BLOCK PRINTING

Block printing (vybiika, also known as nabiika) is one of the oldest techniques for applying a pattern to cloth using carved wooden stamps, which are dipped in dye and pressed onto the fabric, repeating the motif. In Ukraine block printing was a widespread folk craft: printed fabrics adorned skirts, headscarves and tablecloths, and the master printers carved their own designs. Each stamp is effectively a hand 'seal' of ornament, and the small irregularities of the impression make every metre of cloth alive and unique. This technique combines craft precision with a handmade character. Today block printing is prized as an ecological, authentic alternative to machine printing.