Block printing in Jaipur

Woodblock printing is a technique used on fabric and paper throughout Asia. Jaipur is particularly famous for it. This being so when our taxi driver offered to take us to a 'textiles place' I had to say yes. I was really glad I did as it turned out to be a shop with a small studio attached showing the different techniques used.

So many blocks!

The technique involves dipping a carved wooden block into dye and then pressing it onto fabric (or paper).

Above you can see some table-cloths in the process of being made. These are waiting for the next layer.

Here the worker is applying the next layer of block.

The pads where the colour is applied (above).

They also showed us one quick run of the process.

The bit where it got washed in salt water and changed from red to green was pretty magical.

This was a great technique to see being done in person. It made me itch to block print my own fabric!

Guest Post: Making a diary cover by Thread Fairy

Thread Fairy has kindly written the following guest post for me. She's just started blogging but I recommend popping by - I predict some glorious goodies will be featured on her blog soon.

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Every year I make a cover for my academic diary.

Two fabrics have been sewn together and you can see where I have started to quilt. The pink (cerise red) fabric is screen printed with a selection of bird ‘sayings’. The yellow (acid lemon) has a screen printed green square (turquoise) and then a ‘lino’ printed bird. 

The cut ‘lino’.

Fabric is now all quilted and I have folded back the flaps to hold the book.

 
The lining is placed over the cover and will be stitched along the top and bottom.

Front of diary.

Back of diary.

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Thanks Thread Fairy!

xx

A misadventure with Dylon dyes

A week or two ago I decided to dye our sofa throw a new colour. We'd just had our washing machine replaced because as well as eventually refusing to even turn on it had for several weeks been coating our washing in some kind of brown sludge. So the sofa throw, which was white, wasn't looking so hot any more.

Note: The throw in this photo is concealing all kinds of junk I couldn't be bothered to move off the sofa for this photo.

What better way to celebrate a new washing machine than throwing in a whole heap of machine dye? I decided on Dylon machine dye because it seemed easier and the least likely to stain my body in the process. 

I chose the Tulip Red  dye because we have various red things like a rug and a bin so I thought it would match nicely. Once dyed I was then planning on embroidering the throw in some beauteous manner. 

In went the dye, the salt and the throw.

I was mildly concerned that my washing machine suddenly looked like it belonged in a Japanese horror film. I hoped really hard that this wasn't a permanent condition. To be sure I ran the throw through several wash cycles.

Then I took it out and this....THIS.... was the result.....

Is that red? Is it?? Noooooo. Very likely I should have used more than one packet of dye. This photo doesn't quite do justice to what a BRIGHT shade of pink the sofa throw now is.

Oh the horror!!