Trying traditional block printing at a Scottsdale craft night
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
My creation at Spice Scottsdale's block printing event. Photo: Gitanjali Poonia/Axios
At a recent Craft & Yap night, I tried traditional Indian block printing for the first time and turned my tote into a hand-stamped keepsake.
Why it matters: The workshop offered an easy entry point to an ancient textile technique, giving a dozen of us a creative outlet for the night.
- It also made me embrace the occasional misprint.
What to know: It was led by Valley-based Malvika Guliani, the founder of Earthen by Malvika, a home decor brand that works with artisans in India.
- She tells Axios the workshop, hosted at Spice Scottsdale, a local trinket shop, is focused on hand-carved wooden blocks came from Jaipur, India, where she studied the craft.
How it works: Guliani walked the group through inking, pressing and lifting each block — a process that looks straightforward until you try to place a pattern evenly.
- I tried out my design first on paper before I could muster up the courage to press a freshly inked block to my Axios tote.
- As I got the hang of it, I tried more intricate patterns.
The vibe: The craft night didn't feel like a formal art class. People came with friends, and some showed up solo.
- We chatted, compared designs, laughed when someone's print did not go as planned and cheered each other on to be bolder.
The bottom line: I left with paint on my hands, a one-of-a-kind tote and a new appreciation for the patience behind block-printed textiles.