FASHION

Block Printing These days, nearly everything we buy is mass produced and machine-made. It’s difficult to imagine the days when garments were sewn by hand and cloth was block printed. Today the process of block printing is popularly associated with making designs on fabrics by printing on them, with the help of a block made for that purpose. Believed to have its origin in China, block printing has been in use around the world now, for quite some time. Block printing is making use of a carved piece of wood or any other type of wooden block to imprint an image on fabric or paper. In the early days of printing, it was used to print entire books.It has simplicity and ease of execution. There is the sharpness, accuracy and fine detailing of prints made on the fabrics. The huge possibilities of match and mix of different block designs in various colours on the same fabric as in large canvas fabrics like the saree and salwar kameez is stupendous. A large number of wooden blocks are always kept in readiness for use based on the intended patterns and designs. Creating a new block with a new design is fairly quick and easy. Blocks are of good quality wood and so they have durability. Metallic blocks are sometimes used but maneuverability limits their use compared to wooden blocks.Intricate and sharp detailing for complicated designs can be etched out in the blocks which is possible only in these wooden blocks. Accessories like hair brushes are used for filling in the blank areas between outlines of the design. A point on the block serves as a guide for the repeat impression, so that the whole effect is continuous and not disjoint. The extensive choice of colours make the designs vibrant and fresh-feel. Block prints and brush prints having been tried out successfully on fabrics like cotton, silkand others.

Get your fabrics done by Block printing @Iksha Designs Address: Eagle Block Printing & Tailoring 1 EME Canteen, Eagle Chowk, Bolarum, Secunderabad, Telangana Open : 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM Phone No: +919885288962

Kalamkari Kalamkari is an ancient style of hand painting done on cotton or silk fabric with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes. The word Kalamkari is derived from a Persian word where ‘kalam‘ means pen and ‘kari‘ refers to craftsmanship. This art involves 23 tedious steps of dyeing, bleaching, hand painting, block printing, starching, cleaning and more. Motifs drawn in Kalamkari spans from flowers, peacock, paisleys to divine characters of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Nowadays, this art is primarily done to create Kalamkari sarees. The process of making Kalamkari involves 23 steps. From natural process of bleaching the fabric, softening it, sun drying, preparing natural dyes, hand painting, to the processes of air drying and washing, the entire procedure is a process which requires precision and an eye for detailing. Kalamkari art primarily use earthy colours like indigo, mustard, rust, black and green. Natural dyes used to paint colours in Kalamkari art is extracted for natural sources with no use of chemicals and artificial matter.

There are two identifiable styles of Kalamkari art in India – Srikalahasti style and Machilipatnam style. In the Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari, motifs are essentially printed with hand-carved traditional blocks with intricate detailing painted by hands. On the other hand, Srikalahasti style of painting draws inspiration from the Hindu mythology describing scenes from the epics and folklore. This style holds a strong religious connect because of its origin in the temples. From the first representation of Kalamkari art as religious paintings, depicting Indian gods and goddesses to the process of gaining recognition during the reign of Mughal dynasty, and till today when Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of Kalamkari; this art has come a long way. Get your fabrics done by Kalamkari print @Creative Bee Address: H No 8-2-466/1A, Road No 4, Banjara Hills (Opposite Road to GVK One Entry Gate, Telangana - 500034 Open : 10:30 AM - 7:30 PM Phone No: 040 2335 0474

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Mirror Work

Mirror work has been in vogue for centuries and is popularly known as “Shisha” or “Abhala Bharat” embroidery. This is an art form in which mirrors of various shapes are fixed on to the fabric through embroidery. In recent times however, mirrors have been replaced by reflective luminescent metal pieces of different shapes and sizes, particularly on apparel. Mirror work is used on various fabrics such as georgette, crepe, cotton, silk, chiffon and many more which are then turned into attractive apparel and accessories ranging from sarees, to cushion covers and belts.

Mirror or Shisha embroidery as we find it today actually originated in the 17th century and was originally done by using Mica. It which was later replaced by glass. The use of these decorative embellishments was inherited from Iran during the Mughal reign.

However, surprisingly, the Mughal rulers did not wear clothes embellished with mirrors.

Mirror work is used to embellish and decorate a variety of items such as sarees, dresses, skirts, bags, cushion covers, bedspreads, wall hangings and many such items. The products not only have a great demand within India, but globally as well. Shisha work products are always in vogue regardless of the occasion or the type of décor. Mirror work or embroidery is a significant local craft in the state of Gujarat and is known as ‘Abhala Bharat’ and different variations of this craft can be seen in varying shades across the various regions of the state. Gujarat is particularly famous for its mirror-embellished chaniya-cholis, torans, tapestries, accessories, apparel and bags and other exquisite mirror work handicrafts from the state.

