African Fabric Lady

Come one come all, it’s time for African Fabric Sales to honor the quilters among us as you help us to clear out the remaining fat quarters in our inventory left over from our days as a road show business.

Some of you might not know that African Fabric Lady began as a business celebrating the gorgeous hand decorated fabrics created by hard working women and sometimes men in West Africa.  Using beautiful damask cotton fabrics, these folks create tie & dye designs, discharge designs and carved wood block wax resist batik fabrics for African Fashion and Home Decor projects both at home in Africa and elsewhere inthe world.  Until our situation changed, we were able to purchase these fabrics each year, either during our trips to Africa or through the generosity of American and African friends who helped us with the purchasing in our absence.  Unfortunately, the arrival of children in our the lives of our American friends curtailed their ability to go on buying sprees, and as often happens with long distance business arrangements, a situation of disharmony arose with the African person who was assisting us, and so we had to change our focus from the hand decorated to printed fabrics.  At least for the present.  It is our intention to return to Africa when we can, and replenish the hand-decorated inventory.

Until then, we intend to feature, at a discounted price, the inventory remaining in house.  We are starting with the fat quarters, and so we invite you to see our new category of African Textiles at the webstore.   www.africanfabricsales.com

Hi All,

We’ve added a special sub-section at our African Textiles web store to sell remaining 1-yard lengths of our African Prints at a 40% reduced price.  Check it out..African Fabric..it’s already selling quickly ..Special Clearance Sales

These fabrics are suitable for all sewing, African quilting, and African art projects.  Many of these unusual African designs will challenge your talents as you combine them into garment, wall hanging, quilting projects to create items with an African flair.

All the gold prints featured at my webstore www.africanfabricsales.com are on sale at a 25% discount.  Check it out.

See these uses for African fabric

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31776

This photo apparently comes from the video, and I don’t know whom to credit for it.   Bet I’d like to see that fabric in motion!!  How about you…

Photo Credit:  Stephen White/James Cohan Gallery  in the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/arts/design/21sont.html?pagewanted=1

A reader writes:

Hello,
I read all the comments and want to ask if you could help me in my case. I’m running a NGO in Ghana. We are teaching the youth in Batik, Tie and Dye, Screen printing and also in old methodes of fabric printing. To keep our program running ( the students get the training free of charge) we desided to find a market to sell our products. Could you give me a hint how to find this market?
Some of our fabrics can be seen on our website. http://www.richardsfoundation.wetpaint.com
We made a lot more then I was able to post.
Thanks in advance,
Helen from Ghana

Thanks for your letter, Helen.  Perhaps some of our readers will be interested in your group’s fabrics.  You might let us know who currently has the fabric available for sale and what it costs and any other purchase details.

Isa2

Photo: Malick Sidibé for The New York Times

Check out this great little slide show…http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/01/magazine/20090405-style-slideshow_index.html

We’ve just posted a collection of 9 different designs dyed with indigo on 100% cotton damask bazin fabric at www.africanfabricsales.com.  They come from Guinea Conakry and are aromatic and richly loaded with dye.  See the article about caring for Indigo fabric here.

http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2782&Itemid=144

Reader Starr Rose sent along a picture of a quilt she made from a kente print and a number of solid colors.  Isn’t it lovely?  She also sent along a picture of the cover of the book where she found the pattern on page 106 (and cutting information on another).  Thanks Starr!