PREMIUM INDIGO
Our passion has been to develop a premium Indigo that creates a branding in itself for us. To us appreciating Indigo in it’s true form and focusing all our creative energy in embracing it in its unique quality.
Indigo is hand-dyed, created from the leaves of Indigo plant that give it a unique colour and the shade that cannot be replicated. It is one of the oldest natural dyes used in India. There is no specific recipe to create this gorgeous shade and there are many factors like yield, climate, humidity, temperature and other external elements that contribute to making it incredibly valuable.
PROCESS
Indigo by nature belongs to the vat dye class and is insoluble. Before we begin dyeing, it has to be converted into a water soluble form. The process which is known as reduction in presence of alkali helps in dyeing the fabric.
To acquire the desired shade of blue from light to dark, the fabric that is to be dyed is dipped into a reduced indigo solution, squeezed and exposed to air. For a darker tone, the fabric is dipped and dyed several times till the desired result is met.
Indigo represents the colour of sustenance and a choice of creating an intimate relationship with the quality garment you choose from us.
HAND BLOCK-PRINTING
The process of block printing can vary across different crafts. The initial steps however, are mostly common.
Wooden blocks are cut and carved into the desired design. Once the blocks are carved, they are soaked in oil for a good 10-15 days to soften the wood. These wooden blocks that have a handle attached to them are dipped in colour, lifted & printed on the fabric.
The fabrics are first washed to remove the starch, dried in the sun and set up for printing. Colours are individually prepared in separate trays, the carved blocks are dipped in the tray full of colours and imprinted on the fabric to ensure transfer of colour. The design goes from outward to inward to print the outline first with black or darker colours and then filled in using different shades as per the design.
The process of block printing is completely manual, incredibly difficult and requires precision, an eye for detail and artistry of the greatest degree.
It is often passed down from generation to generation and at Swara, Dabu which is a mud-resist printing technique known for its subtle depth is painstakingly created.
