Designing Block Prints

Once the design for the new block print is complete and sent for carving in wood, the colour combinations for the print must be decided.  Getting them right is concentrated work!  All colours change their character in a print depending on how large or small their size and what colours their neighbours are.  It is all about harmonizing shape and tone and colour.

Here I am working out three colourways (combinations) for a new wood block for home furnishings named Denise.  I use paint, pantone chips and cotton swatches, the bottles at back hold a collection collected over 30 years..colour swatches are precious!

The colour master at the print workshop will begin making new recipies for each of the colours (working with powder colour and a weigh scale) and once approved, we are ready to try out the newly carved wood blocks and start production.

Denise furnishings will be available at Soma shops in India, summer 2015.

Indigo excitement!

 the first three sample prints of my new dhabu blocks, Dori Stripe, Small Links and Leheriya have just come in from the printer

And now, I am planning and styling garment patterns for Summer Sister Bazaar 2015, your old favourite shapes and some new styles too

Marigolds on indigo at breakfast time, Ninder Mahal Jaipur

Back in Jaipur

Being filmed giving an introduction to the art of Jaipur blockprint

for C & M  TV,  Korea

At the Soma Blockprints archive of woodblocks, 

holding two of the "Farida" blocks from the set used to hand-print the dress I'm wearing. 

Greeting one of our fine Master Printers in the workshop

Back in Jaipur

Please contact us for appointments -  sisterbazaar@gmail.com

 New Blockprint designed by Andree for Spring 2014

"FARIDA"

printed on certified organic cotton at Soma Blockprints

I created the Farida design using a traditional pattern, allover "butti" rows of flowers 

Luna tunic detail

 Wraps and Stoles 

India's finest hand-crafted textile arts

selected with care directly from the talented and imaginative Master weavers, printers, 

dyers and embroiderers from all over India

MASTER WEAVERS FEATURE

Master dyer's stole- shibori indigo on super fine wool $245.

Master weaver's shawl- handspun, handwoven wool with raw silk, indigo $180.

Master weaver's dupatta- doria cotton-silk with silver thread $128.

Hand embroidered white-on-white Kurti Tunics

traditional Lucknow style "chikan"work, cotton thread on cotton voile

FRESH STOCK of really magnificent embroidery work has arrived!
Andree's selections of hand embroidered kurti and kurta tunics

This delicate embroidery is a women's craft practiced in the Muslim households of Uttar Pradesh

Also known as shadow-work, the embroidery threads are worked on the inside of the fine voile cotton, to form traditional lace-like designs tracing flowers and vines on the surface.

 Each piece has been carefully selected for grace of design and mastery of the skill

"MASTERPIECE" ALLOVER HAND EMBROIDERED STYLE 
on front, back and sleeves

assorted sizes  $120. - $160.

LIGHTER MOTIF EMBROIDERY STYLE

lighter embroidery trim

back embroidery motif

lighter MOTIF embroidery style on pure white and pastel cottons, hand washable

$57. - $88.

MASTER DYERS FEATURE

The traditional art of tie dye, in it's most sophisticated form, 

created by the BANDHEJ and LEHERIYA artisans of Rajasthan

Kingfisher blue silk scarf with very fine floral patterns $75.

Closeup of the texture created by many tiny points of tied silk, with example of loosened thread

Scarlet silk scarf with very fine web patterns $75.

Rose pink leheriya crepe silk dupatta, glamorous summer wear! 

Colour explosion at the Leheriya Master Dyer's workshop!  The silk is rolled diagonally into long ropes which are tied at intervals to resist the dye bath ( see foreground)

Magenta Crepe Silk large dupatta created by Master Dyer $185.