2018 I got the chance to go back to India with my new job this was amazing and I’m so lucky to have this opportunity!
I really enjoyed going to Jaipur and learning about block printing in my first trip in 2017, I would of loved to do more of this and some workshops, but because I was on an arranged tour we didn’t have enough time. So I was very fortunate to be going to experience more block printing and attend workshops, as well as meeting our carvers and talking about designs and being taught about designing. I had the most incredible time and learnt so much about block printing. In the village of Bagru I went on a village tour and learnt all the different fabric processes from preparing to dying, washing and printing. The work is all shared out amongst the villagers then dried out in big communal drying spaces. It was inspirational seeing this first hand and looking at all the gorgeous patterns and beautiful natural colours.
We did 3 amazing work shops while we were there the first one was Jai Tex Art
‘Hand Block Printing is one of the most famous traditional art of Rajasthan. Workshops are held for those who wants to learn this beautiful traditional art. During these workshops one gets to develop their skills in block printing and also gain experience by learning and working alongside skilled craftperson. It is very interesting to see how the prints are hand made with small wooden blocks, usually with different colors extracted from nature.’
http://jaitexart.com/hand-block-printing-workshop/
PHILOSOPHY
‘Jai Texart (JTA) was founded with the strong belief that the ancient craft “hand block printing” can offer ultimate products and can regain its glory if the product is developed, produced and marketed with proper blend of professional skills encompassing the entire gamut of textile and fashion designing, marketing & management skills coupled with the creative skills of hand block printing.
HISTORY
JTA had started as a manufacturer of hand block printed fabric using the printing facilities of other existing hand block printing units at Bagru and Sanganer.
With in two years we established our 1st hand block printing unit at “Sanganer”, in the 5th year (2006-2007) 2nd unit at Bagru and in the 9th year (2009-2010) 3rd unit at Bagru. We have also increased the network of hand block printers extensively who maintain the high quality of printing. Over time an extensive network of weavers have been developed at various textile centers spread across India.’
http://jaitexart.com/about-us/
Jai Texart was great such a brilliant first workshop ! We learnt about how the fabric is washed and how to line up repeat blocks and print boarders in the traditional way. I made a big wall hanging with lots of intricate floral designs because I love floral motifs.
Here’s a shot of my final block printed piece before the colours are revealed , after washing and soaking in another dye bath.
Then we had a day doing a workshop with Studio Bagru
Where we work
‘Artisans in Bagru have been hand-block printing for over 350 years. Bagru is a small Indian town located thirty kilometers outside of Jaipur – the capital of Rajasthan. While many Rajasthani villages have turned to screen-printing as an alternative to block printing, Bagru has remained loyal to its history, culture, and craftsmanship. This makes it one of the last existing hubs for this niche process. We have strong relationships with our partners in Bagru and the surrounding Jaipur areas. With our headquarters located centrally in Jaipur, we’re able to personally oversee production and manage the needs of our clients.’
We had the best day with Jeremy! The studio is very inspiring and the tour into Bagru was an extra special part of the trip, it was great seeing the village and how everyone lives and works.
The workshop was fabulous there was an amazing selection of blocks and all the team were so helpful, even the workshop dog! We all printed the most gorgeous fabric I would highly recommend this. Here’s some images of my final wall hanging we are going to hang them in our new studio!
The final one was Dye it Yourself which was a natural dying and printing workshop.
‘The workshop takes you on a journey, where you get to learn about the history of dyeing and assimilate the fundamentals of natural dyeing. Together, we will explore the existence of natural colors and soak in techniques to extract the yellows, orange, brown, pink, blue, red and greens from around us.
Divided into three different segments for Block Printing, Shibori Tie Dye, Natural Dyeing, DIY introduces you to a contemporary and unique world of dyeing traditions.
You will have the opportunity of interacting and engaging with experts who have been practicing these arts for generations. you get to experiment with a plethora of natural colors readied especially for the workshop. We can guarantee that you go home spattered, inspired and ready to make your own explorations through color with natural dyes.’
http://www.dyeityourself.org/about-us
Yet again a great workshop I learnt so much about natural dying, ecoprinting and block printing. The team were fabulous and the workshops were a good pace to understand all the different processes, I’ve gone away with loads of inspiration, and really want to start natural dying again back at home like I started experimenting with on my degree.
Here are some of my creations from the day…
The final thing we did was a morning of Dabu printing.
The dabu mud is made from locally available black clay, spoiled wheat flour, calcium and limestone. The mud is filtered by foot through a net in order to strain out rocks and minerals – leaving a thick, smooth mud paste. The process is often compared to the way grapes are crushed to make wine.Blocks to print dabu are distinctly different, with deeper grooves for mud, and wider lines compared to blocks for the traditional Bagru print.After the mud is made, it is ready to be printed. The printer dips the block in the mud and stamps it on the fabric.
Sawdust is gently sprinkled over the mud to prevent smudging, preserving the natural beauty of the mud print.The fabric is taken directly from the printing table to dry outside beneath the hot, rajasthani sun.
The mud-printed fabric is then dyed, commonly in indigo wells, or pot-dyed in other colors like grey, yellow, pink, and more.After dyeing, washers rinse the mud off the fabric, revealing a white color where the mud was protecting from dye. The natural cracks in the mud can be seen in the white print that is unveiled after the wash. The fabric is left to dry again before it is quality checked, pressed, folded, packaged, and shipped.
http://www.studiobagru.com/the-dabu-printing-process/
All the workshops were absolutely amazing, I have learnt so much to put into designing the blocks and ideas for workshops, as well as new designs for my own work. I really want to design some larger blocks and maybe do some two colour designs. I loved the natural dying workshops it has really inspired me to get back into dying like I begun experimenting with on my degree.
For the rest of the trip we then travelled to Delhi, Udder Pudresh, Kerala and North and South Goa, I thought Kerala was just beautiful its so peaceful and there so much nature to see and gorgeous flowers I would love to go back and spend longer exploring there. I loved Goa again and it was great going back to some of the same places.
Here some of my favourite images from the trip !
Enjoy
hollybjones 