New Styles for Sister Bazaar Spring 2014

handmade pure cotton clothing, hand printed in Rajasthan

designed by Andrée

Featuring Indigo Dhabu blockprints

The Picnic Dress  $143. 

Indigo Dhabu Drawstring "tooth" Tunic  $140.

In October I introduced and explained the art of Rajasthani hand blockprinting to a group of fifteen Ace Camp participants.  We toured the Indigo Printer's village, our own Soma blockprinting workshop, master woodblock carvers at work, the Anokhi Museum for Handprinting, and the Old City of Jaipur for a look at traditional tie dye process.

The hands-on blockprinting course was led by Lotta Jansdotter.

Ace Camp participants were very interested to learn about the blockprint process

explaining how I organize the block pattern layout and ink colour selections for commercial Soma production

talking about INDIGO, my passion

demonstrating how to use the traditional ink box for wood blocks

looking at record books of previous prints, with our production manager Anil. In these books are swatches, and the precious recipes for every custom ink colour

Visiting our esteemed master block carver Fundanbhai, on the last day of 2013.  He and I have been working together for decades, I call him my Guru.  Many hundreds of Soma block designs pass through his hands, but he ALWAYS can identify my own designs from those drawn by my assistants!

My brother in law Suresh Nair and I work together at Soma, we were visiting the indigo printer's workshop

SUMMER REVERIES

Sarah Clothes ad, photo Carol Gibson

Some of you may remember Sarah's luxuriously full "Wedding Skirts" and lace-trimmed Victorian blouses.

Carol took this photo at the Arboretum, staff members Joan McCarthy and Shahana Din were the lovely models.  Andree did the styling and accessories.

shopping the Jaipur bazaar

a riot of colours and textures!  

Andree guides textile and craft tours through the bazaars and artisans' workshops of Jaipur

embroidered saree trims sold in rolls

the handmade rope market

at home in India again!

This is my home near Jaipur in a restored 18th c "haveli" castle

WomenWeave is an organization dedicated to empowering & improving the lives of women who weave in rural India.

I was very happy to find their stall at a craft showcase fair in Delhi.

These scarves and wraps are handspun, handwoven, in pure cotton handprinted with botanical source dyes.  They have a lovely soft nubby texture and of course each handwoven piece is unique.

handwoven cotton shawl in iron black print

detail of the handspun, handwoven texture

Tashi was managing the booth

embroidery detail on edging

The Poetry Reader

another romantic photo by Carol Gibson for Sarah Clothes

model, the exquisite late Joan McCarthy

A bit of nostalgia

Andree's illustration for Sarah Clothes 1980

enjoy lazing around in your August!

see you in September

Do you remember Sarah Clothes?

Sarah invented the "primitive pleat" technique to create textured voile inspired by Sikh turbans she noticed on her first trip to India in 1975

How did she get the idea?

When Sarah was a teenager growing up in California she learned to make Navaho "broomstick skirts" which were pleated by binding a wet cotton skirt around a broomstick

This romantic Sarah Clothes image was created by photographer Carol Gibson

You can custom order authentic cotton voile Sarah Skirts at Sister Bazaar

I have revived her original pattern and improved the waistband with an adjustable drawstring on a yoke

Sarah skirts at rest!