Black & Gold

We've recently added stoles in black with gold block prints to A Full Moon's collection. Perfect for an evening out or to add a dash of glamour to that elegant outfit you have on.

Photo credit: A Full Moon

These stoles are sourced from a non-profit in Southern India that works with underprivileged communities to empower them to access quality education, healthcare and better livelihood opportunities. 

The non-profit has enabled women's groups to train in traditional block printing techniques. The women belong to low income families and their skills at block printing give them a steady source of livelihood. It allows them to provide a better life for themselves and their families. You can check out our block printed collection here.

At A Full Moon, you will also find other personal and home accessories, in black and its combinations. 

Wall Art: Madhubani paintings in shades of black

Cushion cover embroidered by women from a nomadic community in India

Embroidered pouches by women's groups in India

Thick cotton scarves handwoven by women from the North-East of India

Journals made of handmade paper sourced from a non-profit that uses
'waste to wealth' technology to create recycled paper

Goodies in block prints

In the suburbs of a large metropolitan city in Southern India, there are a few women's groups who have learnt the skill of block printing. The women who come from economically backward families are using their skills in block printing to create beautiful accessories like stoles, scarves, children's apparel etc. These products are now a steady source of livelihood for them. 

A few of their creations are displayed below - also availabe at A Full Moon.

Orange stole with gold leaf motif block printed

Blue stole with pink leaf motif block printed

Triangle block print motif on a beige stole

The women's groups also block print covers on journals and diaries (as seen below). Gorgeous raw silk covers in eye popping or elegant, timeless colours are printed with designs that are inherently Indian, though not necessarily traditional. 

Journal with autorickshaw motif on turquoise blue

Diamond pattern block print journal

Ganesha motif block print 

The groups were initiated by a non-profit based in the city and the women artisans continue to be encouraged and supported with design inputs and marketing efforts by them. Besides, income-generation opportunities, the non-profit works with the communities on maternal and adolescent healthcare and education.  

For more information about or to purchase these beautiful products, please visit A Full Moon. Alternatively, you can leave a message here or email us at pc.afullmoon@gmail.com. 

All blocked out

Printing with blocks in India is as old as time itself. OK, maybe I exaggerate, but it's pretty old nevertheless originating somewhere between the 8th and 12th century AD.

Carving a printing block
(photo courtesy:
architecturetraveljournal.blogspot.in)

Designs are carved onto wooden blocks, mostly teak wood. Some designs more intricate than the others, the skill of the carver that much more precise. 

Wooden block
(photo courtesy: Barenforum.org)

Paisley design on wooden block
(photo courtesy:
onceuponatime.blogspot.com)

The technique most ubiquitous is the dye printing done straight away on the cloth. The cloth is tightly stretched on the tables and readied for printing. Blocks dipped in various dyes are used to print the design. If there are multiple colours, then printing is done colour by colour in layers. Here's an interesting post of a 'live demonstration' - Block- printed awesomeness. Now imagine the same across reams and reams of fabric block printed by hand in different parts of the country - Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and maybe even more. 

There are other techniques of printing, some even more painstaking and time-consuming with fabulous looking fabric as a result. Mud-resist block printing is one of them. The blocks are dipped into a mud-based paste and pressed onto the cloth. Once the paste dries, the cloth is dyed in the required colour. Where the mud-paste is printed, the cloth retains the original colour while the dye catches onto the rest of the cloth. Dabu printing - another blog post that best describes this process. :)

Today, block printing has evolved into a DIY craft that has permeated homes in India and abroad. Even Martha Stewart's website has an article on it. ;) The blocks are easily available in the markets and are used to print on paper (tags, cards, bags etc) and even henna onto the hands. A quick & easy shortcut.

I'll leave you with some pretty prints you will have certainly seen in stores (images courtesy: Google.com/images).

Buying hand printed fabrics encourage the survival of the art form, allowing traditional artisans to continue the age-old ways of creating beautiful designs while earning their livelihood. Overall, giving a boost to the local economy.

Writer's Corner

In continuation to the previous post on recycling and reusing, here's a collection of products from A Full Moon that have been created keeping this in mind.

Journals and notebooks are hand created using the 'waste to wealth' technology by underprivileged women in Madhya Pradesh. These products offer the women a steady source of livelihood while reducing the pressure on the environment which makes it a sustainable option all around.

The Butterfly series can be used as journals or scrap books or albums to store your precious memories. The butterfly designs on them are created from scrap cloth.

Butterfly series - Red.

Butterfly series - White

The Dilli series has the capital city's iconic monuments on the cover in sepia as well as in black & white. These can also be used as journals or as albums.

Dilli series - Red Fort

Dilli series - Qutab Minar

Other varieties include journals with coloured bindings in different designs as well as notebooks with patterns on the cover and a unique binding.

Journal with Orange Binding

Notebook with Yellow Diamond Print

In Karnataka, another group of economically marginalised women have been using recycled paper to create notebooks and jotters with unique block prints. The printing is done by hand using traditional wooden blocks on raw silk covers. Both traditional prints as well as modern ones are part of the collection. 

Auto-rickshaw block print on turquoise raw silk cover

Ganesha block prints on red/ maroon raw silk covers

The recycled products seen here are sourced from non-profits or NGOs who work with these women's groups to train them in skills that offer them a steady livelihood. Some of the NGOs also help create awareness amongst the women on access to quality education, healthcare and other services enabling them and their families to lead lives with confidence and dignity.