Our Process
Block Printing
Our designs are traced onto cross sections of sheesham wood and carved entirely by hand by master carvers. A simple geometric block might take a day to carve; a complex floral pattern, requiring multiple blocks and colors, can take weeks to complete.To print, the block is dipped into a dye tray and stamped onto the fabric with a firm strike of the hand. The printer works from left to right, aligning each impression by eye; a skill honed over years of practice. For more complex patterns, a grid of thread and pins helps guide the registration and repeat.The subtle shifts in color, registration, and pressure are part of the beauty of block printing. These marks of the human hand mean that no two lengths of fabric are exactly alike. Our textiles are produced in small batches and inspected by hand in Los Angeles before making their way to you.
Paper Making
The paper for our woodblock prints is made from recycled scraps from the cotton apparel industry, a long held relationship between local textile factories and papermakers. Paper is made in the following steps:1. Cotton waste from apparel manufacturing is bleached, washed, and pulverized into a textured paper pulp.2. The papermakers scoop the pulp into a wooden framed mesh screen, place a piece of cheesecloth tight across the surface, and flip the screen upside down, creating a tall stack of paper separated by layers of cheesecloth. 3. The stack of wet paper is compressed in a large mechanical vice to remove excess water, and then each individual piece of paper is hung to dry. We do not trim the natural edge of the paper, instead leaving the beautiful deckle as a mark of the papermaking process.
Rugs
Our wool rugs are made by a family-run weaving workshop in Panipat, India. Working closely with our weavers, we experiment with traditional techniques to create new textures and constructions, from our looped “fisherman sweater” rugs to cut pile, shag, and raised weaves. Each rug is woven by hand on an upright heddle or rachchh loom and finished with clean, sewn edges known as khatti.
Italian Jaquard Weaving
Our jacquard textiles are woven in Prato, Italy, a historic center of textile production with centuries of weaving knowledge. We work with a family-run mill that specializes in recycled materials to translate our drawings into woven patterns, where the design is created through the structure of the cloth rather than printed onto its surface.
Jacquard weaving allows individual warp and weft threads to be controlled to create complex patterns and textures. We work closely with the mill to refine yarn, color, scale, and construction.
Screen Printing
Our screen-printed textiles are made by hand at an independent, heritage printing shop in Los Angeles. Each color is mixed and printed separately by hand, building our patterns one layer at a time. We work closely with the printers to translate our drawings onto cloth, experimenting with color, scale, and repeat along the way.
Wallpaper
Our wallpaper is printed in Connecticut by Twenty2, an independent, woman-led wallpaper studio. We work closely with their team to translate our hand-drawn patterns onto paper, refining color, scale, and repeat.
Twenty2 prints exclusively with water-based inks on PVC-free, FSC-certified papers. Their wallpaper grounds are free of heavy metals, VOCs, and formaldehyde, reflecting a shared commitment to thoughtful materials and responsible production.
Sunbrella
Our performance fabrics are woven in North Carolina with Sunbrella, combining our patterns and colors with their exceptionally durable, solution-dyed yarns. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the fabrics resist fading, stains, and wear while retaining the look and feel of a richly woven textile.
Sunbrella’s solution-dyeing process reduces wastewater compared with conventional coloring methods, and its manufacturing facilities divert more than 90% of waste from landfills. Sunbrella upholstery fabrics are also GREENGUARD certified for low chemical emissions, and most are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified.
Embroidery
Our embroidered textiles are made in India using machine embroidery. Our hand-drawn designs are translated into stitch patterns, with each color and detail carefully mapped before being embroidered onto the cloth, creating texture and dimension through the surface of the fabric.