Modern Designs Meet Traditional Arts of Barmer Region

The Barmer region of the state of Rajasthan, India, is the home of very talented artisans specializing in wood block printing and other traditional arts. These artisans live in scattered desert villages, their biggest challenge being poverty and the underdevelopment of their isolated communities. To address these problems, an organization that runs the “Barefoot College” of India decided to organize the artisans into cooperatives and help them market the centuries-old art of block printing. This art is similar to the one practiced by our other artisans (e.g. the ones who make the Eco Shoppers) but has its own style. The biggest difference is the more modern approach they take when creating the quilts and table covers (see below).

The quilts and table covers are made in the villages of Bagru and Sanganer, well known in Rajasthan for their wood-block printing heritage. Over 200 families work on these products, using natural dyes to produce red, black and indigo patterns on unbleached cotton fabric. Moreover, AZO-free chemical dyes have been used to produce a wider range of colors to compliment the natural dyes.

By supporting this organization, you are ensuring that the artisans have sustainable employment free of exploitation. Already these artisans are benefiting from projects that have improved their basic needs for water, electricity, housing, health, education and income. Handmade Expressions is proud to be working with these two artisan groups to bring you their fair trade products.

$ 79.00 - $ 88.00

Cotton Quilts

These quilts are made using 100% cotton for both the filling and the cover. They are extremely light weight and warm. The art on the cover is made by hand through a wood-block printing technique. Artisans carve the patterns on a wooden block and use it to stamp patterns on...

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$ 17.00 - $ 18.50

Pillow Cases

These beautiful, wood-block printed pillow cases are made of 100% cotton and perfectly match our variety of cotton quilts. These pillow cases come in sets of 2 and will fit both standard-sized and queen-sized pillows. They come in a variety of colors:...

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