36
Red is obtained from alum,
tamarind seed powder or natural
gum, and black is prepared from
rusted iron filings, jaggery, lime,
wheat flour and tamarind seed
powder or natural gum.
Au Naturel
After this the cloth is ready as a base for printing on it for which we only use
vegetable and natural dyes. Red is obtained from alum, tamarind seed powder
or natural gum, and black is prepared from rusted iron filings, jaggery, lime,
wheat flour and tamarind seed powder or natural gum. The consistency of the
dye is modified according to the fineness of the motif. For fine outlines the
solution is thick and for thick outlines it is made thin. The dye is placed in a
wooden tray, and the cloth is spread on a long table with a special wool fabric
underneath to absorb the extra dye. For very fine prints, a muslin fabric is
placed on the wool fabric.
With the fabric stretched out on the work surface and the dyes and blocks
ready, our father commences printing according to the design composition.
He carefully places and gently presses the block with care and attention on
the fabric so that the effect is one of a rhythmic and continuous pattern with
evenness and without overlapping or smudging. In this way, he steadily works
his way across a textile, making the border, end panel and motifs of the field.