Get your fabrics done by mirror work @Vasavi Prints Address: Vinaya,Plot #1180,Road #45, Jubilee Hills,Landmarks: Opposite Cafe Coffee Day, adjacent to Heart Cup Coffee, Hyderabad, 500033 Open :9:00 AM - 5:30 PM Phone No: 040 2354 8733

Ajrak Print When the world is buzzing with “sustainability” and “environmentfriendly” as the newest big trends of the future, for many centuries, innumerable crafts have existed in harmony with nature. Some things so subtle that they do not glare out, yet so vivid that one cannot help but appreciate the aesthetics in their creation. One such craft is the Ajrak.

Traditionally, Ajrak is the name of a block printed cloth with deep crimson red and indigo blue background, bearing symmetrical patterns with interspersed unprinted sparkling white motifs. An ancient craft, the history of the Ajrak can be traced back to the civilizations of the Indus Valley that existed around 2500 BC-1500 BC.The term “Ajrak”, may be derived from “Azrak”, meaning blue in Arabic, as blue happens to be the one of the principal colours in Ajrak printing. The Ajrak is usually about 2.5-3meters in length. The authentic Ajrak is printed on both sides by a method called resist printing. The printing is done by hand with hand carved wooden blocks. Several different blocks are used to give the characteristic repeated patterning. Making the blocks is a considerable challenge since the pattern has to synchronize perfectly with the whole of the Ajrak as well as cover various areas against dye. Ajarak printing is a long process involving many stages of printing and washing the fabric over and over again with various natural dyes and mordants such as harda, lime, alizarin, indigo and even camel dung. The technique of resist printing allows exclusive absorption of a dye in the desired areas only and prevents absorption on the areas intended to be left uncolored.

This craft has been on a decline because modern, quicker methods of printing and bright chemical dyes are replacing the natural, muted colours and this slow and careful process of printing this traditional textile. But with efforts of the master craftsmen and increasing awareness among the urban people, this crafts is slowly gaining momentum. Because of being an environment friendly ancient craft, Ajrak, is slowly gaining visibility among the cosmopolitan. Get your fabrics done by Ajrak print @Malkha Prints Address: H.no.8-2-282 Rd.no.3, Banjara Hills right, next to Kangaroo Kids School, Hyderabad, Telangana 500028 Open :9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Phone No: 040 23539872

Screen Printing Screenprinting is undoubtedly an art form. The attention to detail that goes into the screenprinting process is crucial. Screenprinting is not an exact science and it’s best for vibrant designs. Mostly it is done in bulk and manually handled. Ink + screen (mesh stencil) = screenprinting! Luckily, the screen printing process itself has very little limits on what surfaces can be used to print on. Staying on trend is easy-peasy with this process, considering all of the awesome ink types available that can manipulate the “look” of the final print. Expert printers understand the relationships between the various inks, fabric materials, and fabriccolours - with this knowledge, they’re able to help achieve the look you’re going for. Technically Speaking, screen printing is one screen (mesh stencil) is used for each colour to be printed - screens must be lined up and printed on test sheets to ensure that all of the colours line up correctly. Inks are then pushed through the screens one colour at a time onto the apparel. Finally, each piece is run through a large dryer to cure the inks. Many people think screenprinting is limited to shirts only - this couldn’t be more false! Here’s the lowdown on what can be screen printed - tote bags/purses , jackets, mouse pads, flags, banners, signs, bandanas, and more. Explore different options. Think you’re limited to a plain old cotton shirt for screen printing? Think again! There are a ton of great synthetic fabrics out there that work great with - polyester, silk, viscose, and more.

Get your fabrics done by Screen printing @Sreeja Saree Printers Address: 18-3-463/1/65/a , Near AdarshShool, Sivaji Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500053 Open :9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Phone No:092473 50908

Digital printing Digital printing on fabric is also known as digital textile printing.What is Fabric Printing?Fabric printing is the process of applying coloured patterns and designs onto fabric.

In the 1990s, ink-jet printers became widely available for paper printing applications — you might even have one on your office desk right now!The technology has continued to develop with time. It has been so much developed that we are printing on fabrics these days. Digital fabric printing is act of printing digital files onto fabric using ink jet based printers.

There are mainly two successful digital textile printing methods:Sublimation Digital Printing, Direct Digital Printing. There are lot of benefits for digital printing. Digital fabric printing is always pushing the boundaries of innovation and has come long way since its inception.

In simple words, when digital images are reproduced on physical surface, it is called digital printing. The physical surface can be in forms like paper, cloth, plastic, film, etc. In digital textile printing, once the design is created, it can be directly printed on the fabric from the computer. This process does not require any other step. Just as an image is printed on the paper easily, one can print designs on fabric.

Digital printing has opened new doors for textile and clothing designers in the retail market. In the future, digital printing technology will not only replace the existing printing methods, but also offer new products, opportunities and markets.

Get your fabrics done by Digital printing @Custom Happiness Address: #27, First Floor, United Arcade Pillar no. 143, Attapur, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500048 Open : 9:30 AM - 9:30 PM Phone No: +919885327788