The weblog of Christine Covert – the African Fabric Lady
Posted in African Batik Fabric, African Prints, Batik, Bazin, Fashion, Hand-Decorated Damask, Indigo, Modern Tribal Cloth, Mudcloth, Traditional Fabrics on Mar 6th, 2013
Thanks to all of your emails indicating interest in sales. Since the African Fabric Sales shop at Yahoo was closed, I’ve been working to get the domain transferred and a shopping cart installed here. Apparently I did things in the wrong order but now it looks like we are on track. Once we are ready, [...]
Posted in African Batik Fabric, African Prints, Batik, Hand-Decorated Damask, Indigo, Modern Tribal Cloth, Mudcloth, Uncategorized on Mar 2nd, 2013
An acquaintance wanted to see what hand-decorated fabrics I still have in inventory so here they are. I also have a few prints, and when the new shopping cart program is installed here I will also list some mudcloth, kuba cloth and some other odds and ends. Thanks for your interest….
Posted in African Batik Fabric, African Prints, African Quilts, Batik, Bazin, Fashion, Hand-Decorated Damask, Indigo, Industry, Kente Prints, Modern Tribal Cloth, Mudcloth, Traditional Fabrics, WAX on Nov 13th, 2012
Are you starting to wonder why my prices are so low and the inventory is so small? It’s all part of a projected revamping of African Fabric Sales in which we intend to sell out the factory made fabrics–the wax, the prints, the damask–and replace them with hand decorated and tribal fabrics. This was [...]
Posted in African Batik Fabric, African Prints, African Quilts, Batik, Bazin, Book Reviews, Events, Fashion, Hand-Decorated Damask, Indigo, Industry, Kente Prints, Modern Tribal Cloth, Mudcloth, Other Links, Traditional Fabrics, WAX on Jan 9th, 2012
As we consider the wisdom of continuing with our store found at www.africanfabricsales.com we none the less start the new year with our store wide 20% discount sale. The web store was created to continue a business under THIS name that I was no longer pursuing in person at fairs, festivals, and quilting & sewing [...]
Posted in African Prints, WAX on Apr 9th, 2011
Hey–I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Manhattan for the latest shipment of African WAX Fabric for African Fabric Sales There are some fine examples of the aesthetic particularly notable in textiles that come from West Africa. We ate at the Baobab Restaurant on 116th Street in Harlem, and saw the [...]
Posted in African Prints, Book Reviews, Fashion, Industry, Modern Tribal Cloth, Mudcloth, People, Traditional Fabrics on Mar 22nd, 2011
If you are fascinated by the beauty and vigor of mudcloth, this book will inform you about traditional and contemporary examples of this fabric, known as Bogolon in the local language. Victoria Rovine did her PhD work in this field and and written a lively account of her experiences in Mali during the 16 [...]
Posted in African Prints, Industry, Kente Prints, WAX on Jan 16th, 2011
This letter arrived in today’s mailbox…… Hi, modern industrial african prints are using printing paints instead of dyes, (as it was the case in the olden days). I do not really think that your prints have any element of resist dyeing at this stage of industrial development and the wax resist effects are only mimicked [...]
Posted in African Prints, Fashion, Hand-Decorated Damask, People, WAX on Nov 16th, 2010
Beth Wonders..”…One thing I would add based on my own observation is that colors and color combinations used in African fabric seem to lose vibrancy in our North American environment and light. Even in the “tropical” sunny areas of our continent the African colors do not translate. The combination of sunlight (sun’s position in the [...]
Posted in African Prints, Batik, Fashion, Hand-Decorated Damask, Indigo, Industry, WAX on Nov 4th, 2010
A reader recently sent me the following letter: ….”I am just curious about this whole issue of colours running when we wash most African fabric. Is there anything in their manufacturing/dyeing process that they can change so that the colour does not run? Or is there some treatment that could be given to this cloth [...]
Posted in African Prints, Kente Prints, WAX on Aug 19th, 2010
Greetings All I hope the summer is treating you well. We’ve had splendid weather here in Maine. I’ve added a few new fabrics to the Wax and Kente Prints sections at the web store www.africanfabricsales.com which I hope you will check out. Here’s one sample… All Best, Isa2
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