Ajrakhpur Hand Block Printed Cotton Suit Set fabric-Madder & Indigo

Three yards of cotton, sixteen days of work, and a palette drawn entirely from the earth.

This unstitched suit set comes from the Ajrakh printers of Kutch, where the craft has moved through the same families for generations. Every colour you see here was coaxed from natural sources.The kurta panel carries a dense field of small teardrop butis rising into an ornate medallion border the kind of composition meant to sit at the yoke or hem. 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