Sustainable, Slow, and Soulful - Why We Believe in Handmade
The work of the hands is the work of the heart !
There’s something incredibly grounding about the feel of a hand-printed or hand-woven fabric, the little inconsistencies in the print, the softness of the yarn, the way each piece carries a story. In a world that moves at lightning speed, trends that change overnight we’ve chosen to take it slower and tread on a more meaningful path. At the heart of our brand is a simple belief Handmade matters !
When we began this journey, it wasn’t just about creating pretty things for homes. It was about preserving something deeper a craft, a culture, and a way of life that is slowly being overshadowed by machines and mass production.
Block printing, with its roots in Indian heritage, is a process that demands patience, skill, and soul. If you want to explore where this craft came from and how it evolved, we’ve written more about the history of block printing in India
Each block is carved by hand. Each fabric is stamped by human touch, it's weather dependent , some fabrics still use vegetable dyes that take months to cure and prepare. Most importantly each piece carries the rhythm of the artisan who made it. Whether it was the leaf print stamped by Vijender ji or the bhujodi weave by Pravin bhai.
Our work is closely tied to the age old textile traditions of India, especially block printing in Bagru and Sanganer, two small villages just outside Jaipur a city that we proudly call home. These places are the beating heart of block printing in India. Generations of artisans from the Chippa community have lived and breathed this craft, often beginning their training as children, learning the intricate language of wood blocks, dyes, and fabrics from their elders.
In Bagru, the process is deeply earthy and rooted in nature think natural vegetable dyes, mud resist printing, and sun-drying techniques are all part of the everyday rhythm. The earthy, muted colours of Bagru prints reflect the desert landscape they’re born from.
Sanganer, on the other hand, is known for its finer, more intricate floral motifs often in brighter hues. The artisans here have mastered the art of detail, and there’s a certain elegance in their work that feels light and joyful. The Chippa families in both villages have preserved these techniques for centuries, even as the world around them has modernised. Supporting their work isn’t just about aesthetics it’s about cultural preservation.
These artisans aren’t workers on an assembly line they are keepers of tradition. Each time we sit down with them over chai, over colour swatches, over hand-blocked samples we’re reminded of how deeply human this process is. There is conversation, improvisation, and intuition involved in every piece and not just another sampling day at work.
No two prints are exactly alike and that’s the beauty of it. It is also one of the easiest ways to tell genuine hand block printing from its machine-made imitation. We’ve put together a practical guide to how to tell the difference between block print and machine print.
Today as international brands and designers flock to my city it gives me immense pride to see this craft in great demand all over the world.
We’re not in a hurry to churn out collections every week or even months. Instead, we design slow, thoughtfully often inspired by nature, memories, and life around us.
Our prints are often born from just a thought, an archive of old fabric that I sometimes find buried in a trunk. Colours are carefully chosen to evoke warmth, calm, and connection. It’s not about trends but about the enduring charm, the nostalgia that feels lived-in and loved.
And handmade, for us, goes beyond block printing. Our Bhujodi cushions are handwoven by the Vankar weaving community in Kutch using Kala cotton, an indigenous cotton that grows in the region with rain water and no pesticides. The pattern is created directly into the cloth through extra-weft weaving rather than printed onto it, giving each cushion its wonderfully tactile character. We love these pieces for the same reason we love our block prints: the craft is not hidden away, it is right there in the fabric for you to see and feel.
Choosing handmade is also our way of honouring the earth. We work with all natural fabrics and support dyeing and printing processes that are gentle on the environment. We avoid shortcuts not because it’s easy, but because we believe that sustainability starts with responsibility , most of our products are made in small batches between 10 - 50 pieces no more and easily take an entire year from start to finish.
So yes, it takes longer. It costs more but it also feels better for us, for our customers, and hopefully, for the planet.
We believe some things are worth taking the long way around. Handmade deserves the same seat at the design table as any contemporary design, bringing with it character, history and the unmistakable mark of the human hand.
Thank you for choosing slow and handmade.
Kamakshi
Founder, Deodar