Selling traditional North Indian block print handicraft

Natural materials used to create and fix a yellow pigment. Clockwise from the right: mango tree bark, turmeric, myrtle flowers and alum. Turmeric is the primary dye, the other materials are required for the "mordanting" which is the chemical process which bonds the dye into the structure of the the fabric fibre.

Tree bark from Gujerat used to create the strong red "alizarin" or "madder" pigment which characterises many of our traditional design block print fabrics

Pounding Marigold petals which act as a fixative for natural dyes.

Blocks are carved by a particular community who have develop special expertise. In partnership with the block printers, their interpretation and re-creation of design ideas is quite remarkable.

Every block printer keeps hundreds of blocks in storage on shelves like these. There is no apparent numbering or filing system but this is not a haphazard jumble. The blocks for any requested design can be found in a seconds.

Printing resist for indigo batik dying. The dark brown substance which this woman is applying to the fabric is a mixture of gum and earths. It protects the fabric from the indigo dye when it is placed in the indigo vat. It also bleaches those undyed a sections of indigo fabrics a bright white colour.

Though resist printing is often carried out seated, pigment printing is usually done standing at long tables. The man above is applying the key pattern for a block design in black.

Not all designs include a black key pattern, for example our Kandinspiration is a combined batik and block print techinique. Batik method creates a frame in indigo blue before further colours are applied with standard block print method.

The Indigo Vat. This is a deep chamber more than 8ft deep. The vat is almost never emptied. Instead the dye is maintained in the vat by adding precise amounts of raw cane sugar, indigo and other substances. This knowledge is at the heart of the indigo dying and a closely guarded secret. This man is dipping fabric which has been patterned using the tie-dye knot method - traditional Rajasthani fabric decoration. The exact way in which fabric is handled in the vat is of critical importance. Fabrics have to be carefully folded to ensure an even distribution of dye.

The dipped article is laid out in the sun to dry before the ties are removed and the pattern revealed.

Both block printed and tie-dyed fabric has to be washed repeatedly to get rid of any excess dye. Rajasthan is one of India's most arid areas so at some times of year this presents problems. This is why we encourage our consumers to wash the fabrics in lukewarm, salted water. before use.

Block printed running fabric hanging up to dry. In fact many of our bedspreads are simply lain flat on the ground.

Notice: Both block printed and tie-dyed fabric has to be washed repeatedly to get rid of any excess dye. Rajasthan is one of India's most arid areas so at some times of year this presents problems. This is why we encourage our consumers to wash the fabrics in lukewarm, salted water before use. The colours will not be effected.