Process Used in Traditional Indian Textile Block Printing

I talked about the Indian hand carved wood blocks in my previous post. Today, I am going to share with you the process that is, traditionally used to print lovely patterns on the textiles.

Block printing is an ancient Indian art that dates as far back as 12th century. Traditionally, hand carved wood block stamps were used to print on textiles. The art of block printing is very unique and labor intensive process, as it makes every piece of cloth one of a kind and different from others, which cannot be achieved with modern printing techniques using automated machinery. What makes this technique exquisite is the fact that the design has to be first carved onto the wooden block by hand, and then executed on the fabric.

Traditional block printing was done using environment friendly dyes, derived from vegetables,plants, minerals etc. These pigments were mixed with kerosene oil and binder which helps in fixing the colors to the fabric.

First of all, the fabric to be printed is thoroughly washed to make is free of any starch. Then it is dyed to the desired color, if required. Once completely dry, fabric is stretched onto the printing table and secured to it with the help of pins. Care should be taken that there are no ripples in the fabric.

The dyes to be used are placed in trays. These are kept on the uppermost shelf on wooden trolleys while the blocks are put on the lower shelf. Printer drags the trolley along as he works.

If the design requires the use of three, four or more colors in the pattern, the outline block is used first, usually in the darkest color. The block is dipped in the color and pressed hard on the fabric to get a good impression. Then rest of the blocks are carefully placed on the first impression to fill in the other colors, one by one . A point on the block serves as a guide for the repeat impressions.

After the printing is complete, the fabric is dried in sun to fix the colors. Fabric is then rolled in wads of newspapers to prevent the fabric layers from adhering to each other and steamed in boilers constructed for the purpose. After steaming, the material is washed thoroughly in large quantities of water and dried in the sun, after which it is finished by ironing out single layers, which fix the color permanently.

India has been renowned for its hand block printed and dyed textiles in cotton and silk. It is the essence of India and the crafts that make India stand out in the world and skill passed through many generations and should be preserved. Block Printing is one of the numerous arts and crafts that are slowly dyeing and need to be renewed and brought back to life.

Found The Lost Treasure-Indian Hand Carved Wood Block Stamps

Yay! I made one big discovery yesterday, while unpacking the moving boxes that were shoved off in garage since a couple of years. I found my old wood stamp blocks that I had purchased during my stay in India. Ever since I decided to convert my jewelry making hobby into profession, I had not even looked at these, forget about using them. But now I can't wait to use these and create interesting projects. The intricately hand carved designs and patterns on them are extremely beautiful. OMG! My mind is overflowing with the ideas. Okay! Before I go on and on about this, let me tell you more about these functional pieces of art.

Indian Hand carved wood blocks were traditionally used to print on textiles using natural dyes derived from plants, and other organic sources. But the possibilities for their use are endless. You can also use these wooden stamps for stamping or printing on paper, fabrics, wallpaper, doing temporary henna tattoos, scrapbooking, and impressing clay, tiles, ceramics, handmade soaps etc. They can be used practically anywhere; just use your imagination! I have used them in one of my Mixed Media Artwork and fabrics. I'll share the pictures of these with you in my next post.

These are carved out from various seasoned woods, including teak wood but a majority are carved of sustainably harvested brown hard Indian sheesham wood (also known as Indian Rosewood - a member of the Teak family). These stamps are carved by skilled craftsmem. Design is etched on the underside of the block. Two to three cylindrical holes are drilled into the block for free air passage and also to allow release of excess printing paste/dye. The newly carved blocks are soaked in oil, usually mustard oil for 10-15 days to soften the grains in the timber.

Block Printing is an ancient Indian art of printing, especially on fabrics & textiles, dating as far back as the 12th century. Now nearly a lost art, this handcraft work will soon be lost to modern printing techniques like automated web presses and silk screening that is replacing handmade, hand carved wood print blocks.

In an effort to promote and preserve this form of art, I came up with this post and also added some of my unused blocks for sale in my etsy shop. In my future posts I'll tell you more about this ancient art and how these blocks were used to print on textiles. Till then, have fun and Enjoy the weekend!!

I Miss the Ocean Breeze

Here I am, after a long break. There's been a lot going on. Now that the thing have settled down a bit, I am back. How much I missed you all. Anyways, Summer is over(well, nearly), Fall is here, and as the winter is approaching, I am clinging on to the sweet memories of summer, those days at the beach, the cool ocean breeze and the treasures of the ocean. To cherish these I created a Treasury of lovely ocean themed items from crafty etsians.

