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the MAIWA JOURNAL



We commission hand-carved wood blocks and brass blocks from traditional artisans. Now everyone can experience the wonder of working with these magnificent blocks on textiles, paper, clay, or any other media.

Maiwa's relationship with traditional printing methods on textiles permits an entire community of block carvers to maintain their hereditary craft.

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CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM COLLECTIONS!
Choose any combination of animals, geometric shapes, borders, botanical blocks, and repeating patterns and you're ready to print your own custom design.






BRASS BLOCKS

Made by the same block makers who supply traditional artisans in India.

The brass blocks have a ribbon of metal set into a hardwood base. These are traditionally used for line printing – either with pastes, tannins, mordants, or dyes. The brass provides a level of detail not possible with a carved wooden block.

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SET OF FOUR
AJRAKH WOOD BLOCKS

Read more about the Ajrakh process in the book Sindh Jo Ajrak by Noorjehan Bilgrami, and the Ahrakh Block Printing Tradition of Kutch.

Set of four interlocking print blocks. These special blocks are designed to create a registered multi-coloured repeating geometric pattern. Each block size is approximately 10cm x 10cm (4" x 4").

This set of wood blocks work together to create a complex four-colour design. Each block is hand-carved from teak hardwood. You can print with it or display it in your home – a masterpiece in itself.

Traditionally used with natural dyes, these blocks will work beautifully with paints & inks on fabric and paper. They are also used by potters to make impressions in clay.
 
This ajrakh set is made by the Khatri family who live in the Kutch desert of Gujarat, India. The family that has been block printing for over nine generations.

The process of making an ajrakh is a long one, involving between 13 and 20 distinct steps (depending on the colours). The many processes of scouring, washing, printing, dyeing, and final washing can take up to three weeks to complete. Much of the beauty and depth of Ajrakh cloth comes from the intricacy of the imprint that is left by the artisan’s hand.  

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PRINTING WITH FABRIC PAINT

Watch the Tutorial Here


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WOODEN BLOCK
CARVERS

Block printed cloth is incredible. But where do all those wooden blocks come from? From another entire community: the community of block carvers. Wooden blocks eventually wear out and need to be recut. Maiwa's relationship with traditional printing methods keeps an entire community of block carvers working. We also commission blocks to sell in our stores so that all artisans can experience the wonder of working with wooden blocks

Some blocks are designed by us, but most are designed by the very clever geometric imaginations of the carvers themselves. We've just had a huge order arrive - and they are fantastic!

It is not necessary to print with these blocks to appreciate how beautiful they are. They work as extraordinary objects that will inspire you each time you see them.




To our U.S. customers – don't forget that the exchange rate works in your favour, it's like an extra discount.
Thursday, January 27, 2022 No comments




NATURAL INDIGO
The Colour That Connects Us

The fact that green plants can give us blue colours is something that never ceases to amaze us.

We try to get to know as many kinds of blue as possible. From the natural indigo we sell and use in all our clothing, bedding and cloth: (indigofera tinctoria)  which is grown and harvested in India, to the robust and remarkable persicaria tinctoria, which will thrive even when planted in our research garden in the Pacific Northwest.


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The Natural Dye Workshop
Tannins, Oxides & Indigo
The Ink Making Workshop
Journey Into Indigo

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INDIGO: THE JOURNEY FROM PLANT TO DYE
THE INDIGO HARVEST
In southern India indigo dye is obtained from Indigofera tinctoria. Indigofera is a beneficial crop because it returns nitrogen to the soil. In many places it is grown in rotation and simply ploughed under (without ever extracting the colour). When it is grown for the dye, the crop can be naturally weeded by pasturing cows or goats — they eat the weeds but not the indigo. Depending on the weather, a single plant can give 2 to 3 harvests a year. 


INDIGO EXTRACTION
Once cut, the indigo plants are placed in a large extraction tank, covered with water and allowed to soak until they ferment. The fermentation transforms indican (present in the leaves) to indoxyl (a soluble form of indigo). The water containing indoxyl is drained off and then whipped to introduce oxygen. The oxygen transforms the indoxyl to indigo. The indigo settles to the bottom where it is collected and concentrated into cakes. This is powdered indigo - the most famous dye in the world. 



MAIWA'S NATURAL DYES

GET YOUR BLUES FROM US

Maiwa sells natural indigo extracted from crops grown in southern India. We carry everything you need to get started; like the natural indigo kit and keep going, like our largest size of indigo. In addition we offer an instruction sheet for Indigo and Woad and The Organic Vat.

Natural Indigo Dye: Powder, Cake, or Chip


How to Dye with Indigo Instructions



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PUT SOME INDIGO ON ...  MAIWA'S BLANKS


Visit Our Collection of Blanks Here







To our U.S. customers – don't forget that the exchange rate works in your favour, it's like an extra discount.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022 No comments




HANDWOVEN, NATURALLY DYED YARDAGE
FROM BENGAL

We've spent years developing this handwoven fabric. We encouraged the famously talented Bengal weavers to return to natural dyes. They accepted the challenge - combining dyeing skills with their hereditary talents in transforming thread into cloth.

We are proud to offer the same cloth that we use in our clothing to you for use in your projects. These are remarkable fabrics with character and personality, to hold the warp and weft between finger and thumb is to appraise the richness that a culture of cloth can create.

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To our U.S. customers – don't forget that the exchange rate works in your favour, it's like an extra discount. 

Thursday, January 20, 2022 No comments
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      • Wooden Printing Blocks – For Textiles & More
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