The drawing was traced onto thin, semi-transparent paper. This is placed over the wood, and the outline is retraced with a pencil or stylus. This serves as a precise guide for carving, ensuring each element of the design will be accurately reproduced.

This is my first multicoloured block so it requires 6 separate wooden blocks - one for each colour and print element. Following the pencil markings, skilled artisans carve out the negative spaces to form a raised relief of the design, which will later be inked and pressed onto fabric.

The block is typically soaked in oil to prepare it for printing, conditioning the wood, extending its lifespan and ensuring smoother application of dye in printing. The final step before Roses & Berries are ready to print!

As this design combines five colours (two greens, two pink and one maroon outline) it took a long time to perfect the combination. Even after two years, I don't come close to the artisans' skill (pictured!) Artisans dip the block into dye, press it firmly onto a long table of stretched, taut cotton, and lift it off in one swift motion. They repeat this with different blocks and colors, aligning each impression meticulously to build up the final design.

The prints are conditioned and finished with a combination of steaming, sun drying and washing. Not to mention the softness and subtle warmth this gives the colours. It's a traditional process powered by the sun and the talent of craftsmen!

I was over the moon to discover the new Padmaa Jaipur. A 289-year-old haveli in the heart of the old city has been reimagined as a 15-room boutique hotel in shades of pink, white and green - the perfect palette to echo the print itself. Its Chandni (or moonlit courtyard) provided the ideal backdrop, with its arches framing the table.a