Readers, what would you make out of six yards of this African wax print?
I'm figuring that out right now: this is unofficially African print month on the Mood Sewing Network (unofficially because not everyone is participating). I opted in and yesterday picked up my fabric; the selection in the store was surprisingly limited.
I narrowed it down to these two:
I really liked the green with the boxes, but everyone I asked agreed that this particular green made me look ill and that the pink and mustard print was much more flattering. We'll see just how much in the week ahead.
I'm still figuring out exactly what I'm going to make. I dug through my stash for contrasting fabrics -- either to make a coordinating shirt (to an African print jacket and/or pants), or to use as the lining inside an African print coat. Here's what I found; I think they relate pretty well.
So far I decided to use the pink and tan floral cotton print (Liberty of London poplin) for the pockets in a pair of pants.
As of this evening, I've completed the front of the pants (zipper fly, pockets) and still need to do the back and waistband. I'd love to be able to finish these tomorrow before embarking on garment #2.
This wax print is heavier than the African wax fabric I used last week for my shirt -- more like cotton canvas -- and the scale of the design is much larger. The brand is Supreme Wax Holland. I didn't want the fabric to be too stiff so I laundered it in warm water with a little soap and machine dried it. Easy peasy.
I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Have a great day, everybody!
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Your fabric is beautiful. I bought some African Wax print fabric several years ago and pre-washed it and what resulted was a huge mess and epic fail. The fabric was unusable, discarded, and I machine washed it according to the fabric store's staff instructions. I've been scared to pick any more up even though I love the fabrics. Would you mind sharing more details on the care instructions for this fabric?
ReplyDeleteI just washed it on the Warm cycle with a little detergent and then threw it in the dryer. I did the same with the African fabrics I used for my shirts. Some are more fragile than others I guess. None of these bled much dye -- they did lose their waxy stiffness but that's what I wanted.
DeleteDo I just have an off-color mind, or is the positioning of the "balls" around the crotch rather... suggestive?
ReplyDeleteGiven the print, it was hard to avoid! ;)
DeleteLooks more like soap bubbles than like balls, to me.
DeleteI thought they looked like giant raspberries erupting from the buttocks.
DeleteI'm a fan of Ankara cottons- so far I've made my Edwardian cycling outfit, a 'riding skirt' and I'm currently working on a cropped jacket and gored skirt [all for steampunking]. Huge fun!
ReplyDeleteI looked at the print and though a variation on a men's oilskin duster...without the cape. Noting it was a heavier canvas type material only added to my first impression....
ReplyDeleteI think I would go with a suit - pants, vest, and long jacket - a la Snoop Dogg in the 'California Gurls' video. If you do not want to subject yourself to the musical stylings of Katy Perry, you could simply Google images of Mr. Dogg in all his sartorial splendor.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about how this combination of fabrics will turn out, but you can wear everything, anyway :-)
We just finished a project with African wax prints in the sewing atelier of the museum. We got a great collection of fabrics from Vlisco ! You can find some impressions on instagram: thenewhaberdashery
Greetings from Rotterdam,
Martin
I would make a caftan!
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, love your blog BTW! Since the scale of the print is large, I would suggest making into a lined jacket (one or two buttons w/ a slim lapel). Working the print placement is going to be tricky and fabric-consuming but it would be stunning.
ReplyDelete