June 2014 - What's up at A Full Moon?

I didn't mean to post consecutively about the contest on A Full Moon. I didn't even realise that it's been a whole month since the previous contest. Time sure flies when you're having fun! :) 

I promise to post more of other things soon, but for now, here's info on the June contest. It started on June 5th - World Environment Day and is a short li'l quiz about the world we live in, especially the natural wonders we have right here in India. If you'd like to participate in our contest, check out the post on our Facebook page. Remember, the contest ends on June 11th (IST). 

Our products are sourced from local communities who handcraft gorgeous works of art & craft using natural materials and processes. It was only right that our contest for this month highlighted the beautiful world we live in (and generally take for granted).

At A Full Moon, we source our products directly from the artisans and from non-profits (NGOs) who work with local communities. Creating the gorgeous handcrafted products allow the artisans to earn a steady livelihood giving their families and themselves a better quality of life. 

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.

A Full Moon - Who? What? Where?

A Full Moon is a retail space offering home and personal accessories drawn from traditional Indian arts. Exquisite paintings, colorful bags, elegant scarves and more… hand crafted by traditional artisans or by community based organisations. It includes an assortment of products that are sustainable i.e. eco-friendly and created from locally available material, providing local communities a regular source of livelihood.

At the moment our products are available online only via Facebook. We are in the process of putting up a full-fledged website to make your purchases easier. 

There are many places where you will find traditional arts and crafts to take home. Some types of crafts being more popular than the others either due to the artisans adapting to more modern tastes of the general public, easy access to markets or low maintenance etc. The larger tourist hubs in the country are filled with markets and stalls where you can pick up Indian gifts and souvenirs easily - Dilli Haat or Janpath in New Delhi; Dakshinachitra in Chennai; bazaars of Jaipur and many more. 

(image courtesy: usatoday.com)

In many regions of India, non-profits/ non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been working with communities on issues of healthcare, education and livelihood options. Some of them work in the midst of local artisan communities who with their traditional knowledge and skills create objects for everyday use (e.g. bamboo craft, pottery) or for decorative purposes (Madhubani paintings, wall art). It helps keep traditional art forms alive as well as gives the communities a steady source of livelihood. 

(image courtesy: http://frommoontomoon.blogspot.in/)

A Full Moon sources its products from non-profits who work with community groups encouraging them in their traditional livelihood while also helping them get access to quality healthcare, education. Both rural and urban community groups are sources for these products. We also source our products directly from a few artisans. 

Currently, we are sourcing products from women's groups in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and artisan communities in Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

Being fascinated

I have always been strangely compelled to pick up interesting pieces of art and craft that I came across whether it was in my travels or at exhibitions or stores. India has so many different types of crafts, that one can easily lose count and themselves. 

This interest of mine possibly has its roots in a nomadic childhood as my home was always filled with bric-a-brac from the different regions my family lived in. It was mostly was the same with friends and neighbours too, so the scenario did not seem very unusual. 

And, my fascination for India's arts and crafts has only grown over the years. Here are a few things, similar to the ones I grew up seeing around me. 

Batik painting

Walnut wood carved partition

(images courtesy: Google.co.in/images)