The quilts are here, and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out! These are lightweight quilts designed to be used alone in the summer, or over a heavier comforter in the winter. Are you sweltering at night during this heatwave? This quilt is for you (I've been using it for the last few weeks of 90 degree weather).
The quilts are resist-printed on 100% cotton, and dyed with natural indigo dyes. They are queen-sized, and reversible, with a block printed floral pattern on the front, and plain stitched indigo on the back.
The entire process is done by hand, from me carving the prototype in the US, to block carvers in India carving the hardwood block, to block printers printing the cotton, to the hand stitching holding the two layers together.
I knew I wanted to use indigo dye: I love the way it contrasts with the white print, and the way the color will fade and change with time. Just like a pair of blue jeans, these quilts are designed for heavy use and will get softer and broken in over time. I also wanted something reversible, so you could use the floral pattern, or turn it over for solid blue for a bolder look.
To begin the process, I carved a linoleum block with the pattern I wanted, and printed a prototype on paper. I then scanned the design and sent it to my printer friend in India, where the blocks were re-carved into wood, and used to print the cotton.
The quilts are resist-printed, which means that the design is printed with a resist and then dip dyed, so that the printed area will not hold the dye. This creates a white design on a blue background.
They are all printed by hand, then laid out in the sun to dry before rinsing. The plain and printed cotton pieces are then stitched together by hand, using a thick white thread.
You can see the quilts in the shop right here. (You'll be glad you got one when the thermometer hits 95 degrees!)
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