The Ranthambore Print, from inspiration to whimsical home and loungewear

I wanted to share the design process of my gorgeous new block print, the Ranthambore, a stunning whimsical print featuring Indian Flora and Fauna. 

Inspired by my time living in India when my children were small and we enjoyed hot Indian summers exploring the countryside of Rajasthan, eating juicy mangoes and playing in the warm monsoon rain. It feels good to get back to creating some bright block prints and so I created some hand drawn concepts which my Jaipur atelier has translated into the stunning block print you see here. 

Slow and sustainable

These pieces have been in the works since November and this is at the core of getting things produced in India. The process starts with sketching out the design and selecting colours. I took inspiration from the bright greens and deep golden orange tones of the monsoon with a bright pink which is highly evocative of Jaipur. The sketches are then used to produce the blocks which are both wooden and shaped metal for the print outlines. 

The blocks are then taken to the printing room where long tables are laid out and the cloth is printed layer by layer, subtle overlaps happen and this always adds to the uniqueness of each piece. Only enough fabric is printed to create the products so there is minimal wastage. 

The pieces are then both machine and hand stitched depending on whether they are quilts or pyjamas and all finishing is done completely by hand. 

Homeware and Loungewear

Theres a lovely range of pieces made from this print, from adults and children's pyjamas so that the whole family can be matching. These are finished with beautiful wooden buttons minimising plastic use always! There are also gorgeous wash bags, laptop bags and of course the wonderful quilt sets which are set to sell out fast. These have been filled with a cotton infil rather than the more common polyester making them breathable and warm.