Sunflower Serenade is a radiant infusion of sunshine and positivity, a sunflower fabric crafted to capture the wild beauty of nature and bring it into your home. This botanic print, like all our creations, reflects the meticulous craftsmanship and artistic vision of our lead designer Anisha. Journey with us as we explore the inspiration behind Sunflower Serenade and take you behind the scenes to see how this radiant print comes to life in our artisan studios in Rajasthan, India.
Sunflower Serenade: A glimpse into the creative process
Anisha, the creative force behind Saffron Marigold, draws inspiration from nature’s vibrant display of life, color, and pattern. For Sunflower Serenade, she reflects on memories of sunflower fields glowing under the summer sun. A portrait of the intricate web of life, our sunflower pattern highlights vibrant yellow and orange petals, textured centers, multicolor foliage, and buzzing bees against a crisp white background.
Stage 1: Inspiration and early sketches
Anisha started her creative process with pencil sketches and paintings, capturing the natural beauty of sunflowers in their peak. In the early design stages, she looked to other artists’ depictions of sunflowers for inspiration but found that none truly captured the wild, vibrant essence she wished to convey. With no textile references, Anisha developed Sunflower Serenade entirely from a fresh perspective.
The inspiration
Every summer, Anisha finds herself drawn to a sunflower field in her neighborhood. As she walks by, the bright, cheerful faces of the sunflowers never fail to lift her spirits.
Upon a closer look, she witnesses the interaction between the sunflower and their diligent pollinator, the bee. This vibrant snapshot of nature is what Anisha aimed to capture with our sunflower and bee collection.
Take a look at these early sketches of our would-be sunflower fabric.
The primary print
Our Sunflower Serenade main print features a meadow of sunflowers, each bloom radiating warmth and vitality. The yellow and orange flowers are surrounded by lush green and teal foliage, while bees hum from flower to flower, adding to the sunflower fabric’s natural allure.
Capturing the raw, untamed essence of sunflowers and the dynamic interaction between bees and sunflowers in print form was challenging.
The coordinating print
Designing the border and complementary elements that were inspired by the sunflowers’ leaves and stems required considerable creative effort. In fact, these elements took much longer to design than the main print! The complementary botanic print showcases winding vines and foliage, echoing nature’s calligraphy.
Stage 2: Block carving—preserving tradition with timeless designs
The art of block carving is a cornerstone of our print-making process. For Sunflower Serenade, our artisans in Rajasthan use traditional techniques passed down through generations. Each element of the design is carefully transferred onto wooden blocks via paper stencils, which are then meticulously carved by hand.
Perfecting the scale of the print was a challenge, and required a few iterations of the wooden blocks. Creating Sunflower Serenade required the use of 20 wooden blocks for the main print, complementary print, and border elements. Remarkably, it takes about two weeks to complete a set of wood block carvings for a collection!
Stage 3: Block printing—bringing our sunflower fabric to life
With the blocks carved and ready, the printing process begins. Our skilled artisans press the blocks onto cotton fabric, carefully aligning each impression to create a seamless design. The result is a vibrant, textured print that captures the essence of sunflowers in their full, radiant glory.
Achieving the perfect balance of colors in our palette—bright yellows and oranges, cool teal, soft green—added to the complexity of the design process. But the results were worth every challenge for this joyous sunflower fabric!
The finished product—a snapshot of nature in fabric form
The final Sunflower Serenade print collection is a tribute to the beauty and vibrant energy of nature. Whether used in kitchen curtains, table linens, or bedding, this botanic print brings a touch of sun-kissed optimism into your home, filling your space with warmth and joy.
Experience the making of our sunflower print collection
We invite you to watch a short video that captures the artistry and effort that went into creating Sunflower Serenade. From the first sketch to the final print, see how our artisans bring Anisha’s vision to life, creating a print that is energizing, charming, and bursting with organic charm.
