{"id":24766,"date":"2014-06-06T23:34:35","date_gmt":"2014-06-06T23:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saffronmarigold.com\/blog\/?p=24766"},"modified":"2014-07-16T18:30:27","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T18:30:27","slug":"a-look-at-our-block-printing-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saffronmarigold.com\/blog\/a-look-at-our-block-printing-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"A look at our block printing studio"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our block printing studio in Rajasthan, \u00a0traditional artisans tirelessly transform our designs and concepts into beautiful collections. \u00a0Here\u2019s my attempt to give you an inside look.<\/p>\n

15 foot tables are organized in rows. The fabric is stretched out and hand stamped on these tables. You can see how the studio \u00a0looks on \u00a0a typical work day.\u00a0Lots of fabric & color.<\/p>\n\"tables\"\n

Wood blocks storage is a critical part of the\u00a0block printing process. A\u00a0collection may\u00a0have 12-15 blocks and some of our collections are printed only once or twice a year. Blocks are carefully stored in boxes\u00a0clearly marked for easy access.<\/p>\n\"block-storage\"\n\"blocks\"\n

When it’s time for printing, the blocks are cured and made ready for the hard work ahead.<\/p>\n\"blocks-oil\"\n

Below\u00a0color tables are used to apply dye to each block before it’s stamped on to the cotton fabric. The fabric is laid out on 5 meter long (15 feet) printing tables. Artisans hand stamp the print on the fabric as they traverse the length of the table. Each stamp needs a dip in the dye on the color table which, \u00a0thanks to the small wheels,\u00a0\u00a0is\u00a0always by the artisan’s\u00a0side.<\/p>\n\"block-tables\"\n

Our prints come alive only if the colors are mixed correctly. This is done by our fearless\u00a0color master who creates magic in this kitchen.<\/p>\n\"color-mixing\"\n

Neatly organized storage for the colors. There are so many colors in the studio, however, finding the right one\u00a0never seems to be an issue! Now if only I could say the same about my study \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\"color-storage\"\n

Although our artisans work tirelessly hand stamping our prints, there are many conversations that happen around the “water cooler”.<\/p>\n\"water-cooler\"\n

The music system has a constant stream of old and new Bollywood songs playing. Yes, that is indeed the music system. The white box, lower shelf left, is the radio and the brown earth pots, top shelf left and right, are the home grown speakers. The sound that comes out of this setup\u00a0is surprisingly rich and vibrant!<\/p>\n\"music-system\"\n

A picture of our block printing studio deity.<\/p>\n\"morning-prayers\"\n

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into where out linen\u00a0is\u00a0printed.\u00a0The only way I will know is if you use one of the social sharing buttons, or fill out the survey below, or post a comment.\u00a0Please do! Thanks in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n