Artisanal Crafts

Block Printing

The creation of textiles is an art form and we are lucky enough to partner with groups of talented craftsman that are continuing and sustaining traditional crafts.

Woodblock printing has been said to have originated in China, however India has certainly paved a way for a distinctive aesthetic and cultural identity in this space. With a vast history, many villages pass on the traditional techniques and knowledge of natural dyes down from generation to generation. With technological advances and greater income opportunities however, many families have sadly moved away from the craft sadly.

Introducing Tharangini

Tharangini is more then just a studio, it's an oasis. Surrounded by gum trees and greenery, it is a sanctuary that feels a thousand miles from the bustling city it sits within. The rhythmic thump thump of the artisans hands hitting against the blocks while nestled in the forest make this such a peaceful and inspirational space.

This oasis isn’t limited to its surroundings either. It's run by the ever so friendly, warm and welcoming Padmini. When we first met Padmini I was asking about all her sustainability and environmentally friendly measures and she said that Tharangini has been practicing in this way since its inception.

On one of our visits we saw Govind Raju printing our designs. We got talking (my Kannada certainly wasn't up to scratch) and he said that he had been working there for 30 years. Tharangini is like a little village - most of the employees have been working there for decades. They work hard, break for chai and then get going again. Whenever we visit Padmini says, "welcome to the chaos," but to us Tharangini looks like a well oiled machine, everyone knows what they are there to do!

BLOCK TO PRINT

Hand Weaving

The handloom industry has a vast and extensive cultural, social and political history within India. The more you learn about handloom the more you appreciate its presence. Handlooming is entirely operated by the hands of artisans without any source of electricity. It involves the interlacing of the warp (length running yarns) and weft (width running yarns) by manually operating the loom in a repetitive motion.

Generations of skilled weavers have produced fabrics of richness and diversity through a multitude of variation and permutations of these warp and weft threads. Like all hand work each fabric carries the unique characteristics of the maker through the threads.

Ghandi really pioneered the value of handloom across India, especially in terms of Khadi, which is a hand spun and hand woven Indian cotton cloth. He promoted the hand spinning of Khadi and encouraged the art of hand crafted versus factory made, a political and social comment on Indias relationship with Britain. It's no surprise that it was Ghandi who transformed the spinning wheel into a symbol of independence so important that it's featured in the centre of the Indian Flag.

Meet Khaloom

Khaloom is the handloom studio we work with in Bangalore that are pioneering a space that promotes artisanal crafts while also creating steps toward a circular economy by up-cycling recycled fibres into high quality fabrics.

We love working with Khaloom because we not only get to use a technique that uses no electricity and limits our carbon footprint while also recycling pre consumer cotton waste, but we are also helping to promote and sustain a traditional craft.

On one of our visits we were talking to one of the women behind Khaloom, Nanditha, who was so proud when telling us about how they have recruited some younger women to help preserve this artisanal craft. This made our hearts sing knowing we had aligned with a supplier that shared our L.M values.

ON THE LOOM

Crafted by Hand