|
Nigerian Reverse Appliqué
Nigerian reverse appliqué is an art form in which two layers of fabric are sewn together to create a design. The design is marked on the top fabric, then parts of it are cut away and hand stitched to reveal the background fabric. Sometimes other fabrics are slipped underneath the top fabric to add extra color or texture.
Piecing Fashion
Some of these garments are made up of hundreds of small pieces of fabric cut and sewn together. This technique is similar to quilting. First I make a sketch of the pattern of piecing I want to do. Then I choose how many different fabrics and colors I will use. I cut each fabric into small pieces and sew them together according to my pattern, making blocks. The size of my blocks and the size of the jacket I am making determine the number of blocks I will need. I cut a muslin copy of my jacket pattern, and lay the blocks on the muslin. Next, I sew the blocks onto the muslin. Finally, after I completely cover my muslin with the blocks, I will begin to sew the jacket together.
Indigo
Indigo is a natural dye extracted from leaves of a native Nigerian plant called elu. Called adire [a'deeray] by the Yoruba people who make it, this art form was almost exclusively reserved to women from the designing and dyeing to the marketing and wearing of the textiles. The dye goes through a series of changes and is tended for days before it can be used directly on the cloth. Once the dye bath is ready, each length of cloth may be dipped up to 14 times. Traditional methods of stitch-resist and tie and dye are used to create patterning. Indigo has been used to dye fabric in Africa for more than 2000 years.
There are about a half dozen different indigo plants worldwide, and many other cultures have also developed methods for extracting and using the dye. Adire is similar to the well known shiburi tradition of Japan.
Aso Oke
Many of these garments are made using Nigerian hand woven cloth called aso oke [ah show' kay], traditional ceremonial cloth of the Yoruba. A story of the origins of clothing in Yoruba culture tells how there was dissension and strife in a family that went about naked. The father was told to make sacrifices to Esu, the messenger of the gods, who taught him to harvest cotton and have it woven into clothing. Once his family saw him dressed, they were respectful of his orders and social harmony was restored. Cloth became central to the social, economic, and political life of the Yoruba -- it ranked with children and good health as the markers of a life fulfilled.
It is common for groups or families to express their sense of unity by dressing in the same pattern of fabric at celebrations and other events, called aso ebi, or family cloth.
Mudcloth
Mudcloth, also known as Bogolan, is a mud-dyed hand woven cloth that comes from the Bamana tribe in Mali. It had important ritual uses in controlling dangerous forces. In its local context it remains a special garment worn to mark significant life cycle stages including birth, marriage, and death. It is traditionally decorated by women, and entails a unique and lengthy process that uses dye made from mud and leaves to produce designs.
Kuba Cloth
Also known as Raffia, Kuba cloth is woven from long threads drawn out of the leaves of the raffia palm in Congo. Kuba cloth functioned as a versatile currency throughout the region, until it was displaced by the cowrie shell. Men are traditionally responsible for the growing, tending, and harvesting of raffia palms, as well as weaving the cloth. To achieve the desired softness, the cloth may be pounded in a large wooden mortar, and sometimes treated with a wine-red or brown dye.
Today, both men and women participate in decorating the cloth. Techniques include embroidery, appliqué and reverse appliqué, patchwork, and dyeing. It has been suggested that the use of appliqué was motivated out of the need to repair the holes in the cloth often caused by the rigorous pounding. The most laborious and prestigious type of decoration is cut-pile embroidery, done exclusively by women.
|
