Block printing on textiles and wallpaper is an endangered craft in the UK. There are approximately 50+ textile makers and under 10 wallpaper printers. It is a very labour intensive and time consuming process. And some of the older makers are struggling to find someone to take over their blocks – for example Hugh Dunford Wood in Lyme Regis who is now 74! (Heritage Crafts).
Fiona Howard designs wallpapers from scratch using her hand drawn sketches. She works in her light and bright studio at her desk. In front of her is a pinboard wall that has lots of inspiration from sketches, photos and physical items she has found intriguing. The sketches form the basis of the repeat pattern – created so that the designs flow gracefully and the eye is drawn across the wall. Once the repeat pattern is designed, Fiona hand carves the lino block with Swiss gouge tools that she has been using for years, cutting out each colour section of the design one by one. This is time consuming and laborious but brings a definitive style to each design. The ink is carefully applied to the block and the block is then applied to the paper to transfer the ink. When a design requires more than one colour, very careful application of the blocks is required so that the patterns line up. Fiona Howard wallpapers are sold online from her website and from stockists around the world.
Vanessa Arbuthnott’s textile design business also started with block printing. When Vanessa was first married she could not afford curtains for her new home, so she created her own fabrics. “I found screen printing and block printing liberating and enriching and to my surprise, friends started using the designs in their own homes,” she says. Vanessa’s business now makes textiles and wallpapers from her designs which are sold from her showroom in the Cotswolds. The textiles are a certified organic cotton and flax union specified by Vanessa to make them more sustainable. The dyes are chosen from Ecological & Toxicological Association of Dyes & Organic Pigment Manufacturers (ETAD) suppliers. Vanessa says, “I care deeply about what I make and how it is made, from sourcing sustainable fabrics to supporting my local community.”
Although the block printing is done in India, Aarven’s textile designs are created by head designer Amy Fleuriot-Reade in Northern Ireland. The vibrant ethnic designs are printed by hand by a team of artisans at a family factory in Jaipur. They use traditional wooden blocks and natural dyes for the printing process and follow strict eco-friendly and fair trade practices. The products are sold in-store in Margate in Kent and online from their website.
Like many endangered crafts, it would be a great shame if block printing textiles and wallpapers became extinct due to a lack of commercial viability. Time consuming and laborious crafts are expensive to produce when compared to digitally produced products and this can make them unaffordable. That said, we are supporters of the tenet, buy less, buy better and if you can afford handmade block printed products, they will provide a unique touch in your home.
