I am in love. With the amazingly rich textile tradition of India! As I select exquisite fabrics and furnishings for the upcoming bazaar, I can not resist buying double the quantity, so that I can have them at my home too. You can very well imagine what this is doing to my budgeting and thoughtful financial planning!
One such rich textile art that I am planning to get is Kalamkari. Kalam means ‘pen’ and Kalamkari literally would mean ‘Pen craft’. The name is believed to be derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th century. Interestingly, European merchants had different names for similar textile art in their geography: the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. Kalamkari today is synonymous with both painted and hand block printed textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically derived colors, and the art is primarily practiced in the state of Andhra Pradhesh in India.
Kalamkari in contemporary furnishing…
Beautiful designs from Anupama
Kalamkari bed furnishing found on Overstock
beautiful.. brilliant stuff… i was lukin for something like this since a long time..
Lovely prints glad I found you!
Hi Bhavana
OMG!!!! absolutely mind blowing blog i am so hooked on it n a bit confused where to start from all the articles are too good.
Hi Bhavna,
your blog is wonderful..im a great fan of kalamkari arts…
Hey! thank you so much for charing your thoughts! i tried to go to the tutorial but could not.. the link is broken…
bye ! Morgane
SO MUCH LOVE … my heart’s aflutter : )
LOVED each of the Kalamkari in contemporary furnishing section 🙂 I WANT!
Whoa, how wonderful! Thank you! They are all so beautiful…
Let me know if you find more good stuff there Katie 🙂
Thanks Aimee 🙂
acaligurl: Yes, I love the pillows too…kalamkari looks lovely on silk.
You are right Lynne, the feel of old cotton or linen is the best!
Shukriya Masala Chai!
Glad you liked it Pink Dogwood 🙂
beautiful selection. i like the pillow with the turquoise. really nice that it is natural too.
how gorgeous! it would be hard to resist buying the whole selection because they are all so pretty!
Overstock? I think I might have to head on over there right now! 🙂
looking forward to seeing this stuff in your store. absolutely beautiful.
Gorgeous Gorgeous post.
but i love them when they are faded and so soft from use. my absolute favourite fabric!
Thanks KNQ (Stan or Kus?) 🙂
Hello Gillian! Have you looked at the kalamkari painting in my sidebar….I bought it to be put on one of home walls 🙂
Ha ha, thats true Lynn…natural colors do tend to fade. But a good way to maintain such fabric is hand wash in cold water, and dry them inside out in shade
9and not in the dryer) 🙂
Thanks Selya! And I am sure you will actually be able to create something very creative 🙂
Nice. The throw pillows especially.
I want it all!!!!
I would cover my walls with iT!!!!
xoxox
the best! and better as they get washed and fade!
beautiful textile! in love with a pillows and bedspreads! and thank you for cool tutorial, very interesting I would like to try it someday:)
vow! this is organic, with a capital O.
chemical dyes should be banned, and organic clothing be encouraged. consumption and over bursting closets will stop. the crafts will return and prosperity will return to the land. And everybody lived in the democratic kingdom happily ever after…
these fabrics are so dreamy…
Liz(the cynical one)