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If you plan to launder your finished garment, you should always wash and dry the fabric before cutting in the same way you
will care for it once it's made up.
The India cottons and dupattas are 100% cotton printed in India. They are machine washable and dryable on warm, but there
will be some slight fading, especially on the initial washing. For those prints with ivory or tan backgrounds, this may be
desirable, as it results in brighter pattern colors and lighter grounds. In the 18th century, Indian cotton prints were often
washed several times before being made up into garments; Anglo-American fashion found the prints "improved" with
washing, perhaps because of the same lightening and brightening effect noted on these cottons. If washed and dried on warm
settings, shrinkage is minimal.
At present, I am purchasing fabrics that are already available on the market in India. This means I don't have complete
control of what I get. For example, while nearly all of the prints are hand-blocked, some were commercially printed; and while
many appear to be done with vegetable dyes, synthetic dyes have also been used.
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