The Magic of Printing

This video demonstrates the screen printing method that we use in printing our beauteous table linens.
See the magic as each screen layers a new color on.  See the symmetry and balance exhibited by two well paired printers, skilled in their craft. This is the Frida Flower Print for spring 2011, my goal is for the magic of the process to be so embedded in the beauty of the cloth that it will continue to magically transform your home!

Enjoy
April

Feel Beautiful, Live Beautiful, Be Beautiful

Tablecloths of Many Colors

Music, Flower Market, Amadine, Jess: I enjoy naming each new print. Often the name comes from the inspiration I had at the time, such as a beautiful sunset over the lake. Sometimes I enjoy honoring someone special in my life, like my granddaughter or one of the team here at April Cornell. A special friend might find it a surprise to peruse a new season's line and see that a coat, blouse or tablecloth print bears her name.

     These beautiful prints are from the new fall line. As is true to our style, you can see we reveled in a symphony of color once again. Each of the colors and designs in these prints requires its own hand-cut screen. The screens themselves are works of art, each having been created by a team of skilled craftsman. Over the years we have accumulated so many of them that it gets a little hard to store them all, but we do. Keeping a library is important because I never know when the inspiration will strike to pull an element from a past design into a new one.

Here is a close-up shot of the screens after they have been put on rollers for printing. Depending on the design and textile it is going on, we sometimes print with rollers, while at other times we use flat screens that are pulled by hand.  Once you see more of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into our products you'll see just how many hands and how much talent goes into creating the tablecloth you use on your table or the pretty new blouse you add to your fall wardrobe.

     

Off to India!

I'm off to Delhi, India, Monday morning to spend a few weeks there working on the Fall '10 line. I feel at home in Delhi, the vibrant city of color, aromas, and wonderful people. I love the motorcycles with the brilliantly clad woman in saris riding on the back - buzzing through traffic, the colorful birds in my garden in the morning, and the way my friends there have such an interest in so many different things.

     The design trips are always wonderful because I am able to immerse myself in creative activity all day long, while working with the team who brings my sketches and concepts to life. 

     I'm often asked how I manage to travel so much with ease. I will be sure to have my carry-on essentials

in a soft bag with lots of pockets like the Mela bag. I love the color combinations. 

     I plan ahead a little and be sure to take the time to arrange for my personal comfort on the journey. I bring a good scarf to protect against plane drafts, dress comfortably, and am always sure to have a good book to enjoy along the way. 

Traditional Indian Handcraft

When reflecting on what separates April Cornell from any other apparel and linens company, I have to think that our Indian influence and use of traditional handcraft has something to do with it. Instead of a typical home tip this week, I thought I would tell you a little bit about some of these wonderful techniques steeped in rich culture and tradition.

Handblock: Carved wooden blocks create the beautiful patterns in many of our silk scarves, tunics, and linens. Different blocks are used for each color, so the more colors and detail you see in a pattern, the greater the difficulty in creating the print. As you can imagine this makes placement of each hand block critical! Hand
block printing is traditionally done by men in artisan communities, a craft technique that is handed down from father to son for generations.

Zardozi: Zardozi in an extraordinary embroidery embellishment traditionally done with real gold and silver coils and thread. Today substitution of other metals allows
the same techniques to be applied to garments. Zardozi trimmings were originally saved for clothes of India’s Maharaja and Maharani (Indian royalty) and many of these exquisite antiques live on in today’s museums and fine
textile collections.