Step 1
Saaj- Washing of cloths
The raw fabric generally cotton or mashru silk is washed in a mixture of camel dung, natural caustic soda, castor oil, and water. This cleans the cloth and removes any waxes or coatings from the mill that would keep the dyes from binding. This process is repeated over several days of drying and washing
Step 2
Kasanu- Treating of Cloths
In this stage the cloth is dyed in a cold solution of myrobalan (powdered nut of the harde tree).Myrobalan turns the cloth a yellow color and works as a mordant, helping to fix the dyes. The cloth is then calendared, after which it is laid flat to dry in the hot sun.
Step 3
Khariyanu Stage Known as Rekh- Block printing of Outline
A resist of lime and gum Arabic is printed on to the cloth to define the outline of the design. Sometime is done doubled side of the cloth.
Artist designs wooden blocks for block printing process. Few blocks are authentic and few are designed as per today’s trendy style.
Step 4
Black Block Printing
In this stage black design is printed. Black dye is made up of rusted iron, ground powder of chickpea, and jaggery (raw cane sugar), which is placed in a pot and kept for 7-8 days as per season then extracted into water. This iron water is then mixed with powder of tamarind seed to make a paste.Boiled for one hour.The paste is printed on to the cloth.
Step 5
Gach- Resist block print design from dying colors
This block print is to protect all the areas in which one does not want dyed. The gach print paste consists of alum, mud (red clay), and millet flour. It is the sprinkled with sawdust to keep the mud from cracking.
After gach printing, the cloth is left to dry naturally for several days. The paste used for gach printing is made from local clay which is filtered through muslin, millet flour and alum.
Step 6
Dyeing in indigo
The cloth is dyed in indigo (bodaw). In order to establish an indigo vat, natural indigo.
Step 7
Vichharnu- washing of cloth
Cloth is washed in running water and laid flat to dry in the sun.
Step 8
Rang-Revealing of Cloth
The cloth is boiled in a solution of tamarix (from the dhawri tree) + madder root powder, if you want an orange-red color, or alizarin (synthetic madder) for a red color,rubab, if you want a brown color, for green color pomegranate skins are boiled and liquid is sprayed on to the cloth. The cloth is then washed in water and hung in the sun to dry. At this stage the red and black areas of the design develop and the resist areas are revealed as white.
Step 9
Dry in Sun
Cloth will be dried in sun. Various colors of dye can be use.
Here are the all kind of natural materials for Block printing and dying process
Step 10
Final Product
