Africa is very important to us and we travel there as often as we can to source new fabrics, beads and baskets. In addition to supporting small-scale craft producers, we try to give a bit more back to Africa by donating to small African charities.

On Magie's latest trip to Kenya she visited the Dream Children's Home in the Ngong Hills near Nairobi. This inspiring project provides shelter, food, clothing, medical care, counselling, education and hope for needy orphans who have nowhere else to turn.

We are now supporting the Dream Children's Home directly through our own modest donation programme. For every sale of our Safari and Skin Print fabrics and Safari Print Adventrue Packs, we donate a percentage to this very worthy cause.

Find our more: www.dreamchildrenshome-kenya-orphanage.org

And donate directly: www.betterplace.org

Our acclaimed book

African Wax Print: A Textile Journey

As many of you already know, African textiles are a bit of a passion around our textile-clogged house. (No fabrics in the bathroom - yet!)

And what's at the very top of the passion list? African wax print, of course!

The story of African wax print is fascinating, inspiring and full of suprises.

So why not join us on a journey to Africa? Along the way, we'll see wax print being worn, cut up, stitched, quilted, cherished and enjoyed.

Here's a taste of what people have been saying.

I love this book. It is interesting, informative, funny, thought provoking. The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. Spring 2011.

Magie and Bob took me on a magical journey to Africa through not only their words, but the images and inspirational textile art that illustrate their story. A fabric feast to make your mouth water. Jancie Gunner, stitched textile artist and author of Shibori for Textile Artists.

No.1 African Fabric Shack by Helen Conway

Our friend Helen Conway is one of the quilting world's great experimenters - always game for a new and whacky challenge.

Here's her humorous take on African fabrics and one of her favourite fabric vendors - The African Fabric Shop, no less.

Nice one, Helen, as always.

Helen's latest extravagant experiment - her fabric adorned shack titled 'Ikhaya' - is currently in the outside exhibition at Colours of Africa in Essen, Belgium.

View: 'Ikhaya' at Colours of Africa.

Untitled strip cloth triptych by Glenda Gerrard

Textile artist Glenda Gerrard created this compelling triptych using hand-woven, hand-painted mud cloth strips from Mali.

Despite both French and West African military interventions, Mali's political turmoil remains un-resolved. This means that Mali's traditional mud cloths is now very difficult to find - a sad reality that inspired Glenda to make this piece.

'This work shows the dancing women fading,' says Glenda, 'and the mud cloth running out as their country is ravaged.'

View: Whole triptych

View: Mud cloth from Mali

View: African strip cloth