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Welcome to Secret Projects, a UK registered social enterprise, creating work for women in India
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About our Secret Homeware

Our Homeware Range holds a very special place in our heart, as this is where our journey of women’s empowerment began in 2014, with our first ever Secret Product, the Secret Pillow – a charming, foldable pillow that unfolds into a cosy blanket.  

Over the years the demand for our Secret Pillows has increased enormously and, as a direct result of this, so has the collection! Since the Secret Pillow’s rather humble beginnings of just one range, made from fabrics chosen with great care and love by our Makers, the collection now includes a gorgeous nautical themed range, a tropical range, full of flamingos and pineapples and the cutest children’s range. There are so many pillows to choose from that it’s easy to find exactly the right colour, theme and fabric to fit most interiors and exteriors from sophisticated to playful! 

Secret Pillows are made from pure, durable and washable cotton and, as we are ever mindful about wanting to make as little impact on the environment as possible, the wadding is made up of 80% recycled plastic They make a practical, beautiful and useful addition to any chair or sofa!  

Our Homeware range is useful, charming, purposeful and where possible foldable and our dream of expanding the collection came true in the form of our latest addition, the most beautiful Kantha blankets – truly gorgeous.  

Kantha stitching, meaning patched cloth is a type of stitching found in Indian embroidery, originally in Bangladesh, Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. Although there are similar styles of this stitch found all over India. 

Created by stacking old saris onto each other and hand stitching each together using a simple running stitch to make a thin, cushioned layer. Traditionally Bengali women layered together old discarded clothing with the simple kantha (running stitch) style stitching to make a bedspread or bed cushion, repurposing the old into something useful and beautiful but with it’s primary purpose being warmth.   

Over its history the kantha stitch has grown into a traditional Bengali craft at the heart of their culture. It has become a generational skill to be passed down from grandmothers and mothers to their children. Quilts and blankets are made from the family’s recycled textiles - often old saris, by the women of the household. These lovingly crafted items are often given as a wedding gifts or for a new baby and may become family heirlooms 

Our Kantha Blankets are made by our Maker Group, Molly’s Sewing Unit in West Bengal, one of the Indian states famous for this art form. This historic and charming craft also has a highly practical angle, as it can be stitched by hand, meaning women don’t need a sewing machine to create a wonderful blanket.   

We absolutely love these blankets and, if our customers feel the same, (which we are pretty sure they will), we have plans to expand our Kantha Range to include placemats, runners for dining tables, Christmas Stockings and a clothing range. This will give us a great opportunity to work with new Maker Groups throughout West Bengal and reach women from isolated communities.  

We have other plans for our Homeware Collection expansion too and are looking at creating a kitchen and gardening range in the future. Perhaps you have ideas too? Jump on our ‘Live Chat’ to let us know!