African Fabrics Explained: 10 Skills in 90 Seconds
· Episode 7 of 10
Episode 7 / 10
Shweshwe: The Indigo Cotton of Southern Africa
You pick up an unfamiliar cotton fabric. It is stiff, smells faintly of vinegar, and has small precise diamond and circle prints. What fabric is it most likely to be?
Shweshwe. The stiff starchy hand, faint acetic smell, and exact small geometric print are its three defining identifiers. Check the selvedge for the Three Cats brand to confirm.
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