Heritage

Jean Monro, daughter of the famous decorator Geraldine Monro, established the brand in 1961 when she decided to reproduce and market her mother’s favorite designs. Turnell & Gigon took up the reins in 1998. Jean Monro Ltd. is renowned for producing traditional, English prints from archival materials, particularly English Chintzes. Each textile is uncompromising in quality, printed on the finest cloths. Wherever possible, our fabrics are printed in England using the same time-honored, traditional printing methods. Jean Monro is one of the very few companies still editing hand-block designs. This process requires an apprenticeship of several years, often involves hundreds of different blocks and naturally, takes a long time to produce. The effect achieved is worth the wait however, as it produces a look and quality that cannot be reproduced.

The Hand-Block Printing Process

Each color is applied separately and each requires several blocks. Lucy's Roses, for example, has 180 blocks per repeat! The design details are applied by a combination of methods, all by hand. Once printed, minute retouches, using the dye from the tray, are then also done by hand.

Hand-blocks are notoriously difficult to produce to exact color tolerances. The take-up of the cloth is subject to changes in the atmosphere and sometimes differs in drying times. Another factor in color tolerances is that different handblockers each carry their own recognizable style of printing.

The hand-block printing process is repeated for each pattern repeat and for every colorway down the whole length of the 18 meter table until that length is complete. This lengthy process can take up to a week.

Understandably, this is a very slow and labor-intensive operation. The end product however, is a fabric of great beauty and subtlety, and is truly inimitable. Due to the method of production, there are variations within the length of the cloth which add to the innate charm of the final product.