Nantong blue calico is known for its printing and dyeing techniques and its bright and harmonious styles. The calico is widely used in daily life and art crafts and is totally dyed by hand. Its patterns mostly depict plants, flowers and animals, expressing people’s pursuit for a better life.

Nantong blue calico still uses the traditional printing and dyeing techniques of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). The technique is as follows:

Engrave the pattern plate: engrave the desired patterns on the plate.

Mix the paste: the paste is made from soybean flour and lime powder with a ratio of 1:0.7, to which water is added. The grey cloth on which the paste was mixed should be dried in the air.

Dyeing: soak the grey cloth with the paste in water until it is soft. Put the cloth into a dye vat for 20 minutes and then take it out for oxidization and ventilation for 30 minutes. Keep turning the cloth surface to make the indigo blue oxidize fully. The time of dyeing and oxidation can be adjusted according to the cloth’s fabric and the weather. The cloth usually should be dyed repeatedly six to eight times.

Scrape white: after the cloth is dyed and dried, it needs to be dipped in acid dyes to fix the color. The cloth should be washed and hung up on a bamboo rack; then scrape out the paste and follow the fixation process again; wash the cloth twice to three times to make it blue and white.

Blue cloth with design in white is very popular among farmers because of its wear-resistance and sweat-absorption. It plays an important role in farm life and is widely used in daily life. About 95 percent of rural families in Nantong use self-woven white cloth to dye into blue calico and then use it in various household applications. 

Nantong Blue Calico Museum [Photo/mlhaohe.com]