The print as a cut

A block print is laid down in rows, one press of the block at a time, along a length of cloth. When the cloth is cut, the pattern pieces are placed on that field. Where each piece sits on the print decides how the garment reads, so we treat the placement as part of the cut.

The lehenga skirts

The Amer corset lehenga and the Amber bralette lehenga both use a full ivory skirt in block print. On the Amer the indigo florals are small and even, and the print gathers at the hem into a deep border. On the Amber the paisleys grow larger toward the hem, so the eye travels down the skirt to the floor.

Both skirts are cut so the border runs unbroken around the hem. The seams are set where the print allows, not where it is easiest to sew.

The printed panel

On the Jal Mahal cargo set the print is not all over. It is a panel set into the lower leg of wide denim cargo jeans, cut to the width of the leg so it reads as one block from the knee to the ankle. The denim above stays plain.

The Pushkar peplum jacket does the same at the waist. The jacket is fitted denim, and the peplum is a row of block printed panels, each one placed so a whole motif sits between two seams.

A rule for placement

Print the length first and cut second. The print is the ground the pattern pieces are laid on, and it is placed with the same care as a seam.