Unique block prints
Block printing is an ancient technique that is used to create patterns on textiles or paper. In Japan and Korea, people printed religious texts using block printing in the 8th century. In Europe, block printing on paper is the oldest form of printing. As early as the 1440s, Johannes Gutenberg used the technique when developing his method for printing books. At Gudrun Sjödén, we’ve been returning to block-printed patterns since the 90s. By using a technique that is thousands of years old, we are honoring a handicraft that could otherwise be forgotten.
The technique involves cutting, carving and whittling patterns from a wooden block. It should be a dense wood that doesn’t chip, like pear or cherry wood. The number of wood blocks depends on how many different colors are being printed. Often, there’s a little mark in the block so that the different colors fit beside each other perfectly. The wood block is dipped in dye paste, and then skilled craftspeople quickly and expertly print yard after yard. The fabric is transformed into a palette of patterns, outlines and colors.
In Jaipur, capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan in northwest India, block printing has developed into an art form that is deeply rooted in tradition and cultural history. That’s where our block-printed products are made – at small, family-owned workshops where the business is run side by side with farming. If it’s time for the harvest, everything is put on pause – the farm comes first. During monsoon season, the workshop goes on break because block prints are dried outside in the fresh air, which the rain makes impossible. In other words: fast, large-scale production is not the way here. Instead, we get something far more valuable – unique and personal products made with care.
Manufacturing countries
Our products are manufactured in India, China, Greece, Bulgaria, Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Sweden.