Traditional dyed and printed textiles

TRADITIONAL PRINTED AND DYED TEXTILES
A.LAKSHIKA,
ASSISTANT PROFFESSSOR,
DEPARTMENT OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY AND COSTUME DESIGNING,
BON SECOURS ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN,
MANNARGUDI.

Textile printing
 Textile printing is the process of applying colour to fabric in
definite patterns or designs.
 In properly printed fabrics the colour is bonded with the fibre,
so as to resist washing and friction.
 Textile printing is related to dyeing but in dyeing properly the
whole fabric is uniformly covered with one colour, whereas in
printing one or more colours are applied to it in certain parts
only, and in sharply defined patterns.
 In printing, wooden blocks, stencils, engraved plates, rollers, or
silkscreens can be used to place colours on the fabric.
 Colourants used in printing contain dyes thickened to prevent
the colour from spreading by capillary attraction beyond the
limits of a pattern or design.

Textile printing techniques
Direct printing - where colour is transferred directly onto the cloth to produce
a pattern. Wood blocks, copper rollers and screens are all examples of different
techniques for direct printing.
Mordant printing – where a substance known as a mordant is first applied to
the cloth before it is dyed. The mordant (also known as a fixing agent)
combines with the dyestuff and the textile fibre, leaving an insoluble colour.

Discharge dyeing, though not technically a printing method, is still used to
produce a pattern on cloth. The cloth is dyed and then a bleaching agent is used
to remove or ‘discharge’ the colour from certain areas, creating the desired
pattern.
Resist dyeing is where a substance applied to the cloth in patterns is used to
resist the dyestuff, so that only certain areas of the fabric can take on the
colour. Batik dyeing is an example of this method, with wax employed to
prevent the dyestuff from penetrating the cloth. Another is tie-dyeing, which
involves pieces of string tied tightly around small parts of the cloth, which
again prevents the dye from reaching the fibre.

Kalamkari
o Kalamkari is a type of hand printed or hand block printed
cotton textile.
o Kalamkari refers to the ancient style of hand painting that is
done with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes.
o Literal meaning of Kalamkari is kalam, which means pen and
kari which refers to craftsmanship; which is derived from a
Persian word.
o Motifs drawn in this ancient art of Kalamkari, include flowers,
peacock, paisleys and also divine characters from Ramayana
and Mahabharata.
o Kalamakari was born out of an art of story-telling.
o In ancient times, people used to travel from village to village
and told stories; some of them even drew it on a canvas.

o Kalamkari is a 3000-year-old art form practiced in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
o In India, there are two unique styles of kalamkari art, namely, Srikalahasti and the
Machilipatnam style.
o The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari, in which the pen or the “kalam” is used for freehand
drawing and filling in the colours, is a complete handwork art.
o Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari craft involves vegetable-dyed block-painting of a fabric.
o The Kalamkari art form specifically depicts epics tales from Hindu mythology such as the
Ramayana or Mahabharata.
o It also depicts Buddha and Buddhist art forms.
o Additionally, the kalamkari patterns include floral motifs, animal forms, and the mehrab
designs on textiles.
o Kalamkari art primarily involves earthy colours such as indigo, green, rust, black and
mustard.
o Historically, Kalamkaris used to be known as Pattachitras, an art form still found in the
neighbouring state of Odisha and other regions of India and Nepal.
o The term “Pattachitra” comes from Sanskrit, where “Patta” means “cloth” and “Chitra”
means “picture”.

Block printing
◦ Woodblock printing is the process of printing patterns on textiles; like linen, cotton or
silk by using wooden blocks.
◦ It is the simplest, but the slowest process of textile printing. Hand block printing is
capable of yielding higher artistic results, some of which are not possible by any other
designing method.
◦ Earlier, the design for the hand block was usually a traditional Indian motif; however,
now any design can be engraved on the block to hand print the fabric.
◦ Rajasthan is home to hand block printing.
◦ This technique of block printing is used in both fashion and interior industry. Good
wood block printing requires skill and practice in order to create uniformity and clear
patterns.

Block printing
Wood blocks used for hand block printing is generally made up of
sycamore, plane and pear wood. These blocks may vary in size,
but should be two or three inches thick for ease. Side edges of the
wood are left and it is not carved. Fine details are very difficult to
cut in wood; and if successfully cut they tend to break off in
printing. Each colour has a different block; so while getting these
blocks ready; an important task is to get exact design in your hand
before applying. Once wooden blocks are ready, you can start off
with printing the fabric.

