Painting on handloom cotton fabric with colourants extracted from natural sources

Abstract

Cotton fabric was painted with Rubia cordifolia, Laccifer lacca, Acacia catechu, Punica granatum, Terminalia chebula, Curcuma longa and Camellia sinensis in presence of aluminum sulphate, ferrous sulphate and copper sulphate as mordants employing a simultaneous mordanting technique followed by steaming of the painted fabric at 1020C for 30 min, whereas Indigofera tinctoria was applied in absence of any such salts. Such painting technique appears to be superior as compared to traditional process in respect to ease of application, storage stability of paste, colour fastness to light, rubbing and wash. It appears that such hand painted fabric has the potential for giving a crafty look to various handloom fabrics used for apparel and home furnishing purpose. In fact, it can also be used for embellishing finished garments such as t-shirt, jackets, etc. as also many other products like bags, pillows, cushion cover or anything made up of fabrics just by adding designs and colors to them. In view of use of various salts at concentrations much below their respective maximum permissible limits, such painted cotton fabrics can also be considered as eco-friendly product and is worth as labeled eco-textile.