African Fabric

Our challenge this month was to use some amazing fabric Hope brought back for us from Africa. Everyone did a great job!

Hope: I wanted to showcase the baobab tree because it is an important asset in African life. 

The baobab tree is often called the tree of life because it can provide shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African Savannah regions. The cork-like bark and huge stem are fire resistant and are used for making cloth and rope. The leaves are used as condiments and medicines.

The fruit, called "monkey bread" is edible, and full of vitamin C. The fruit has a velvety shell and is about the size of a coconut, weighing about 3 pounds.. It has a somewhat acidic flavor, described as somewhere between grapefruit, pear, and vanilla.

The tree can store hundreds of litres of water, which is an adaptation to the harsh drought conditions of its environment. The tree may be tapped in dry periods. Mature trees are usually hollow, providing living space for many animals and humans. Trees are even used as bars, barns, wine and beer shops and more!

In addition to vitamin C, the dried fruit powder provides varying amounts of carbohydrates, pectin, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, phytosterols,  protein and fats. 

The fruit is eaten fresh or dried and stirred into porridge and drinks.

Shelia Rae: I made 2 pieces. The fabric viewed with the strips vertically, reminded me of trees or a forest in autumn. I added fairies and stenciled in some "glimmer shimmer" for fairy dust. There are fairy embellishments and an metal embellishment at the bottom with the phrase: "Reality has limits; Imagination is boundless." This piece has been sold.

I named the second piece "What time is it, white man?" This time I treated the fabric like ricks. There are painted bangles & curtain rings, some Judaic fabric, lots of hand stitching and quilting and a bit of glimmer shimmer. 

Pat: I also made 2 pieces. The first piece is "Good and Evil." Most people see the word "good" first but inside the good is "evil." I used 2 layers if black felt instead of batting and snippets of the fabric to embellish along the top.

In the second piece, I use a cut and flip technique to create mirror imaged cut-outs. It is a piece inspired by Matisse based children's challenge that I can across.

Melanie: "Unstrung"  The fabric reminded me of wood grain. In this piece I used it for the suggestion of a guitar. 

Marcia: "Sunset Dreaming" The fabric reminded me of a pond in a golden sunset. I made some flowers from other fabric and used them for embellishment along with other flower objects, beads and buttons that I had. 

Joan: I used the Tech-tuck technique a while back and wanted to try it again. It is not quite finished hence the pin "embellishments" but the fabric works really well with this technique. 

Cathey: I had an idea for my project but have not yet made it. I did however, make some fabric 

These pieces are made with screen prints and stamps that I created.