Block printing process
◦ Washing and drying the fabric
◦ Cotton fabric is purchased at the market and soaked in water for 24-48 hours. This removes some of the starchiness of the fibers.
◦ The artisans beat the wet lengths of cotton on river stones worn down by years of use to make them softer, and
then lay them out to dry and be naturally bleached by the sun.
◦

Carving the blocks
◦ A design, either traditional or modern, is drawn onto paper and then transferred to a perfectly smooth block of
wood.
◦ The block can be sourced from many types of trees (many of our artisan partners choose to use readily available
mango wood), but it always needs to be 2-3 inches thick to prevent warping.
◦ A separate block must be made for each colour incorporated into the design.
◦ Only the most experienced carvers can work on the complex designs.
◦ And the most intricate details are always saved for last to avoid damaging
the delicate lines in the process.

Block Printing
◦ After the fabric has been cut to size, the colours have been prepared, and the blocks are all ready, the artisans can start to print.
◦ They will lay the fabric out across a long table and draw a chalk reference line.
◦ They dip the block into the dye and press it firmly onto the fabric.
◦ This process is repeated over and over again, by only the steadiest hands, until the pattern has completely covered the length of
fabric.
◦ If there are multiple colours in the design, the artisan lets each color dry before applying the next, each with a new stamp.
◦ It is extremely time consuming and requires precision so that there are no breaks in the motif.

Final wash and dry
◦ Once the printing is complete and the colour has set, the fabric is thoroughly washed and dried.
◦ This is followed by a final check for any quality issues and any cutting or sewing that needs to take place.

Whether it’s a tablecloth or a cotton robe, each and every one of our
block printed items was made by hand in a style that has barely
changed for hundreds of years. History never looked so beautiful!

Rogan painting
◦ Rogan painting, is an art of cloth printing practiced in the Kutch
District of Gujarat, India.
◦ In this craft, paint made from boiled oil and vegetable dyes is laid down on fabric
using either a metal block (printing) or a stylus (painting).
◦ The craft nearly died out in the late 20th century, with Rogan painting being
practiced by only two families in same village.
◦ The word Rogan comes from Persian, meaning varnish or oil.
◦ The process of applying this oil-based paint to fabric began among the Khatris, a Muslim
community who came to India from Sindh, Pakistan.
◦ Although the name, rogan (and some of the traditional designs) suggests an origin in Iran,
there are no reliable historic records to prove this

◦ Rogan painting was initially practiced in several locations in
the Kutch region.
◦ The painted fabric was mostly purchased by women of the
lower castes who wanted to decorate clothing and bed
coverings for their weddings.
◦ Therefore, it was a seasonal art, with most of the work
taking place during the several months when most weddings
take place.
◦ During the rest of the year, the artisans would switch to
other forms of work, such as agriculture.
◦ With the rise of cheaper, machine-made textiles in the late
20th century, rogan-painted products became relatively more
expensive, and many artists turned to other occupations.
◦ Ultimately, only one family, the Khatris of Nirona, Gujarat,
continued the craft.

Process of rogan printing
◦ Rogan paint is produced by boiling castor oil for about two days and then adding
vegetable pigments and a binding agent; the resulting paint is thick and shiny.
◦ The cloth that is painted or printed on is usually a dark color, which makes the intense
colors stand out.
◦ In rogan printing, the pattern is applied using metal blocks with patterns carved into
them. In rogan painting, elaborate designs are produced freehand, by trailing thread-
like strands of paint off of a stylus
◦ Frequently, half of a design is painted, then the cloth is folded in half, transferring a
mirror image to the other half of the fabric. The designs include floral motifs, animals,
and local folk art.

OTHER METHODS
OF PRINTED AND
PAINTED TEXTILES

Mata ni pachedi
◦ The Vagharis were nomads who lived along the edges of the Sabarmati River in Gujarat.
Cultivators and agricultural workers, they also sold or exchanged old goods. Around 300 years ago,
they became artists and creators of Mata ni Pachedi, an impressive form of textile art that serves
the purpose of a shrine for the marginalised and excluded, of whom they were also a part of.
◦ Like other textiles prepared using natural colours, there is an elaborate pre-treatment of the fabric
before any painting or printing is started.
◦ This involves de-starching and preparation by soaking and washing the cloth, and then treating it
with a solution of harda (terminalia chebula).

