Yeah, yeah. But what about the FABRIC?

So today I got to do my big time, fill the suitcase, no plan, no worries, modest budget fabric shopping. And oh my goodness. The fabric here is amazing. And so so so so so cheap! And it's COTTON! Excuse me while I go do the happy dance and scare some locals.

You see, in beautiful Botswana, Shweeshwee is the only game in town if you want something that is 100% cotton. Everything else is poly mix and is more suited for suits or window treatments than quilts. So you can imagine my thrill at seeing things like this.Prices vary depending on if you buy it from some guy on the street (always a guy, usually with friends who sing backup on "oh no rich tourist, your offer is too low" or a shop in the heart of a tourist area... or in a place a little more geared towards the locals. On average it worked out to be 2 or 3 dollars a meter. Not bad.

All over Mozambique, women wear them as wrap skirts or "capulanas" over their slacks or skirts. They also work well as babies slings across the back or to hold whatever else needs to be carried. They also work well as towels at the beach and ground covers everywhere else.
Capulanas can be bought but more customarily given as gifts to commemorate a special event or relationship. When a woman gets married she takes with her a bunch of capulanas that tell her story. I was told that the fabric patterns are regional and different patterns are appropriate for formal or day to day wear. Thighs are covered as they are offensive and it is believed that only prostitutes show their knees. (So glad I did not do the touristy thing and wear shorts!) Married women wear headscarves and bundle an additional capulana to make carrying things on the head more stable.

Men use to wear capulanas as well but have switched to western style clothing. According to one article I read, they may still wear capulanas in post-battle cleansing rituals which are taken off and burned on the spot or allowed to drift down river releasing them of whatever impurity of past actions they want to be rid of. (Note: Google is awesome.)

Blurry photos of beautiful fabrics and the stores that sell them.Fabric is printed with the usual flora and fauna but also can have photos of politicians or social issues. Note the AIDS fabric hung in the upper right corner.


So I bought some. Actually I bought some, cut the pieces in half then sold the non-kept half to a Gaborone quilt store.
Much of this fabric will probably be turned into grocery bags like this one I made for a friend for Christmas. And yes, that is lined, top stitched and has a flat bottom thank you very much. Okay, admittedly that pear concerns me greatly. The stuff of nightmares. Who knows?!? Maybe that is what some artist in India's idea of a pear leaf looks like. (Rumor has it that is where the capulanas fabric is printed.) Regardless, easy and useful Christmas gift made from cheep materials that doesn't look like crap... fantastic!