The Block Print Journey

We've come a long way from day 1 of learning to carve the block, the tree as the muse, to the transformation of the tree to a garden. That sound like gibberish I know, but I just wanted to share the  journey of our wooden blocks. I started with a simple silhouette of a tree that stuck out to me in London while I was wandering the cold streets. And when I say wandering, I definitely wandered. I could walk the streets of London in my sleep if I had to. Anyways, this isn't about my amazing navigational skills, this is about the Tree. The beginning.

The colors laid out in natural colors from our environment - there's madder, turmeric, logwood, iron sulfate, and many more. I can't describe the moment of glory when our first imprint emerged from the dye bath. True peace. Continue onto www.Ichcha.com to see our products. 

Saturday morning

India is great for still retaining the hand dyers, the printers, and the tailors. And working on Ichcha has brought into light how many things we can do for ourselves utilizing these great tools.  Like for example, most of the clothing for the wedding was designed by us and we were the ones running around getting things dyed. Multiple trips were taking to the hand dyer shop in the middle of chaos until we got the correct shade. The dress for the Haldi ceremony was printed at our Block printing community, making it it even more special. We chose the blocks and the placement of each mark. Here are a few pics I'd like to share of our dyeing extravaganza.

A new year

To begin the new year, I'd like to recap our latest craft trip merged with a a big fat Indian wedding celebration. The wedding brought on with it, new clothes, family reunions, and loads of awesome new family members.

The trip started with our craze filled trip to old and new block printing facilities. Our trips never get old, something new always keeps us entertained. See for yourself!

Photo credits: Ichcha

www.Ichcha.com

Our Workspace

hello Friends,
I've been spending a lot of time in our little office/studio and thought of sharing it with you guys. It is a special place with little quirky items that bring back memories and a smile to our face. I especially love our newest addition - the block printed scarf on the wall. It takes on a whole different look once you step away from it. It's naturally dyed in Iron water and this one I printed myself!

We meet again, Fall

Fall is around the corner. I know..I hear the groans from around the world.

We had a good time soaking in all the sun this summer, watching the sunset, feeling the ocean breeze. 

However, now it's time to cuddle up in our cozy fall goodies. 

One look at the organic cotton scarf and  I'm like, summer who? No, I will still miss summer but I am sure the warm scarves, socks, and boots will make up for it pretty soon. We will meet again next year though!

Until then, revel in the goodness of nature, with the colors changing and the warm coffees setting the mood for a cozy day. 

www.Ichcha.com

BRIKA feature!

So proud to share this with everyone!

Ichcha is now available on www.BRIKA.com

You can check out a variety of Hand Block Printed scarves and curtains on their site and for 7 days they are being featured at a special price. Love the site and love the various hand made products featured. 

Visit http://www.brika.com/Ichcha for more!

NATURAL DYE GARDEN

It's been a while since I blogged about natural dyeing but I think it's time to start again! 

My sister and I recently visited the Natural Dye garden started bye the Textile Art Center in Brooklyn. I must say it was truly beautiful. 

It's a community garden space that accepts volunteers to come and tend to the plants. It not only has natural dye plants but also vegetables! What more could you ask for. 

I participated in the Indigo dye class and will definitely be trying it myself at home now that I have a bit more confidence. The Indigo dye bath has always been a tricky project for me and after my first failure I just never tried again. But, I think that will have to change. I also have lavender in the backyard that I could stock up for some dyeing projects, not to mention the onion skins that are overflowing from the kitchen drawer. It's going to be a fun end to the summer. :) 

Till next time, enjoy the pictures of the garden.