I was super excited to hear from Saffron Marigold a few weeks ago about their line of textiles. Based in Petaluma, CA, Saffron Marigold's line includes hand block printed duvet covers, bed spreads, drapes, cushion covers, curtains, pillow covers, table cloths, valances and shower curtains. The creations are sourced from Rajasthan, where entire villages derive their livelihood from the craft of hand block printing.
Saffron Marigold features amazing pictures of the block printing, dying, and drying process here to fully see how hard the craftspeople of Rajasthan work from start to finish. It is a pleasure to see the colors being mixed, the hand stamping process which is quite tedious, and the linens being air dried. The block printing process is quite serious. Each block is Sheesham wood, a heavy and hard wood made from a deciduous tree, native to India. If there are any areas printing gaps or holes in the carved design block, the holes/areas must be plugged with cotton. In addition, the most skilled artisan printer must print the first pattern in outline. They use their hands to measure, no ruler. As each design on the block is hand printed they move their hands from place to place ensuring accuracy of the final forms. So much love and care goes into the full design and there are quite a few people working on it. It is special to know each piece of Saffron Marigold is created with love and genuine skill.
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