cut of that reused fabric, no two carry the same print or palette. The jumble of florals, stripes and solid tones is a visible record of the cloth's earlier life, not a designed pattern.

Each wood core is hand-carved, wrapped and stitched in cotton, then wired individually and clustered strand by strand into the layered fringe. Every bead on the piece is placed on its own — a slow, additive assembly done by women artisans in India under fair-trade terms.

• Technique: Kantha textile wrapping

Wipe gently with a soft dry cloth. Store flat or hanging so the fringe does not tangle, and keep away from water, perfume and direct sun.