Immortal Style of Block Print Fabrics

The art of making the traditional block print fabric involves a high amount of manual labour coupled with ultra-careful efforts. A very fascinating fact about this art is that it has been carried on from prehistoric times with the same process and is still producing exquisite handmade products. This aptness had thrived under the benefaction of the royal kings during historic times. However, it was in the 17th century that the art of Indian block print fabric underwent a revolution which augmented the popularity and demand for the block print fabrics.

Even after so many years, Indian block print fabric by hand is being eminently practiced by many artisans for the delight of owners who explore their fabrics all over the world.

The prominent tools to create Indian block print fabric are wood blocks, the fabric and the dye. It is noteworthy to know that at least about five carvers take somewhere around two days to prepare a design in a teak block which is used as a printing component. The designs that are made on the blocks are not fixed and are based solely on the imagination and desire of the block-carver that he wishes to imprint on the fabric.

Today the block print fabric is made out of three methods.

Discharge Printing

In this process, the makers dye the fabric, and then chemically eliminate the dye from the cloth which then takes the blueprint. The bleached parts are treated, after which dye is again applied to produce the designer Indian cotton fabric.

Direct block printing

In this process, whole bleached cloth is dyed. Then the background colour is left, the maker carries on printing designs on the dyed cloth using the wood blocks.

Resist printing

Here, the block is used, not for dyeing, but to impose resistance, which is made out of clay, wax etc. While dyeing, different sections of cloth are covered by the impermeable resist that do not absorb the dye. The resist is stiff and the designs and patterns are created in reverse.

The design or pattern is embossed on the fabric, using any of the three methods, and the fabric is proceeded to fasten the dyes and then left to dry up in sunlight. Once it dries up, the fabric is wrapped in papers and steamed in the boilers. Then, the fabric is rinse, dried in the sun again, and ironed. This entire process helps in sticking the colour.

Block print fabric is one such fashion that has never got out of fashion despite undergoing revolution of various ages of time.