African Textiles Today illustrates how African history is read, told, and recorded in cloth. All artifacts or works of art hold within them stories that range far beyond the time of their creation or the lifetime of their creator, and African textiles are patterned with these hidden histories. In Africa, cloth may be used to memorialize or commemorate something - an event, a person, a political cause - which in other parts of the world might be written down in detail or recorded by a plaque or monument. History in Africa can be read, told, and recorded in cloth. Making and trading numerous types of cloth have been vital elements in African life and culture for at least two millennia, linking different parts of the continent with each other and the rest of the world. Africa's long engagement with the peoples of the Mediterranean and the islands of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans provides a story of change and continuity. African Textiles Today shows how ideas, techniques, materials, and markets have adapted and flourished, and how the dynamic traditions in African textiles have provided inspiration for the continent's foremost contemporary artists and photographers. With a concluding chapter discussing the impact of African designs across the world, the book offers a fascinating insight into the living history of Africa.

Reveals the complex origins of African wax print textiles and traces the process of printing and dying the fabric, involving wax or indigo, to its West Indian roots. Also explores the differences of mass-produced and artisanally sourced fabrics, tracking where textiles go from the manufacturing centers to markets and cities throughout Africa and the world

Traces a boy's journey across India as he searches for a sacred buffalo bell stolen from his tribe.

All the techniques, step-by-step instructions, and patterns you need to make 25 African wax print garments and accessories. INCLUDES FULL SIZE PATTERNS FOR US DRESS SIZES 4 TO 22 African wax prints are colorful designs created by dyeing cotton fabric using wax-resist techniques, and then overprinting. The result is a fabric that is bright, colorful, and super-easy to use. Adaku Parker has developed 25 step-by-step projects to make a wide range of stylish pieces with this fabric. There are instant wardrobe classics like a shirt dress, A-line skirts, and culottes, as well as wonderful accessories such as tote bags, a zip purse, and a headband. The basic techniques you will need are all explained, so you’ll feel confident with essentials like attaching waistbands, gathering, pleats, making buttonholes, and adding linings. There are projects suitable for all skill levels so all you need is some gorgeous African wax print fabric and a sewing machine, and you’ll be on your way to updating your wardrobe with unique pieces that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Exotic! Exciting! Inspiring! African fabrics are sought after because of their rich histories and lavish designs, but they intimidate many sewers. Author and designer Ronke Luke-Boone helps to take the mystery out of these works of art and teaches sewers of all skill levels where to buy fabrics, how to choose the right ones, and the best techniques for sewing them. Besides covering the six most popular African fabrics -- mudcloth, Kuba cloth, Korhogo cloth, fancy prints, wax prints, and Kente clot -- this guide shows readers how they are produced and ways to incorporate them into contemporary designs for men, women, and children, as well as home décor. As an added bonus, Luke-Boone offers 14 original projects, including a tote bag, tunic, pillows, placemats, and a child's loom, three of which have full-size patterns. Features: Covers the six most popular African fabrics currently available; Excellent reference for sewers or anyone who is interested in fabrics, culture, and history; 14 step-by-step projects -- three with full-size patterns.

Create style with a touch of the exotic Exciting! Inspiring! African fabrics are vibrant, beautiful, and widely available - and they are perfect for contemporary clothing for men, women, and children and great for home decor. An excellent reference for sewers or anyone who is interested in fabrics, culture, and history, this guide will teach you where to buy fabrics, how to choose the right ones, and the best techniques for sewing them. 14 original projects, including • Tote bag • Apron • Tunic • Place mats • Shawl • Pillows • Vest • Child's loom Full size patterns for three projects Covers these popular African fabrics • Mudcloth • Fancy prints • Kuba cloth • Wax prints • Korhogo cloth • Kente cloth

Black-and-white linocut prints of geometric and abstract motifs, textual patterns, masks, and mythical figures provide a pictorial presentation of African designs

In this holistic approach to the study of textiles and their makers, Colleen Kriger charts the role cotton has played in commercial, community, and labor settings in West Africa. By paying close attention to the details of how people made, exchanged, and wore cotton cloth from before industrialization in Europe to the twentieth century, she is able to demonstrate some of the cultural effects of Africa's long involvement in trading contacts with Muslim societies and with Europe. Cloth in West African History thus offers a fresh perspective on the history of the region and on the local, regional, and global processes that shaped it. A variety of readers will find its account and insights into the African past and culture valuable, and will appreciate the connections made between the local concerns of small-scale weavers in African villages, the emergence of an indigenous textile industry, and its integration into international networks.

This book is a visual feast, illustrating the richness and diversity of the African textile tradition, and providing designers at all levels with inspiration for their own work. Over 30 textiles from The British Museum's renowned collection are explored in detail: magnificent blue-and-white, indigo-resist-dyed cloths from West Africa; multi-coloured, tie-dyed and woven North African textiles; "mud cloths" from Mali; the unique wrap-striped weaves and ikats from Madagascar; "adinkra" block-print and painted "caligraphy" cloths from Ghana; and the "adire" cloths from Yorubaland