Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 51

FEATURE
paste. “The mud resist is applied on the fabric
by using wooden blocks. Dabu printing is done
either on a single table while the printer is sitting,
or on a running table. This depends upon the
space availability and comfort of the individual
printer. Sawdust is applied to places where the
mud resist is printed to quickly dry the paste
which is a binder that prevents colour penetration
while dyeing. The final result creates beautiful and
uneven cracks on the fabric,” says Alka Sharma,
Founder, Aavaran. “The highlight of Dabu is the
several stages of applying mud resist, dyeing
and washing which results in the sophisticated
and elegant patterns of veining, along with the
symmetrical patterns derived from nature like the
alignment of birds, flowers, leaves,” says Nidhi
Yadav, Creative Head & Founder, AKS Clothings.
THE PROCESS
The fabric received from the mills is first washed
to remove any impurities that can cause an
obstruction to dyeing. The designs are then hand-
block printed using fast dyes. “Next is the use
of the mud resist paste made of gum, lime, mud
and leftover wheat chaff. This paste is applied
onto parts of the design, after which sawdust is
sprinkled all over to dry and hold the paste. The
fabric is then spread under the hot sun to get the
mud paste to dry out completely. Once it dries,
it is dipped in a vat of dye, dried again and then
washed thoroughly to remove all traces of the
paste and excess dye. This process can be done
more than once to achieve the desired colour and
effect. Traditional Dabu print uses natural dyes
and colours like indigo and vegetable dyes,” says
Bhavya Chawla, Chief Stylist, Voonik. “Thus, the
unprotected parts of the fabric catch the colour
while the Dabu covered bits remain plain. The
fabric may be dyed more than once in different
colours to give each part of the design a different
hue,” says Dr Lucky Yadav, Founder, Lyla.
REVIVAL MATTERS
With rising awareness of building a cleaner and
greener environment all around, people have
massively switched to eco-friendly alternatives
in all domains of their life. Coming to fabrics,
Dabu printed ones are the best choice to go for,
as these adorable prints are made with organic
colours and vegetable pastes which are eco-
friendly, skin-friendly and retain the brilliance
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