One thing about the contests on Spoonflower, I always learn something knew. For instance, many of the designs known as African designs originally began as Indonesian designs. According to Yinka Shonibare, a Nigerian artist, African prints have a "crossbred" culture all their own. Nineteenth century colonization by the Dutch in the West Indies (now Indonesia) brought the designs to West Africa. How? The Dutch "enlisted" West African men to enhance their army in the West Indies. When the men came back home, they brought with them a new technique for fabric design: batik. My design "You fly, I fly" is my own interpretation of an African design which is said to be worn by newlywed wives as a subtle warning to their husbands. I could not find what this design actually looked like but a birdcage and a bird were mentioned so I ran with that information. The rust color is a nod to Mali mudcloth, the indigo featured in this design is a recognition of the Tuareg, also known as the "purple nomads" because of their use of indigo fabric. The act of dying the cloth indigo leaves the skin blue. So, thank you, Spoonflower, I learned a lot while researching this topic. The article that has the information about the Indonesian origins of African design can be found at http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/03/african_fabric_where_do_tribal_prints_really_come_from_.html
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Dinner Napkins you might like
Product Details
Dinner Napkins
Design #1774729- Set of 2 dinner napkins
- 20" x 20" (51 cm x 51 cm)
- Folded hem
- Topstitching thread color will be chosen at time of sewing from charcoal or white to best match the design
- These dinner napkins are perfect for daily use and for dressing up more formal place settings. All dinner napkin sets are designed by independent artists, from around the world, and printed and sewn in the USA.
- Available in two fabrics: Durable Linen Cotton Canvas, or luxe, Longleaf Sateen Grand.
Durability of linen with the softness of cotton
- Estimated shrinkage: 3-6% in length and 0-1% in width.
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About the Design
Original drawing. My entry in the Spoonflower African inspired contest. See details.
About anniedeb
I'm in love with color and textures.. Many of my designs are created from my collection of handmade papers and tissue papers. Other designs are inspired by personal memories, nature or a Spoonflower design challenge. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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