Sunday, October 18, 2009

A Beautiful Fabric Find from India using traditional hand blocking

I am lucky enough to have in stock these beautifully hand blocked prints from India, printed on 100% cotton suitable for home furnishings.
  Helping to sustain small communities in India.




100% Indian cotton, hand blocked Large Paisley in blue
using Eco friendly and azo-free pigment dyes.



Indian cotton hand blocked,String of Leaves on white


 
Little Trees, hand blocked Indian Cotton



Indian Cotton, hand blocked burnt orange Paisley
and using Eco friendly and azo-free pigment dyes.

The artisans who produce this fabric are poorer women from local communities in India who have been empolyed and then  trained by other more experienced women.
There are  many different processes to go through to acheive the final finished fabric, which means plenty of work for the women. 

Eco friendly and azo-free pigment dyes are used for printing this fabric onto a lovely cotton duck fabric. The less experienced women, start with packing and dispatching and quality control, where the more experienced do the hand block printing,  Once the fabric has been block printed, the fabric is laid out in the sun  for the pigment to dry, then it is steamed in  boilers, once dry again it is ironed flat, to fix the colour permanently.

The women are provided with fair wages and a safe work environment, some medial aid, banking facilities and schooling for the children.

In stocking this fabric, I am contributing to their lives also, apart from simply loving these gorgeous prints.  I hope you like them too and would love you to comment on them.  All positive feedback is passed on back to India.

Have a wonderful week.

Susie




3 comments:

Jenny @ Festoon said...

These are gorgeous, absolutely beautiful. How did you find them??? xxx

Fiona Dixon said...

oh wow they are beautiful Suzie just stunning and big thumbs up for stocking them!

Karin van Dam said...

I think they are beautiful. Those leaves and trees especially, cute!