I love the cool blues in this nostalgic collection. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Here's the link to my Curated Treasury for today:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTAyNjI3Nzl8NjYyMTg5NTEz/i-miss-the-ocean-breeze?ref=pr_treasury

Recently Sold Artwork

There's been a lot going on lately. I was preparing for a craft fair on Canada day.....which went on pretty well. And I've also been busy packing up my house(practically) and preparing to move. Its a BIG task....especially with two kids(and a hubby whose no better than kids...lol!) and I haven't moved yet. I have to leave in mid-July.....and there's soooooo much still left to be packed.
So far, I've been posting about handcrafted jewelry and related topics. This time I thought I would share two of my recently sold artworks with you. 'Gossip' is an Oil on Canvas while the other(Tiger face) is fabric paint on Pure Silk.

I'll post more later.......when things settle down a bit(Hopefully soon!). Till then Enjoy Summertime everyone!

Jewelry Trends 2011

A glance at 2011 Jewelry Trends
(Hope its not too late to post about the latest trends:)

Fashion jewelry trends 2011 forecasts that jewelry will be bigger and bolder. If you really think about it, the right jewelry is like a piece of expensive art. It has the ability to make you look sleek and sophisticated. This season "less is not more", but "more is more". Statement jewelry is very trendy this year. In the case of oversized jewelry, this characteristic becomes even more powerful since it can be a complete fashion statement on its own. From complex, structural geometric patterns to more colorful and summery designs oversized jewelry will take a variety of different forms in the following season. One of the most important things that you should remember is to wear only one trend at a time. Do not wear stacked bangles with a statement necklace. Only one single piece of jewelry is sufficient to make you look fashionable.

Statement necklaces just got bigger and bolder this season with huge stones and funky designs. Wear a statement necklace that just sits on your collar bone as anything longer than that is so last season. A bib necklace with a mix of stones is just right for this season. Wearing unique mixed media multi layered chain necklace or layered chains is one of the biggest jewelry trends this season which is quite hard to miss.

Jewelry trends 2011 forecasts the return of chandelier earrings. Earrings this season are long, almost shoulder grazers. Large hoop earrings will also be popular jewelry trends spring summer 2011.

A cocktail ring is a must have in any fashionistas wardrobe. Chunky cocktail rings that are big enough to graze your knuckles are what we are talking about.

Materials: A mix of metals like bronze, silver, gold, dull gold and rose finish will be the highlight this season. Metals like gold and silver are popular, but you can also try bronze and copper as a cheaper option. Unlike only precious stones of last season, semi precious stones ranging from amethyst, coral, garnet peridot, coral, aquamarine and tourmaline are in this season. Natural products, leather, wood, bone, enamel, Feathers, ribbons, lace, tassels, Swarovski crystals, glass and pearls are also popular.

Colors: Vivid colors like red tomatoes, plum, aubergine, bright yellow, indigo, blue, khaki, and chocolate brown for ethnic/folk inspired styles. Turquoise, coral and green & blue colors in various shades are the hues for floral/fauna inspired jewelry. For Military/Urban/Futuristic style jewelry, smoke and metallic colors, gray, black, white, army green and acid yellow are in. Soft tones like pink powder, skin colors, lavender, beige and gray green for the more romantic Vintage & Retro styles. While any color scheme or materials can be used in recycled jewelery.

Motifs: Animals, flowers, butterflies and clover , designs inspired by African tribes and folklore, power symbols such as snakes, cats and panthers, sea creatures and starfish.

Yay!! I won the contest!

A big warm 'Thank You' to all my friends, fans and supporters who voted for me me help in win the 'Artisan Challenge' for May. This was the first time ever that I had entered my jewelry creations in a contest. And won!! This month's theme was 'Beach'. I created this piece using golden brown lip shell discs and natural white pearls. Actually, I think this is a very nice way to keep your creative spirits alive and get some exposure too. Can't wait to know the next month's challenge and start working on it....Results of the contest can be viewed here: http://artisanspotlightajd.blogspot.com/

New Looks!

I've made few more changes to the blog; changed the background and managed to center align the header image. It's so much fun playing around, provided you have the time to(which is a bit tough for me to find with two online stores, facebook fanpage, my website, home, hubby and two cute daughters). Well, back to the topic now! The other day I came across this rustic, sort of vintage background and I knew I had to get it on my blog(somehow). I just love it(till I find something even better). Hope you'll like it too!

Oh! I almost forgot....here's this lovely treasury, featuring varied items from the members of 'Lost in the Crowd' Team on etsy. Its called 'Beautiful Lost Treasures'. And my 'Purple Jade and Aventurine Hoop Earrings - Mystic Wheel' are included too! Do check it out. Here's the link:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dc5e708d7228eef4e9a6007/beautiful-lost-treasures

Ops! I went off the topic again; As I said its fun to play around! I sometimes deliberately take the wrong turns(time-permitted), you may never know what you'll find/discover............
Have Fun!!