The creation of a Mata ni Pachedi, an artistic sacred
textile wall piece, involves a step-by-step process.
The original Mata ni Pachedi strictly adhered to two colours made
of natural dyes - black and deep red.
The artist first makes an outline of the artwork in black. This
colour is derived from iron through a process that takes 15 days.
The Mata ni Pachedi in its full form has a central figure of the
female deity. The rest of the arrangements are placed in a grid
with architecture-like insertions in the form of doors and
archways in a stylised format.

Wooden blocks
Wooden block-printing and painting are the two techniques used to create the Mata ni
Pachedi; the former for borders and certain figures, and brushes and paint for
freehand drawings, embellishments and some flights of fancy that the artist may
choose to incorporate. The artists combine free hand-painting with hand block
printing. Jagdish Chittara values the old blocks that have been with the family for
years and stores them carefully.
While some forms are made free hand, wooden hand blocks are
also used.
The sun and the moon are generally seen in the two top corners
of a Mata ni Pachedi.
There are singers, musicians, shamans, animals and birds that seem
to dance and fly in celebration of the goddess.

The painting process
Once the outline is ready red colour is filled in using the brushes
made from bamboo. The dye is made from a solution of alum
mixed with tamarind seed powder. The solution appears yellow
because a non-permanent dye is mixed in to make it visible during
the application. The colour that gets developed on the fabric after
it is treated with the mordant alizarin is a deep red.
Brushes made from bamboo are used for filling in the red colour.
The yellow of the solution comes from a non-permanent dye the
artist mixes in to make it visible during the application. The colour
that will be developed on the fabric after it is treated with the
mordant alizarin is a deep red.
The red colour is then filled in using brushes made from bamboo.
The dye is made from a solution of alum with tamarind seed
powder.

A non-permanent yellow colour is added to the solution to make it
visible for the artists while they are applying the dye on the fabric.
Washing and drying
The artists of Vaghari community who create the Mata ni Pachedi
were among the itinerant poor who shifted from place to place
along the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, in Gujarat.
The sacred textiles emerge from their tiny homes and are washed
in the local, and often muddy, river. They are dried on the pipes
and rocks nearby.
Once the fabric is dyed, the cloth is washed to remove any excess
dye.
The community has traditionally been based near the river, hence,
this process was carried out in the flowing river water.

Even today the artists go down to the banks of the Sabarmati,
which flows through the city, for this stage of production.
The washed cloth is spread out to dry on whatever surface is
available.
Treating with alizarin
Dhawda flowers are combined with the mordant alizarin to
develop and fix the dye. The cloth is boiled in this solution for a
while. When the cloth is removed, the red colour is developed.
The ready piece is put out to dry.
Alizarin is used as a mordant to develop and fix the dye. Dried dhawda flowers are also added.

To ensure that a uniform solution is made, the alizarin is wrapped
in a piece of cloth that functions as a make-shift pouch, which is
then lowered into a container with water.
The cloth is boiled in this solution for a while. When it is
removed, the red colour is visibly developed.
The piece is ready to be put out to dry. Natural dyeing processes
are sensitive to climate conditions. The strength of the sun’s rays
affect the final intensity of the colour.
Monsoon is not generally a favourable time for dyeing because of
the humidity in the air. Jagdish Chittara therefore made only a
small piece to demonstrate the process.

The story
The Mata, or Mother Goddess shrine cloth is most in demand during Navratri, the nine days
when incarnations of the Goddess Durga are worshipped across large parts of India. Clients
commission Chittara artists, as the Vaghari artists are now known, to make the central figure of
their own protector goddess surrounded by images of the other incarnations, legends, portions
from religious epics and even shamans. These are set up and elaborately decorated during the
festive days of Navratri when the Mother Goddess is worshipped throughout India.
A typical Mata ni Pachedi follows a particular format. At the
centre is an image of the Mother Goddess framed in a shrine or
temple. On both sides of this is the imagery symbolising her
worshippers, and also has references to religious epics and
folklore.

Pabuji Ki Phad is a religious scroll painting of folk deities, which is used for a musical rendition of the only
surviving ancient traditional folk art form, Phad painting in the world of the epic of Pabuji, the Rathod Rajput
chiefBhopas of Pabusar are the bards and also priests who are the traditional narrators of this art form. The Phad
is also spelt as “Par.”
This art form is popular in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Literally, 'Pabuji Ki Phad' translates into two versions namely, "The Screen of Pabuji or O, Read of Pabuji!.
Pabuji is also known as "the Ascetic Deity of Sand Desert"
The three basic features associated with this art form are: the epic story of Pabuji, the
Rathod chief of Rajasthan in the 14th century, who is extolled as an incarnation of Hindu
God, and worshipped by the Rabari tribals of Rajasthan; the Phad or Par, which is a long
scroll painting (or sewn) made on cloth, with the martial heroics of Pabuji richly displayed
for worship; and the bard priests, known as the Bhopas (who belong to the cult of Pabhuji)
of the nomadic tribe of Nayakas and specialists in narrating the story of the Pabuji in their
sartorial best through the medium of the Phads used as a portable temple, all over the
desert lands of the Thar in Rajasthan.

