Fabrics & Textiles

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On the road in Africa

You can find some real textile treasures in the markets of Africa.

We know, because we spend several weeks per year riding the buses, tro tros, gellie gellies and 'sept place' Peugot 504s up and down bumpy, rutted tracks in search of just those treasures.

We're the ones who get hot, dusty and thirsty. And we do mean thirsty!

All you have to do is put the kettle on and browse our website to see what we found.

Happy browsing. Enjoy!

Magie Relph and Bob Irwin: ferry crossing, Djenne, Mali

Limited Editions

Why are our Limited Edition fabric packs so special?

Colour co-ordinated collections of African fabrics
Combinations of half metres, fat quarters and fat eighths
Some include special feature fabrics or panels
Some include beads and embellishments
All fabrics 100% cotton, some on subtly woven damask

All carefully auditioned and selected by Magie and Jenny.

View Limited Editions

African Adventure Packs

We have so many different types of African fabrics - from genuine African wax print and Shwe Shwe to hand-dyed batiks and sunprints - that sometimes you just can't make up your mind.

That's exactly what one customer said to us once: 'I can't make up my mind so I'll have them all!'

Our large range of Adventure Packs gives you all sorts of options:

Go small with a Mini Adventure of 20 small pieces.
Or go big with a bumper bundle of up to 25 Fat Quarters.

The choice is yours.

View African Adventure Packs

African Inspiration Packs

For the creative stitcher, African textiles are fascinating and inspiring.

You get wonderful materials: handwoven and hand-dyed by artisan makers.

You get great colours: from in-your-face vibrant to subtle natural dyes.

Add some recycled, handmade beads and what have you got?

One of our African Inspiration Packs!

View African Inspiration Packs

Vintage Textile Fragments

An ever-changing array of vintage textile fragments...

...handpicked by Magie, of course.

If you're looking for unique bits of fabric to use in your next textile art creation, look no further.

These pieces are up to 25 years old and show some wear and distress - all part of their character.

View Vintage Textile Fragments

Hand-dyed Batik - Special Collection

These specially selected lengths of hand-dyed African batiks are perfect for dressmaking and fashion applications.

Lengths from 2.5 to 5 metres
All fabrics 100% cotton, some on subtly woven damask
Some are handpainted with up to five layers of wax, one for each subtle variation in colour, before dyeing and over dyeing in a progression of dye vats.

View Hand-dyed Batik - Special Collection

African Fabrics by the metre

Yes, we sell our African fabrics by the metre. But that's not all.

Like Magie, many of our customers are quilters. And what do quilters need more than anything else in life?

Why, Fat Quarters, of course. Which means our minimum order is a mere Fat Quarter.

Or you can buy a half metre, a metre or more, depending on stock available.

View African Fabrics by the metre

Large Textiles & Cloths

Many African textiles begin with the simplest technologies.

Take a drop spindle, then drive four posts into the ground to support the heddles of a basic loom.

Add a mortar for pounding leaves, bark and roots into natural dye stuffs.

Dig a pit in the ground and fill it with indigo.

From these timeless elements - used today as they always have been - African artisans are still producing the textiles that continue to say, 'We are Africans.'

View Large Textiles & Cloths

Handprinted Blocks

A limited stock of handprinted and hand-dyed blocks by South African artist Pam Stallebrass.

Safari animal, bird and alphabet motifs.

View Handprinted Blocks