Ajrakhpur Hand Block Cotton Suit Set fabric — Terracotta & Indigo

Three lengths of cotton, printed by hand in Ajrakhpur, Kutch where the craft has been carried through generations.The kurta panel carries a fan-shaped kalash motif set against a deep madder ground, broken by broad indigo strokes, and finishes in a printed border and a cypress-tip hem — so the panel is placed for you before you ever reach the tailor. The bottom is a quieter all-over jaal, an interlocking trellis in madder, indigo and cream that lets the kurta lead. The dupatta ties the two together: a diamond field, a many-layered border, and an indigo end panel finished with hand-knotted tassels.Ajrakh is slow by nature. Each length passes through repeated rounds of resist printing, dyeing and washing.Small irregularities in the print, a motif that sits slightly off-register, a shade that shifts across the length: these are the marks of the hand, and of the cloth's making.

The bottom fabric is quieter by design, madder red scattered with widely spaced floral butis so it never competes with the kurta. The dupatta ties the set together with a columned border of feathered leaves, a deep indigo-black, and hand-knotted indigo tassels along the edge.

Ajrakh is a slow craft — sixteen to twenty rounds of printing, washing, dyeing and sun-drying, with the fabric returning to the river and the sun between each stage. Slight variations in the print register and colour depth are not flaws. They are the record of a human hand.

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: Madder red, indigo, iron black, natural resist cream
• Unstitched fabric set
• Handmade — minor irregularities in print alignment and dye depth are inherent to the craft

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