COTTON PRINTED DESIGNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20172, 5 February 1929, Page 5

COTTON PRINTED DESIGNS.

| The art of printing designs on cotton has its source, they tell us, in India, and it dates back so far that the old teakwood blocks that were originally used are to-day cherished in museums. Other fabrics mav copy,, but cotton has first claim to the patterns to be found in colourful chintzes and calicoes of East Indian origin They typify the very spirit of the vogue for printed materials But inspiration for patterns has been sought in other countries as well Persia, Russia, France and Japan have contributed, and the peasant arts of Europe have ployed a part. Colours and combinations are not only effective but it must be remembered that dyes reproduce differently on different fabrics, which leads to the observation that cotton prints are effective in a wholly different way. A word should be spoken for cotton broadcloth, which has endeared itself to us through its clean-cut, practical beauty. Prints in this weave are extremely effective, and they have the added inducement of laundering well. Voiles and cotton georgettes are popular and mention should be made of the smartness of ribbon—especially moire and taffetas —as a trimming for these materials*