On the occasion of the arrival of our beautiful block printed poplins, I thought you might not know this technique...
So why not make a nice blog post about it?
Without hesitation, I jumped in and you know what... I also learned a lot while creating this article!
So let's go to India and its wonders!
A bit of history
As I told you above, it all really starts in India. Indeed, block printing has been practiced in India for several centuries now. While traces of textile printing can be found as early as Antiquity in China or Egypt, it is in India that this art reached its full extent thanks to the skill of artisans, especially from the Rajasthan region.
These cottons will arrive in Europe at the end of the 16th century by the Portuguese and of course we will call them... "les indiennes"!
At the time, these fabrics generated great enthusiasm due to their "exoticism" but it was also at this time that cotton was discovered, with its lightness, sun resistance, and beautiful colors that do not fade as much when washed!
So much so that Europe gradually copied the process, especially for toile de Jouy!
But how do you get block printed fabric?
In India, artisans work with carved wooden stamps that they press against the fabric at regular intervals to create a pattern. Different colors are applied using different stamps while carefully aligning the various markers; this requires a lot of skill and practice.
This process is built layer by layer of dye and paint to bring the pattern to life!
The whole process requires great expertise.
Carving exotic wood (rosewood, for example) which takes 4 to 6 days depending on the pattern since there are as many stamps as colors used to create the pattern, sometimes up to 10 stamps!
2. The choice of fabric (cotton, silk…)
3. The choice of color combinations
4. The block/stamp soaking is done in vegetable oil for several days to allow better color adhesion and the longevity of the stamp.
5. The application of the stamp(s), requiring the same pressure of the stamp on the fabric to obtain the same color intensity.
6. The fabric is washed, dried, ironed…
Let’s see that in a video!
Which will gradually lead to modern printing techniques...
What distinguishes block print and ultimately makes it so charming?
Unlike digital printing, block print still carries the trace of the human gesture, the artisan... Block print carries within it the mark of its creator with its many qualities but also its small flaws that give its patterns all their beauty.
Indeed, each artisan has their own way of printing, which makes each creation a unique object. The colors interact differently with humidity and light, making each print singular.
These slight variations, these small roughnesses in the design, are not flaws: they are the reflection of a living art.
And for me, it speaks to me and seduces me and it makes me think of the Japanese philosophy of Wabi sabi, the celebration of the imperfection of things 😊. Let’s be perfectly imperfect!
And you, are you attracted to this kind of fabric?
Discover block prints in our Ixelles store and on the webshop here
To your needles!
