Our fabrics
Two kinds of cloth run through everything we make. Both are made by hand, and both show it. This page says what they are, so you know what you are buying.
Handloom
Woven by hand and foot
A handloom has no motor. The weaver lifts the threads with foot pedals and passes the shuttle across by hand, one line of thread at a time.
The cloth that comes off it is a little uneven. Some threads are thicker than others, and these slubs give the surface its texture. Handloom cotton lets air through and gets softer the more it is washed.
You will find it in our handloom shirt, the shirt dress, the dupatta and the wool stole.
Block print
Printed one block at a time
The pattern is carved into a block of wood. The printer dips the block in colour and presses it onto the cloth by hand, then moves along and does it again. Each colour needs its own block and its own pass.
Where two prints meet you can sometimes see a faint join, or a motif that sits a little off line. That is the sign of a hand print. A machine print repeats without a single slip.
Dabu is a kind of block print. The pattern is covered with a paste before the cloth is dyed, so the motif stays light on a dark ground.
Looking after the cloth
Wash cold, wash gently
Cold water and a mild soap. Wash dark and bright prints on their own for the first two washes.
Dry in shade
Strong sun fades natural colour. Dry inside out, away from direct light.
Iron on the reverse
A warm iron on the wrong side keeps the print and any embroidery safe.