Bagru

The skilled villagers we work with in Bagru create beautiful block printed kantha quilts using traditional techniques. One key process is the creation of indigo and other dyes. The villagers harvest indigo leaves, ferment them in large vats with water, and stir the mixture over days to extract the rich, deep blue pigment. This natural dye is then strained and prepared, offering sustainable shades from soft sky tones to intense midnight blues.

The process continues with hand-carved block stamps, where artisans chisel intricate patterns into wooden blocks, often teak or sheesham, featuring floral or geometric designs. These blocks are dipped into indigo or other natural pigments like madder root or turmeric, then pressed onto fabric in a rhythmic hand-stamping technique called block printing. Patterns can be complex with multiple steps and different colors.

After printing, the quilts are laid out under the Rajasthan sun for a few days to cure the colors naturally. Finally, the layers are hand-stitched with the traditional kantha running stitch, adding texture and durability to each unique piece.