Pabuji is worshipped as a folk-deity. He lived in the 14th century (the 16th century is also
mentioned) in a remote village known as Kulu in Rajasthan.
The Phad canvas is usually of 15 by 15 feet (4.6 m × 4.6 m) sheet cloth, on which are
painted (or sewn) miniature scenes depicting the life of Pabuji and his adventures.
The Phad or Par represents, in its painting, the court of Pabuji (as a historical true Rajput
chief who sacrifices his life for protection of others), his palace and his divine character
as an incarnation of Laksmana, brother of the Rama of the Ramayana Hindu epic story,
the forts in which he lived as well as the sanctum of his goddess Deval. The backdrop of
such narrations is invariably in the desert villages of Rajasthan. The images in the
painting are arranged logically, also showing revengeful exploits of his nephew on his
enemy, Jindrav Khici. However, iconographically it is considered as "extremely complex
and intricate."[
The narrative usually held by the Bhopas in the backdrop of Rajasthani deserts, is narrated by the
poet-singers as a structured rendition of the epic story, called the Pabuprakasa, glorifying Pabuji as a
divine being. The rendering is highly "stylized and formulistic in its narration".

It is a hereditary art form, which is passed on from father to son.
A Bhopa commission's this painting for religious purpose.
The painting is drawn on a cotton cloth.
The cloth is first prepared by applying a paste of flour and gum.
It is then polished with a stone.
An auspicious date is chosen for starting the painting since it is used for religious purpose by the Bhopa.
A virgin girl only has the privilege of giving the first stroke of the brush on the Phad painting; normally
the girl belongs to the painter's family or to a high-caste.
An outline of the painting is drawn by the artist with light yellow colour paint; only earth colours or
vegetable colours or indigo are used.
The colours are then mixed with gum and water, and painted one colour after the other, in the order of
orange, yellow, and so forth.
Black is the last colour paint used for the border

The earliest painting of a Phad or Par, as mentioned by John
Smith, a scholar of the "Epic of Pabuji", is dated to 1867. Colonel
James Tod, the British Lieutenant reported of a ceremony that
included a Par painting in 1819. With the emphasis on bardic
narration of Pabhuji Ki Phad said to be on the decline in recent
times, painters of Pars or Phads are also making Phads as
collector's items in smaller sizes, and with different religious and
other themes.
Again, on an auspicious day, the painting is signed by the artist at the centre of the painting, close to the image
of the main deity. Signature of the Bhopa who commissions the painting is also included, but it is optional. As a
last act, the artist is said to give 'life' or "awaken the deity" of the painting by opening the pupil in the eyes of the
main deity at the centre of the painting. It then becomes the Pabhuji Ki Phad of the Bhopa who has
commissioned it

IKAT
◦ Believed by some to have originated in either India or Indonesia, the ancient art of Ikat dyeing and weaving was
once used to symbolize wealth and prestige. The textile is now a popular fashion trend with celebrities and hipsters
alike thanks to the work of Indian designers.
• Ikat is not just a print or pattern, it is a dyeing technique.
• Unlike other textiles, Ikat involves an intricate manufacturing process wherein the yarn is first dyed and then woven
on the handloom.
• The process is so tedious and painstaking that Ikat has been termed as ‘Poetry of the Loom’.
• Ikat fabric has an intentional bleed and blurry lines, which is its key identification factor.
• Once used to symbolize wealth and prestige, Ikat today is more about the pattern than the weave.
• Designers have used the textile widely in their collections, making it quite popular among celebrities and hipsters
alike.

◦ Ikat is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can
be the nouns: cord, thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as
the verbs "to tie" or "to bind".
TYPES
SINGLE
COMBINED
DOUBLE

The oldest surviving example of Ikat was an Indian Odishan style
found in a Pharaohs tomb, at least 5,000 years old. It’s also proof
of the longstanding trade between India and Egypt.
Indonesia’s relationship with the cotton fabric is strong, long and dispersed.
Over time, different regions across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands perfected their
own designs and production styles, which are still regionally represented
today.
There are 3 styles of Ikat production. Crudely describing them in order of
difficulty, they are: Warp, Weft and Double Ikat.

