Dreaming of an endless summer
"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on
the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar
conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."
—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
It's the August of 2017 and I am thinking and wishing that the summer would go on and on and on... I am dreaming of days when the line between indoor and outdoor living becomes blurred - when we pull back the drapes and open our doors.Everyone has a smile on their faces and "what a beautiful day" becomes an excellent conversation starter.
So what does your home look like in summer ? I have such clear memories of my mother changing the curtains, the cushion covers and the bed linen of the house when the leaves started sprouting green and the air got warmer. The thing I remember most was the fabric - light , breathable with gorgeous prints - small motifs of paisley , floral or animals like elephant or the majestic peacock. One of my favorite bed covers was a pure cotton -muslin blend with small elephants hand block printed... Yes, hand block printed and that was the start of my love affair with the ancient art of hand block printing.
Hand block printing is a centuries old Indian art form that utilizes a hand carved teak wood block that is dipped in dye and stamped by hand onto cotton or muslin.The design for the block is mostly a traditional Indian motif like the peacock, the elephant, a paisley design or even floral.The motif is traced onto a block by a master craftsman who then chips away at the block to create a stamp. Hand block printing is quite a process and it is very Eco- friendly too.The printing process begins by pre-washing the fabrics in the river in order to reduce water consumption. The fabric is then dyed, laid flat on a table and fixed firmly to the table with pins. Four to five basic natural colors are used that are then mixed together to form a multitude of colors. The block is then dipped in the dye (vegetable & plant based ) and stamped firmly by hand onto the fabric. Finally, the fabric is rinsed in the river and hung to dry in the sun, minimizing energy consumption. Good printing requires skill and practice in order to create uniformity and clear block printing patterns. Small variations in the printing add to the unique charm of these handmade fabrics. It is quite a process right ?
Why I love hand block printed cotton muslin blend linen ? Apart from the fact that it is plain and simple gorgeous and classy , I think it goes very well with warm climates, the light and airy texture of the fabric makes your home breath and creates a nice overall aura in the house. A relaxed energy of sorts. Cotton muslin is super light and very easy to maintain , I mean imagine your bedroom with a nice warm and light muslin blanket instead of a massive heavy comforter, it is not only easy on the eyes but it feels great too. The prints which are created using hand block printing on cotton muslin blends are extremely vivacious and eye-catching. One of the important advantages of hand block prints is the versatility in colors. Many colors are available for a single design. Another big advantage is how big and open your rooms look. If you have a house which for some reason doesn't get plenty natural light, cotton muslin in shades like off white or any pastels will open up your house and create light and brightness.
Another reason why I love hand block printed fabrics is that the aesthetics of hand block printing owe much to the skills of the woodblock carvers and textile printers.It is a very human process, no machine work at any step. Meticulous accuracy and exceptional teamwork are vital in block printing to harmonize motifs and colors in the final creation. One needs a lot of patience to master this ancient craft. For example, even with twenty printers the painstaking process for a single hand printed fabric can take eight hours to complete, though the result is one of a kind, unique & gorgeous.
Before Kalaá, I made it a point to stop at Rajasthan Emporium or the Artisan Center in India and shop all my bed linens & table linens, I even picked up a lot of bed covers and quilts for many friends here in the US who loved what they saw in my home and asked me to get something similar for them. I especially like places that work directly with artisans & weavers and there are no middle men or agents involved. So a Fab India or Anokhi were never my choice of shopping spots. Also, because I have worked in retail fashion, I have seen how badly artisans and weavers suffer at the hands of bigger brands and designers. They do all the work and get no recognition or even fair compensation for their hard work. This was also another reason I started Kalaá, I wanted to bring recognition to the faceless artisan community and pay them fairly for the beautiful work they do by hand.
So, here's a link to some beautiful hand block printed Table Linen & Bed Linen, they are all 100% organic cotton and the printing has been done using plant based natural dye. Good for your home, good for gifting and good for the planet.
Bed Linen - https://www.etsy.com/listing/533200144/white-and-pink-floral-motifs-hand-block?ref=shop_home_active_8
Table Linen - https://www.etsy.com/listing/546704841/white-blue-hand-block-printed-organic?ref=shop_home_feat_1
Please do remember, each purchase matters and helps the artisan community in India who are trying hard to save and preserve their legacy and every referral counts for a small business.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
It's the August of 2017 and I am thinking and wishing that the summer would go on and on and on... I am dreaming of days when the line between indoor and outdoor living becomes blurred - when we pull back the drapes and open our doors.Everyone has a smile on their faces and "what a beautiful day" becomes an excellent conversation starter.
