Wednesday, 29 August 2012

A Hint of Africa

The idea for this dress started after I visited MOSI – Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, where you can find out about the  manufacture of African Wax Prints.  I also managed to find some wax fabric in Manchester itself in Abakhan Fabrics, located in the Northern Quarter.

The colours of wax fabric are vivid and bold and I used just a small quantity of it as an accent to my dress - I wanted it to be something I could wear in a British summer.  I also wanted a dress that had some kind of African design element to it and so I chose this pattern with a neckline that reminded me of African beaded collars.  The fabric carries through to the tab details on the waistline. 

For the main body of the dress, I managed to find fabric in a similar colourway in the haberdashery department of John Lewis.  It also has printed motifs on a smaller scale to those in the wax fabric and the two together are harmonious.

The dress went together quite easily and I achieved a flat collar with some stiff interfacing.  I love the shape of the dress on me and is a lot more flattering in real life than in the photo.


I have lots of the wax fabric left and I think I’ll make a bag to match the outfit … 





2 comments:

  1. Oh, this is lovely! Great combination of fabrics, and I love the neckline. :-)

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  2. Thanks Kat - I feel better about it now!

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