Kala Cotton - Marigold Chambray

$25.00

Light weight: suitable for shirting, dressmaking etc & some home applications.

Kala cotton is considered an ‘old world’ cotton that has been cultivated and traded since 3000BC. It’s indigenous to the region of Kachchh in India, where this yardage is grown organically, handspun, naturally dyed and handwoven by a cooperative of artisans that has been creating this cloth for generations.

The cloth is yarn-dyed with local plants- the white warp is ‘natural’ or undyed/unbleached, and the yellow weft is dyed with marigold flowers

All of our textiles are sourced ourselves. We love the soft hand-loomed cotton and the imperfections that come from hand spinning and dye variation.

  • approx 42”wide and sold by the yard.

  • 160g per meter / GSM 110

  • wash on cold/delicate cycle with mild detergent, adding one spoonful of white vinegar per yard of fabric to help fix the natural dye. Do not tumble dry.

  • Purchase a sample to check the color and weight

  • 100% organic cotton: Grown, spun, dyed and woven in Kachchh, India

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Kala cotton is indigenous to the Indian region of Kachchh and is easily grown organically, as the farmers do not need to use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers as this cotton thrives in its native environment. Kala is a purely rain fed crop that has a high tolerance for both disease and pests, and requires minimal investment, it is resilient and resurgent in the face of difficult land conditions that change frequently with seismic movement in the area.

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Following a devastating and deadly earthquake in January 2001, many of the kala cotton farmers and artisans of Kachchh decided to join together to form a cooperative to help preserve the rich cultural livelihood of the district. Working in ancient methods to grow and process the indigenous kala cotton, the textiles from this coop are very similar to how they would have been in ancient times- they are spun, dyed and woven by hand using local plant dyes and traditional tools that provide an authentically slub heavy texture with varied hues throughout.