Ajrakh Hand Block Print Cotton 3 Piece Suit Set Fabric- Raakh aur Geru

Some cloth announces itself. Ajrakh does something quieter. It arrives after weeks of work you cannot see: the fabric washed and softened, printed with resist paste, dyed, washed again, printed again, dyed again. Sixteen or more steps before it is allowed to be worn.

This set is built around the buta, the slender flame-shaped leaf that runs the length of the kurta panel in iron black outlined against madder. On either side, a dense border of geometric and floral blocks does the work of trim. The dupatta repeats the motif in a lighter register and ends in a solid black pallu with hand-knotted tassels. The bottom fabric is printed in a smaller all-over jaal, so the three pieces sit together without competing.

Colour comes from what the earth gives. Madder root for the red, iron for the black, indigo for the blue-green shadows in the print. No two lengths are identical, and none of them are meant to be.

Slight irregularities in the print, small colour shifts, and the faint scent of natural dye are marks of the hand — not flaws.

Details

• Craft: Ajrakh hand block printing, natural dyes
• Origin: Kutch, Gujarat
  
• Set includes: Kurta fabric, bottom (pajama) fabric, dupatta
• Kurta length: 2.5 m
• Bottom length: 2.5 m 
• Dupatta: 2.25 m x 1.1 m, with hand-knotted tassels.
• Colours:black, red.
• Unstitched fabric set
  

Wash Care

• Dry clean recommended for the first wash
• Thereafter, hand wash separately in cold water using a mild liquid detergent or reetha (soap nut)
• Never bleach. Avoid detergents with optical brighteners or enzymes
• Do not soak for more than 5 minutes
• Some colour will run in the first two or three washes this is normal for natural dye and settles on its own
• Dry in shade, inside out. Direct sunlight will flatten the madder
• Iron on medium heat, on the reverse side
• Store folded in cotton or muslin, away from damp