Wood Block Print Fabrics made for today

Wood Block Print Fabrics made for today

Posted by Tanna Espy Miller on Nov 15th 2021

Wood block printing by hand is one of the oldest forms of fabric decoration. It originated in China thousands of years ago, but India , particularly under the Emperor Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal) brought the method to an unparalleled excellence.

The process is exactly what it seems to be. Blocks are carved with motifs or detailed elements within designs, pressed into dye and then stamped onto fabric, usually cotton, to create beautiful colors and details. This stunning  red and pink fabric is made today just as it was centuries ago.

Hand block printed fabrics Design Nashville  

Block Printed blue fabric Design Nashville

In this blue example, the background is printed. Notice the imperfections of the leaves (from the imperfect registration of each block) while there is no variation in the white ground or overdoing at the edges it there would be if the leaves were printed over blue.

Other organic materials, especially silk and linen can be used as well, though linen prints have less detail and silk is costly. Vegetable dyes produce vivid and organic colors equally well. While today's digital printing processes are precise and capable of resembling the best of multi-colored silk screened prints, many consumers are retreating to the comfort and beauty simpler hand processes provide. This is true across most forms of decorative arts.

Hand block printed trims and fabrics Design Nashville  

  

Block printed trims Design Nashville

It's a time consuming process as you can see, making block printing high on the price scale. To offset the cost, most block prints are simple and arranged in a grid, but they can have complex repeating elements that don't conform to rectangular sections as in this Indian chintz of exotic birds and flowers from the 1700's. 

Indian block printed cotton fabric 1700's Design Nashville blog  

The below blue floral fabric is an example of complex block printing available today. 

Except for the bird/ floral fabric above, the block printed printed fabrics shown here are created in some quantity making the pricing moderate in today's market. This collection is printed on linen grounds that are stronger than cotton, making them suitable for both upholstery and drapery applications. 

As you have probably guessed, digital prints that mimic block prints are also available. You can recognize these by observing the absence of variation in dye density and identifying the repeat. Any mark or variance that happens within a pattern repeat is replicated exactly in the next repeat. Still, digital imitations of  block printing provide some sense of nostalgia and hand crafted nuance at a moderate price point.

Please contact us for assistance with these and other block printed fabrics as they are not posted online. Custom bedding, draperies, and furniture are available as well.  Design Nashville 615-601-0552  and customerservice@designNashville.NET

Block printed fabrics Design Nashville  Block Printed Fabrics Design Nashville  

Block Printed Fabrics Design Nashville