So what does your home look like in summer ? I have such clear memories of my mother changing the curtains, the cushion covers and the bed linen of the house when the leaves started sprouting green and the air got warmer. The thing I remember most was the fabric - light , breathable with gorgeous prints - small motifs of paisley , floral or animals like elephant or the majestic peacock. One of my favorite bed covers was a pure cotton -muslin blend with small elephants hand block printed... Yes, hand block printed and that was the start of my love affair with the ancient art of hand block printing.
Hand block printing is a centuries old Indian art form that utilizes a hand carved teak wood block that is dipped in dye and stamped by hand onto cotton or muslin.The design for the block is mostly a traditional Indian motif like the peacock, the elephant, a paisley design or even floral.The motif is traced onto a block by a master craftsman who then chips away at the block to create a stamp. Hand block printing is quite a process and it is very Eco- friendly too.The printing process begins by pre-washing the fabrics in the river in order to reduce water consumption. The fabric is then dyed, laid flat on a table and fixed firmly to the table with pins. Four to five basic natural colors are used that are then mixed together to form a multitude of colors. The block is then dipped in the dye (vegetable & plant based ) and stamped firmly by hand onto the fabric. Finally, the fabric is rinsed in the river and hung to dry in the sun, minimizing energy consumption. Good printing requires skill and practice in order to create uniformity and clear block printing patterns. Small variations in the printing add to the unique charm of these handmade fabrics. It is quite a process right ?
Why I love hand block printed cotton muslin blend linen ? Apart from the fact that it is plain and simple gorgeous and classy , I think it goes very well with warm climates, the light and airy texture of the fabric makes your home breath and creates a nice overall aura in the house. A relaxed energy of sorts. Cotton muslin is super light and very easy to maintain , I mean imagine your bedroom with a nice warm and light muslin blanket instead of a massive heavy comforter, it is not only easy on the eyes but it feels great too. The prints which are created using hand block printing on cotton muslin blends are extremely vivacious and eye-catching. One of the important advantages of hand block prints is the versatility in colors. Many colors are available for a single design. Another big advantage is how big and open your rooms look. If you have a house which for some reason doesn't get plenty natural light, cotton muslin in shades like off white or any pastels will open up your house and create light and brightness.
Another reason why I love hand block printed fabrics is that the aesthetics of hand block printing owe much to the skills of the woodblock carvers and textile printers.It is a very human process, no machine work at any step. Meticulous accuracy and exceptional teamwork are vital in block printing to harmonize motifs and colors in the final creation. One needs a lot of patience to master this ancient craft. For example, even with twenty printers the painstaking process for a single hand printed fabric can take eight hours to complete, though the result is one of a kind, unique & gorgeous.
Before Kalaá, I made it a point to stop at Rajasthan Emporium or the Artisan Center in India and shop all my bed linens & table linens, I even picked up a lot of bed covers and quilts for many friends here in the US who loved what they saw in my home and asked me to get something similar for them. I especially like places that work directly with artisans & weavers and there are no middle men or agents involved. So a Fab India or Anokhi were never my choice of shopping spots. Also, because I have worked in retail fashion, I have seen how badly artisans and weavers suffer at the hands of bigger brands and designers. They do all the work and get no recognition or even fair compensation for their hard work. This was also another reason I started Kalaá, I wanted to bring recognition to the faceless artisan community and pay them fairly for the beautiful work they do by hand.
So, here's a link to some beautiful hand block printed Table Linen & Bed Linen, they are all 100% organic cotton and the printing has been done using plant based natural dye. Good for your home, good for gifting and good for the planet.
Bed Linen - https://www.etsy.com/listing/533200144/white-and-pink-floral-motifs-hand-block?ref=shop_home_active_8
Table Linen - https://www.etsy.com/listing/546704841/white-blue-hand-block-printed-organic?ref=shop_home_feat_1
Please do remember, each purchase matters and helps the artisan community in India who are trying hard to save and preserve their legacy and every referral counts for a small business. 
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