Tiger Kaftan Organic Cotton Natural Dye Hand Block Printed

Description

Limited Edition Kaftan made from naturally dyed Organic Cotton. Hand Block Printed and Dabu Mud Resist Print.

This One Size Kaftan fits UK SIZES 8-20. And works well on all body shapes. Vertical lines elongate the body and the garment construction makes good use of the pattern towards this purpose. There is a deep V-neck front panel with a subtle chinese collar. Below this a pleated printed front panel gives detail and fluidity. The Arm opening is generous and comes to just above the deep side seam pockets. The printed vertical detail is echoed on the back.

I honestly think this could take you from summer beach to Autumn woodland if you wanted it to and everything in between. It's amazing colours for Autumn worn with a woolly jumper underneath, jeans and boots

The FABRIC of this dress is what makes it especially special! It was produced especially for Haruka in a very limited quantity. It is 100% organic cotton dyed with natural dyes. The cotton has then undergone two age-old hand printing processes traditional to Rajasthan, both of which, to be done well, require great skill and accuracy. I feel so blessed that the family who designed and produced this exquisite cloth have been block printing for seven generations and are a wealth of knowledge and skill.

The tiger image is block printed from a hand-carved wood block and the tiger stripes were created through a process of Dabu Mud Resist which involves a labour intensive natural process. In brief, a mud resist mixture is made with gum, lime and white chaff, this mixture is applied to the fabric in patterns with blocks, then completely dried. Post drying, the fabric is dipped in a vat of natural dye which does not penetrate the patterns made with the mud, this is again dried, followed by several washes to remove excess dye and then the paste. Hence the design is formed.

I am blown away by the subtle, graceful beauty and imagery that has been created with age old printing techniques on this fabric. It's a work of art and took a lot of time to make by hand, the energy in it is so palpable to me.

CARE:   Hand wash cold with gentle detergent, do not soak, do not dry in strong direct sunlight and do not tumble dry. Please be aware that natural dyes fade slowly over time, this is part of their magic, I love the way that pieces evolve with wear