Care and Craft
On how things are made, and how to love them well.
The hands behind the cloth
Every piece of clothing carries a history most of us never see.
Before a garment reaches you — before it is folded, packaged, and sent across the world.. it passes through many pairs of hands. People who carved the block, mixed the dye, printed the cloth, cut the fabric, stitched the seams. A chain of skill and attention that stretches back generations.
At Asagga, we think that history matters. Not as a marketing claim, but as something worth understanding - because when you know how a thing was made, you wear it differently. More carefully. More gratefully. More freely.
This page is about that history. The techniques we use, the people who practice them, and how to care for the things they make.
Hand block printing
Of all the textile traditions we work with,hand block printing is the one that started everything for us.
It is one of India's oldest art forms — practiced for over a thousand years in workshops across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and beyond. The process is deceptively simple in concept and extraordinarily demanding in practice.
It begins with the block. A craftsman takes a piece of seasoned teak or rosewood and carves a pattern into its surface by hand — chiselling away the negative space to leave a raised motif that will hold the dye. A single block can take days to carve. Complex designs require multiple blocks, one for each colour, each needing to align precisely with the last. The carvers develop their own vocabulary of motifs over years of practice — florals, geometrics, paisleys, butas — each with its own tradition and regional character.
The fabric is then stretched across a long padded table and pinned flat. The printer dips the block into a tray of natural dye or pigment, taps it lightly to distribute the colour evenly, and presses it firmly into the cloth. Then lifts. Then moves to the next position — guided by eye and instinct, not machine — and presses again. Block by block, motif by motif, metre by metre.
The repetition is meditative. The results are never perfectly uniform. There will be a slightly deeper impression here, a faint ghost of dye there, a hairline break in a line where the block met a crease in the fabric. These are not mistakes. They are the evidence of a human being at work — and they are exactly what makes a hand block printed piece different from anything a machine can produce.
When you hold one of our pieces up to the light and notice the slight variation in the print — the way one flower sits a fraction differently from the next — you are seeing the printer's hand. A record of that specific moment, that specific person, that specific press.
No two pieces are exactly alike. That is not a flaw. That is the whole point.
Jamdani weaving
Jamdani is a tradition that almost disappeared.
It originated in the Dhaka region of what is now Bangladesh, reaching its height during the Mughal period when the finest Jamdani muslin — so light, so sheer it was called woven air — was reserved for royalty and exported across the world as one of the most prized textiles in existence. At its peak, the weavers of Dhaka produced cloth so fine it could pass through a finger ring. Bolts of it were named poetically — Running Water, Evening Dew, Woven Air.
Then came industrialisation, and the demand for handwoven cloth collapsed. The knowledge passed from fewer masters to fewer apprentices. By the twentieth century, Jamdani was a tradition in serious decline.
What saved it — partially, gradually — was recognition. In 2013, UNESCO inscribed Jamdani weaving on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That recognition brought renewed interest, renewed investment, and renewed possibility for the weavers who had held the tradition through its difficult years.
Today, Jamdani is woven on handlooms, typically by pairs of weavers working in close coordination. The defining feature of Jamdani is its supplementary weft technique — geometric or floral motifs are woven directly into the fabric as it is made, without embroidery or printing, by passing additional threads through the warp by hand. Each motif is built thread by thread, from memory and from skill, with no pattern drawn on the cloth below.
The result is a fabric with extraordinary depth — the motifs appear to float within the weave, catching light differently depending on the angle. It is cloth that rewards close attention. The closer you look, the more you see.
Jamdani is not fast to make. A skilled weaver might produce a metre of finely worked fabric in a day. A full sari can take weeks or months. That time is visible in the cloth — in the density of the weave, the precision of the motifs, the way the fabric moves.
When we work with Jamdani, we work with weavers who have inherited this tradition directly — who learned from their parents or grandparents, who understand that the value of what they make is inseparable from the time it takes to make it. We price accordingly, because anything less would be dishonest.
Our materials
Organic cotton
The foundation of most of what we make. We use 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton — grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, processed without harmful chemicals.
Organic cotton is not just better for the planet. It is better for the wearer. The fibres are longer and softer. The fabric breathes more freely. It softens further with every wash rather than degrading. A well-made organic cotton garment that is cared for properly will last years — which is exactly what we want for every piece we make.
Natural dyes
Where possible, we work with natural dye processes — plant-based pigments derived from roots, bark, flowers, and minerals. Natural dyes age beautifully. They soften and shift slightly over time rather than cracking or fading harshly. The colours have a depth that synthetic dyes rarely match — a warmth, a complexity, a relationship with light that changes through the day.
We are honest that natural dyes require more care. They are more susceptible to fading in direct sunlight and need gentler washing. The care instructions below will help you protect them.
How to care for your pieces
Clothes made carefully deserve to be cared for carefully. These are not complicated instructions — just a few habits that will significantly extend the life of what you own.
Washing
Wash cold, always. Hot water breaks down fibres faster, causes shrinkage in natural fabrics, and accelerates colour fading. A cold gentle cycle, or a hand wash in cool water, is all these pieces need.
Use a mild detergent — ideally one without optical brighteners, which can alter the colour of natural dyes over time. A small amount goes a long way.
Wash dark and light colours separately for the first few washes. Natural dyes can transfer slightly in early washes — this is normal and will settle.
Turn your garments inside out before washing. This protects the printed or woven surface from friction and keeps the colours brighter for longer.
Drying
Lay flat or hang to dry. Avoid the tumble dryer entirely — heat is the enemy of natural fibres and hand-crafted detail. The dryer will shrink organic cotton, stress the weave of Jamdani, and fade natural dyes faster than anything else.
Dry in shade rather than direct sunlight where possible. UV light fades natural dyes over time — not dramatically, not immediately, but gradually. If you dry outside, bring pieces in once dry rather than leaving them in the sun.
Ironing
Iron on a medium heat while the fabric is still slightly damp — it makes the job easier and reduces the need for high heat. For block printed pieces, iron on the reverse side to protect the print surface.
For Jamdani, use a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric. The supplementary weft threads that create the motifs can be sensitive to direct heat.
Storage
Fold rather than hang knitwear and heavier pieces — hanging can distort the shape over time. For lighter dresses and skirts, hanging is fine.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. If you're storing pieces for a season, a breathable cotton bag is better than plastic, which can trap moisture.
On stains
Treat immediately — the longer a stain sits, the harder it is to remove from natural fibres. Blot rather than rub. Cold water first, always. For stubborn stains, a small amount of gentle soap worked in by hand, left for a few minutes, then rinsed cold.
Avoid bleach on any of our pieces. It will damage both the organic cotton and any natural dyes irreversibly.
A note on ageing
Natural fabrics change over time. Colours soften. Fabric develops a particular drape from your body and your washing and your life. These are not signs of deterioration — they are signs of a garment that has been lived in.
A block printed dress worn a hundred times and washed a hundred times will look different from the day it arrived. It will look like yours.
That is exactly what we make things for.
Questions?
If you have a question about a specific piece, a technique, or how to care for something, we are always happy to help. Reach us through the contact page — we reply to every message personally.