PATOLA
◦ Patola is a double ikat woven sari, usually made from silk, made in Patan, Gujarat, India.[
◦ The word patola is the plural form; the singular is patolu.
◦ They are very expensive, once worn only by those belonging to royal and aristocratic families.
◦ These saris are popular among those who can afford the high prices.Velvet patola styles are also made
in Surat.
◦ Patola-weaving is a closely guarded family tradition.
◦ There are three families in Patan that weave these highly prized double ikat saris. It is said that this
technique is taught to no one in the family, but only to the sons. It can take six months to one year to
make one sari due to the long process of dying each strand separately before weaving them
together.Patola was woven in Surat, Ahmedabad and Patan. Highly valued in Indonesia, became part of
the local weaving tradition there.

The weave
To create a patola sari, both the warp and weft threads are wrapped to resist the dye according to the desired
pattern of the final woven fabric. This tying is repeated for each colour that is to be included in the finished
cloth. The technique of dyeing the warp and weft before weaving is called double ikat. The bundles of thread
are strategically knotted before dyeing.
Patola saris from surat, Ahmedabad and Patan are renowned for their colourful diversity and geometrical style.

History
Silk weavers of the salvi caste from the state of Maharashtra chose Gujarat as the home for their renowned
patola fabric. It is believed that salvis went to Gujarat in the 12th century with the intention of acquiring the
patronage of the Chaulukyas Rajputs, who ruled all of Gujarat and parts of Malva and south Rajasthan at the
time, with Anahiwad Patan as the capital. Legend says that over 700 patola weavers came to the palace of Raja
Kumarpal,on the personal request of king himself. [6] The Solanki(Chalukya) rulers used to dress in patola silk
themselves on special occasions.[citation needed]
It is broadly accepted belief that these Salvis originally belonged to the region, which now lies at the middle of
the present day Marathawada and Vidarbha divisions of Maharashtra state. The art of Patola weaving is an
ancient one. According to some historians, the art of Patola weaving was known also in the 4th Century in
“Ajanta” caves, which resembles the tie-dyes technique of patola. Ajanta Caves were patronized by the
Vatsagulma branch of the Vakataka dynasty, which controlled a vast area of Deccan during the 3rd, 4th & 5th
centuries A.D. Vatsagulma is presently the 'Washim' district of the Vidarbha Division of Maharashtra.
After the decline of the Solanki empire, the salvis founded a rich trade in Gujarat. Patola saris quickly became a
sign of social status among Gujarati women and girls, especially as part of stridhan, items that a woman can
claim as her These art of patan is more than 850 years old

Lehria
◦ Leheria (or leheriya) is a traditional style of tie dye practiced in Rajasthan, India that results in brightly colored
cloth with distinctive patterns.
◦ The technique gets its name from the Rajasthani word for wave because the dyeing technique is often used to
produce complex wave patterns.[1]
◦ famous leheriya (zigzag pattern of irregular colour stripes) is a visual invocation of the flow of water at the same
time painstakingly showing the depths of indigo after multiple mud-resistant and dyeing processes. No small
wonder that the blues in leheriya attract the eyes

Technique
Leheria dyeing is done on thin cotton or silk cloth, usually in lengths appropriate
for dupatta, turbans or saris. According to World Textiles: A Visual Guide to Traditional
Techniques, the fabric is "rolled diagonally from one corner to the opposite selvedge, and then
tied at the required intervals and dyed". Wave patterns result from fanlike folds made before
dyeing.[1] Traditional leheria employs natural dyes and multiple washes and
uses indigo or alizarin during the final stage of preparation

BHANDANI
◦ Bandhani (Hindi: बाांधानी) is a type of tie-dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many
tiny bindings that form a figurative design.[1] The term bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root bandh ("to
bind, to tie").[2][3] Today, most Bandhani making centers are situated in Gujarat,[4] Rajasthan,[1] Sindh, Punjab
region[5] and in Tamil Nadu where it is known as Sungudi.[6][7] Earliest evidence of Bandhani dates back to Indus
Valley Civilization where dyeing was done as early as 4000 B.C. The earliest example of the most pervasive type
of Bandhani dots can be seen in the 6th century paintings depicting the life of Buddha found on the wall of Cave 1
at Ajanta.

