Summer is Served: New Hand Block Printed Linen
The Spritz collection has been created from a love of travel and inspired by the incredibly talented hand-block artists in Jaipur. Each printed design can take up to 90 days or more to produce, from carving the blocks used, to dying and carefully printing the fabric.
This painterly checked design sets a stunning foundation for everyday dining and summer entertaining. Available in pure cotton with a choice of two statement hues; Limone or Klein.
Photography: Martina Gemmola
Our founder, Anna Lofts, is passionate about maintaining a hands-on approach within the business, traveling to India annually, and staying true to her passion for the hand block printing process;
“There’s something so special and unique about the handmade process. Carrying tradition gives it this indefinable quality. Being in the presence of such creation highlights how the value of craftsmanship can be lost through the disconnection of machine production taking over handwork. This awareness has always been held at the forefront of everything we do.”
Despite there being faster and cheaper methods of textile manufacturing, block printing has resisted mechanisation throughout the years and is still done entirely by hand.
The Block Printing Process
- The wood used to make the block is most commonly teak, which is soaked in oil for up to two weeks to help soften the grain of the timber. A highly trained block maker traces the intricate design onto the wood, then uses a hammer and chisel to carve out the pattern.
- A printer begins by drawing a length of fabric from a large roll over the printing table and fastening it with pins to avoid any wrinkles or movement in the cloth. The fabric is then marked out with chalk and a ruler to show where the first stamp of the block is to be applied.
- The printer dips the wooden printing block in a dye tray, then stamps the block on the fabric with a hard pound of the fist, ensuring an even print. This step is repeated from left to right, aligning the blocks perfectly by eye, a skill which comes from years of experience.
- The fabric is then hung out to dry in the hot Rajasthan sun between each application of colour.
