Friday 11 February 2011

Seshoeshoe Fabric (Se-shwe- shwe)

Our designer Ali has a vivd memory from her childhood in Southern Africa: the smell of freshly dyed Seshoeshoe cloth.  It's a lovely fresh inky smell,  the smell of crafted newness. This gorgeous heavy cotton is unique to Southern Africa and easily rivals the best Liberty print for beauty.  It often features African animals and flora in tight patterns.  Ali remembers indigo or brown shoeshoe, but it also comes in red. The cloth is stiff when new, but soon softens up when washed. It makes great skirts, dresses and furnishings.  Lesotho, where Ali grew up, manufactures it, as does South Africa.


  Some of our favorite designs are the Nelson Mandela print below, and a baby elephant print pictured on this cushion cover;  a treasure, which Ali was given as a child.






You can buy seshoeshoe at:
http://www.africanfabric.co.uk


And here is a brilliant blog entry from South Africa on Shweshwe
Click HERE!