African fabrics with a twist

As maybe some of you know, I LOVE fabrics. I have a hobby room in my house where I have hundreds, but I mean hundreds of meters of Vintage, Western, Asian & African fabrics. When I lived in the USA I started collecting them from all over the world, with the idea of starting a small business in children's clothing with vintage fabrics. Well... I am getting closer to that dream, since I am learning more to sew.



Today is my second attempt here in SA for sewing lessons. I mean I can sew the basic things, but I want to be better at it before I start selling.

I was already very interested in African fabrics and love the ShweShwe fabric and also love the West African fabrics, so when I met my friend Dunke who is from Nigeria she taught me more about the West African wax print that I like so much and now I am even more into it!!

What I like to do is give the African fabric a twist and make something with it that is not the usual, like these examples from Tokyo-based designer Serge Mouangue who was born in Cameroon. Look at his gorgeous website: Wafrica. It is such a cultural blend, I find that is just plain brilliant!! An African Kimono! How gorgeous is that?!



Not that I am going to do something that intricate, but you get the idea, a typical African fabric but then a girl's dress say in A-line, or a skirt with a mix of different fabrics. My dream is getting closer! I am working on it, yes, on a slow pace (because I am doing already so many other things ;-) but it will happen some day!!

However, to me it is more than just a beautiful fabric. It's the mix of cultures that are represented in these works of art. Saying out loud to the world that it is OK to mix and match. Giving our children the message that every culture is beautiful, worth exploring and above all excepting each other as they are.

So for me it goes deeper than just a beautiful fabric, and that is the same for Serge Mouangue; he is African, his wife Australian and he lives in Japan. As his children and our children, what do you tell them what they are? Dutch, Thai, American... it is a question hard to answer, so with giving them a sense of belonging through food, fabrics/clothing, festivals, cultural upbringing I hope that my girls grow up knowing who they are but more important embracing every culture they will experience by living as an expat child!

So today I am going to create an African apron, a simple design to start with but soon, if I practice in between lessons I can create a little bit more fun stuff!!

Watch out this site, it's coming!!

Have a Marvellous Monday, and tell me what are your hobbies, secret dreams you want to become a reality? Share it with me!!

Ciao Bella's!
Mireille

ShweShwe

You know what ShweShwe is? It is a South African fabric made from the Zwelitsha plant. The ethnic-print "indigo cloth" synonymous with traditional black South African dress - has slaves, German settlers, Basotho King Moshoeshoe and the catwalks of New York woven into its story.

(http://shewearsshweshwe.typepad.com is a blog that dedicates all kinds of postings to shweshwe, check it out!)

With its intricate indigo, white, chocolate or red African prints I find it is a beautiful fabric and I am planning to use it as soon as I start with my FDD line of children's clothing. I am working and researching to find some fabrics to add to the stack I already have gathered over the last few years from all over the world. Mostly it is retro vintage fabrics, but now I discovered the African fabrics and I like to add them. Will be a nice and eclectic mix!

It has been said that shweshwe derived its isiXhosa name from the swishing sound it makes when the wearer walks. Shweshwe is typically stiff when new. This is because starch was historically used to preserve the fabric on long sea voyages from the UK to South Africa. After washing, the stiffness disappears, leaving a soft cotton feel. Today the printing process is still done by feeding fabric through copper rollers, etched with intricate patterns.
Xhosa women, image from here
DaGama is the only known producer of the traditional indigo dyed discharge printed fabric in the world called shweshwe. To identify real shweshwe, look for a backstamp on the fabric of the Three Cats, Three Leopards or Toto 6 Star brands.

Now they incorporate shweshwe fabric in all kinds of unique, groovy, sassy, swanky, hip, bright, bold & funky stuff that gives you the wiggles & giggles! Here some examples I found on the net that uses shweshwe fabric. They make even shoes from it!

Check out www.bokkieshoes.co.za for these funky shoes and boots ;-)

Have a wonderful day!
Mireille (Meeray)