The art of Bandhani is a highly skilled process. The technique involves dyeing a fabric which is
tied tightly with a thread at several points, thus producing a variety of patterns like
Chandrakala, Bavan Baug, Shikari etcetera; depending on the manner in which the cloth is tied.
The main colour used in Bandhana are yellow, red, blue, green and black.
The main colours used in Bandhana are natural. As Bandhani is a tie and dye process, dying is
done by hand and hence best colours and combinations are possible in Bandhanis.
The Bandhani work has been exclusively carried out by the Khatri community of Kutchh and
Saurashtra. A meter length of cloth can have thousands of tiny knots known as 'Bheendi' in
the local language ('Gujarati'). These knots form a design once opened after dyeing in bright
colours. Traditionally, the final products can be classified into 'khombhi', 'Ghar Chola',
'Chandrakhani', 'Shikari', 'Chowkidaar', 'Ambadaal' and other categories.

MASHRU WEAVING
• The Mashru fabric is a vibrant, handwoven mix of Silk and
Cotton textiles.
• The word ‘Mashru’ means ‘permitted’ in Arabic and its
Sanskrit variation ‘Misru’ means ‘mixed’.
• Mashru has a characteristic fine satin finish, bright contrasting
stripes in vibrant colors and striped Ikat weave.
• The fabric is mainly manufactured in Patan and Mandvi in
Gujarat, India.
• Mashru is an important part of the bridal trousseau in a
variety of Hindu communities like Sarees and Lehengas.

History
The weave is said to have originated somewhere from the West Asia around 19th century. The
weaving of Mashru fabric is an old tradition in India and it was a popular trading textile to the
Ottoman empire and Gulf countries. The word Mashru is said to have come from the
Muslim community, where Silk fabric was banned since it was made by killing the cocoons
and silkworms. This led to the production of Mashru fabric as it had a Silk exterior but the
inner fabric which stays in direct contact with the skin was made of Cotton. Mashru became
very popular in Turkey, Persia and many Mediterranean countries as it gave them the freedom
of wearing Silk clothing without breaking their religious laws.
The Mashru slowly found its place among the Hindu community as well and the fabric
became an integral part of the wardrobe of Kutch Nomads.

The Making
The weaving of this fabric was practiced across the country in different forms; from Deccan to
Lucknow to Bengal. Nowadays, only weavers from the small towns of Gujarat, mainly Patan
and Mandvi practice this craft.
The expert weavers have excelled in this exquisite craft by learning from their ancestors. Mashru
fabric is made of silk and cotton where silk is used as the vertical yarn and Cotton makes the
horizontal yarn. Each Silk weave goes under the Cotton yarn once and about five or eight times
above the Cotton yarn.

After complete weaving of the fabric, it is washed with cold water and beaten with wooden
hammers for about one minute while it is still moist. Then a paste of wheat flour called glazing is
applied on the folds of the fabric. The fabric is later beaten with wooden hammers and compressed
with hard press. Finally, color is added to the fabric using natural vegetable dyes.
This intriguing weave technique results in a shiny surface that resembles Silk fabric from the
outside, with the comfortable of Cotton in the inner side of the clothing. The interweaving of
Cotton and Silk makes the Mashru fabric more durable.

Present Day Scenario
Nowadays, a few craftsmen use chemically dyed rayon instead of pure Silk to reduce the cost
of the final product. Besides being economical, Rayon gives a better texture and shine than
Silk. Although, the use of synthetic dyes make the fabric weak, unlike natural ones that grow
richer with age.
The Mashru fabric has a very practical utility as the Silk on the outer surface gives a beautiful,
shiny appearance, the cotton yarns underneath make it perfect for the hot and humid climate.
Mashru is traditionally used in the production of garments but it is also used in making wide
range of home furnishings like cushions and quilts.

The designs of Mashru have become simpler with time. The use of multi-hued Ikats and patterned
stripes are not seen much. It is being replace by bright and vivid designs, along with solid colored
fabrics. The craftsmen, nowadays also incorporate Bandhani saree designs along with Ikat. The
expert weavers making this fabric are probably the last generation who will continue practicing this
beautiful craft. Most of the weavers are 50 years of age and their children have moved to the urban
cities in search for work opportunities.

Maintenance
This fabric is relatively easier to maintain than pure Silk. Although some care should be taken like
washing it in cold water and a slow rinse cycle. Also, drying it away from direct sunlight helps in
keeping the glossiness of the fabric intact for a longer time.

Traditional dyed and printed textiles

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