Malkha Marketing Trust

Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, Telangana

atural dyeing using plant-based dyestuffs produces a variety of beautiful dyed fabrics with no environmental pollution. In ancient times, it was the brilliant and permanent dyeing of cotton, in which India was unrivalled. The Indian genius in natural dyeing lay in their mastery of the pre-treatment of cotton, enabling the production of bright, colour-fast, and washable fabrics. Cotton needs a complex series of pre-treatments before it absorbs any dye except indigo, with which it bonds naturally. Dyeing begins with the extraction of colouring matter from the vegetable dye material. In the second stage, the fibre to be dyed is mordanted, creating a bond between the colouring matter and the fibre. The yarn or fabric to be dyed is well scoured to remove natural oils, pre-treated in various ways, then heated in the extracted dye at different temperatures depending on the dye material, usually for about 30-45 minu

Weaving is the process of passing a thread cross-wise (the weft) through alternate lengths of thread (the warp), creating the fabric. On a handloom, this is done by hand rather than being driven by electrical power. Sitting facing the length of the warp, the weaver pulls the cord that controls the shuttle, simultaneously pulling the moving sley towards her. The first action throws the weft yarn through the warp (hence the term throw shuttle ), and the second sets the weft yarn firmly in place. A hand-operated loom can be a pit loom or a frame loom. In the former, the supports of the loom are set into the floor facing a pit in which the pedals of the loom hang, while a frame loom is entirely self supported and sits above the floor. To weave malkha cloth, both kinds are used.

Natural dyeing using plant-based dyestuffs produces a variety of beautiful dyed fabrics with no environmental pollution. In ancient times, it was the brilliant and permanent dyeing of cotton, in which India was unrivalled. The Indian genius in natural dyeing lay in their mastery of the pre-treatment of cotton, enabling the production of bright, colour-fast, and washable fabrics.Cotton needs a complex series of pre-treatments before it absorbs any dye except indigo, with which it bonds naturally. Dyeing begins with the extraction of colouring matter from the vegetable dye material. In the second stage, the fibre to be dyed is mordanted, creating a bond between the colouring matter and the fibre. The yarn or fabric to be dyed is well scoured to remove natural oils, pre-treated in various ways, then heated in the extracted dye at different temperatures depending on the dye material, usually for about 30-45 minutes, for the dye to take on the fibre for a long-lasting effect.

Natural indigo is the only dye that bonds naturally with cotton fibre, so it does not need mordanting. It is also the only dye that is done in a cold process and not in a hot bath. The traditional South Indian method of indigo dyeing involves fermenting the dye bath with a mixture of lime and the seeds of Cassia Tora, a complex process which takes several days. The yarn or fabric to be dyed is dipped into the fermented vats several times and allowed to oxidize between dips.A variety of plant-based products go into the dyeing of Malkha yarn: Indigofera Tinctoria for indigo, Acacia Catechu for brown, Terminalia Chebula (harda) and Punica Granatum (pomegranate rind) for yellow, and Onosma Echioides (kasimi) for grey. Red, made of non-toxic alizarin, a by-product of coal tar, is the only Malkha dye not of vegetable origin.

• Width5.5 metres,1.2 metres.

sarees, woven from the finer malkha yarn [35 count], are available in our striking artist-designed hand-block kalamkari prints, or in natural yarn dyed colours, or as unbleached kora, with extra-weft dobby or plain contrast borders – these seem to be the most popular!Unlike other sarees that need starching, Malkha sarees are best worn without any stiffening, so as to make the most of the inimitable bounce and drape characteristic of Malkha. The springiness of Malkha yarn also means that the sarees need only the lightest ironing. And of course, like all Malkha fabrics, the sarees too seem to last for ages.