Our Textiles
All our textiles are hand-printed by block-printing artisans in Rajasthan, India, who use techniques passed down through their ancestry over centuries from generation to generation. We use both natural and azo-free dyes. Each type of dye produces a different result as the dying process varies depending on the type of dye used. Below is an in-depth look at our block printing and dying processes.
The Design
The process begins with a little inspiration - of course. I sketch up my ideas and pick out the sketches I would like to turn into a pattern.
Once I am happy with the design, I send digitised versions of the designs over to our printing partners in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The Blocks
Carving: The chipper transfers the image onto a block of teak and chisels the design into the block
Oiling: Once the blocks are carved to perfection, they are soaked in oil overnight, to seal them.
Final Blocks: The blocks are then taken out of the oil and left to dry overnight.
DABU: MUD RESIST-PRINTING
Step 1: The prepared printing blocks are dipped in a mixture of mud that consists of clay, lime and fermented wheat and hand stamped onto dry fabric.
Step 2: The fabric is then sprinkled with dry sawdust to “cure” the mud and the mud printed fabric is then soaked in natural Indigo vats overnight.
Step 3: The fabric is then removed from the indigo vats and washed in a water bath by the “dhobi”.
Step 4: The “dhobi” are men who specialise in hand-washing away the mud by soaking the fabric in large concrete water baths and beating the soaked fabric against the concrete.
Step 5: The result is a resist-printed fabric with a beautifully diffused white pattern on Indigo fabric.
Hand Block Printing
For this process, the prepared printing blocks are dipped directly into azo-free dyes and hand stamped onto prepared fabric.
The result is a block-printed, clean, crisp and colourful pattern on white fabric.