Bandhani / tie dye

Today we did a workshop on Indian tie dye. Mr Jakob showed us how to tie tiny circles, then to make a heart and a star. Colour choices were pink and orange or pink and black. Some fairly loud scarves were completed on very thin loose weave cotton. 

While we were making our masterpieces the rest of the family were continuing the family business by blockprinting previously tied and dyed fabric lengths and pulling the fabric diagonally to pop off the ties.

 

Tieing circles

 

Dyeing pink

 Taking off the ties

 Finished scarves

Bandhani / tie dye

Today we did a workshop on Indian tie dye. Mr Jakob showed us how to tie tiny circles, then to make a heart and a star. Colour choices were pink and orange or pink and black. Some fairly loud scarves were completed on very thin loose weave cotton. 

While we were making our masterpieces the rest of the family were continuing the family business by blockprinting previously tied and dyed fabric lengths and pulling the fabric diagonally to pop off the ties.

 

Tieing circles

 

Dyeing pink

 Taking off the ties

 Finished scarves

Jaipur

We went to a woodblock printing and dyeing workshop today just outside of Jaipur. We printed fabric using a mud mixture which was then sprinkled with sawdust to help dry it. When fully dry it was put in the indigo bath. We also printed with black ink made using natural black ink made from lumps of rusting iron fermented with sugar cake for 8 weeks in a black pot in a hot place. The fabric had to be ore mordanted with myrobolan which is a strong tannin.

 

 

Woodblocks for mudprinting. The recipe for the mix is mud, gum acacia, flour made from spoiled wheat.

 

The indigo vat is 10 ft deep. 

Cow parking

Our hotel is down a side alley full of cows, ice cream vendors trolleys and the milk station. 

 

  

The veggie market, unusually quiet because it's Sunday.

Khan Market

Yesterday I went to khan Market in Delhi. It's where the ex pats shop. It's quite nice and calm. I bought a very simple but nicely made top in Fabindia. From the Fabindia website.

'

Fabindia is India's largest private platform for products that are made from traditional techniques, skills and hand-based processes. At Fabindia we celebrate India, and endeavour to bring all that we love about India to customers around the world.' They also support a school with over 1000 students. http://www.fabindia.com/

Unfortunately I got a warning about watching what I eat and drink. I let my guard down in a restaurant that said they use filtered water. I'm now recovering from a mild bug. Fortunately it's on a day that we aren't travelling. Unfortunately it's the day the rest of the group are going to the Craft Museum. Oh well- another time.

Yesterday I also discovered how cheap books are here. I bought about 5 books all about $8 each including

 

I don't seem to be able to turn it sideways 

Clare

India

I've been wanting to go to Rajasthan for years and when I saw that a tour I had heard about had some spaces, I signed up. I have been in New Delhi for 4 days having a look around by myself and the tour officially starts today but we are just waiting for two more people.

In the last 4 days I have learned about tourist touts, been to a shopping mall with a family from a small village who had never been in an escalator, been to a children's home/educational project for girls, been in some hair raising traffic jams with cars, rickshaws and tuktuks driving all over the place, and bought a few bits which I probably should have paid less for, but were still cheap.

 

 

A cheap form of transport which can be exciting driving. More like bumper cars at the fair.

 

Shopping for bling with the kids.

Now that I have found an app to use with blogger I might be able to update more easily. My 2 favourite apps are no longer available and I hadn't used them for so long i didn't know why they were crashing.

This app is much easier to use.

So today I'm off to the Khan market then tomorrow the tour starts properly.