Process

In today’s world, most of the clothing brands in the market are mass-produced using machines and will hardly see the time-invested craft in women’s clothing today, reflecting culture, values, and beliefs.

While it’s difficult to carry old centuries and culture, one such art thrives in remotest parts of India, especially Rajasthan, where the legacy of hand blocks on clothes started.

Shanelle and Jac is a beautiful mix of modern and culture with a stunning result representing a fusion of traditional and contemporary, handmade apparel for babies, girls, boys, women and men.

Our garments are made using various methods of printing:
1. Screen Printing
2. Digital Printing
3. Block Printing
4. Discharge Screen Printing

Process of Block Printing

We use various printing methods in our garments, but block printing is a very popular form of hand printing. This art of printing has been in use since ancient times, but it is found in metropolitan cities.

Selection of fabric

It is important to use plant-based or vegetable dye for hand block printing. Block printing works best on cotton, linen, polyester, bamboo, and hemp. The colours we use are mixed using AZO-free pigment dyes.

Making of a wooden block

A print starts with the design, drawn on paper and carved into the Sheesham wood block. Designs are meticulously carved by hand into the blocks, approximately 18-25 cm across.
The master block carver manually carves the wooden blocks used for this printing with a chisel and wooden hammer.

Block printing on fabric

After preparing the colour, the artisans soak the block into the colour for 10 days and then start printing from left to right with the utmost care, patience, and craftsmanship. The block has to slam hard on the fabric to get a good impression. The physical block is the design for a single repeat which is then stamped in rows across the fabric.

Drying

After printing, it is mandatory to dry all the paints.

Each piece of baby fashion created from these stunning hand block printed materials is a joy to wear.

Also, the fact that it is eco-friendly, through its use of natural dyes and low consumption of resources, is another very important reason to support this traditional art form.

While the technique has evolved over the centuries, its original method remains intact, lending authenticity to every hand block printed product. The human touch is very apparent, with its fascinating imperfections that machines cannot replicate.

There is no limit to inspiration, and hand block prints are fairly popular in the global fashion industry. Though there are simple geometric patterns or complex motifs, the designers try to explore each printing style with full potentiality.

We at Shanelle & Jac aim to make a simple garment to statement piece, and there is no classy way other than block prints.