I Love African Fabrics!

Oh, I think I have fallen in love with the fabrics here in East Africa!  There are so many bright, fun colors. And the way the colors are paired together with the different patterns, I think it really shows about the culture of an area.

Kitenge - Rwanda

Here are two samples I bought today for a skirt for my sister. A close up and then distance shot of each. Lots of bright fun colors and some crazy patterns too! Some of the patterns will have a picture of a shoe, a purse, apples, or whatever. 

The three pictures at the bottom are from a local coffee shop wall that used tons of different fabrics from the market to make a wall of color. Each piece is wrapped around a wooden baton and attached to the wall. Very dramatic. I had Lane and Abigail pick out their favorite fabrics on the wall. 

Khanga - Tanzania or Mombasa, Kenya 

Rectangle piece of fabric with a 6 inch border around the edges. Used to make women's dresses. I loved to use them for tablecloths and still do. They come in al colors! The unique thing about these fabrics is that they all have a quote at the bottom of the fabric.  There were also khangas with the U.S. President Obama's picture on the whole fabric since his father is Kenyan.

Khanga - which comes from the old Bantu (Kiswahili) verb ku-kanga to wrap or close. www.wikipedia.com

An East African khanga is a rectangle of pure cotton cloth with a border all around it and printed in bold designs and bright colors. It is as long as a person’s outstretched arm and wide enough to cover from neck to knee, or from waist to toe. Khangas are often bought in pairs and are usually worn in a most attractive and useful way. Most traditional outfits require a matched or unmatched pair. Women also use khangas to cover other clothes and to carry their young children on their backs. Khangas are also used as tablecloths and decorative wall hangings.

Khangas use a variety of African sayings, idioms, proverbs, slogans, expressions, idioms and riddles in Swahili and English. These sayings must be understood in their cultural and social contexts. It is important to understand that many of the sayings are intended to be a commentary on the lives of East African women and their complex relationships. Many of the sayings are messages (hidden/coded or otherwise) that women communicate to each other. Usually the saying is printed on the bottom middle of the cloth. More recent East African khangas also contain informational and educational messages.

"Asante sana kwa wema ulionitendea." means "Thank you for your good deeds to me."

"Apendaye halipizi." means "The one who loves does not take revenge."

"Yataka moyo." means "[Marriage] needs patience."

"Yote ni matawi shina ni mimi." means "All are branches. I am the root." (Meaning: The legally married woman is the root. The rest of the women/wives are branches to the man.)

"Zawadi ni zawadi." means "A gift is a gift."

Source: http://www.deproverbio.com/display.php?a=3&r=106

Kikoy - Kenya 

From the Kenya coastal areas. More pastel or lighter shades of colors. Solid color with small stripes in the fabric. Often a fringed or braided edge on 2 sides. Used as a shawl or wrap, but also sewn into clothes. 

Maasai Fabric - Kenya

Red plaid fabric used by Maasai tribe who live in the Mara area of Kenya. They wrap this fabric around them to designate their tribe from other tribes. It is worn by the Maasai warriors and the cow and goat herders in the fields.