African Baule Cloth is a new textile love of mine. Prior to becoming an African Textile collector, I wasn't familiar with the beautiful garment wraps know as Baule Cloth from the Ivory Coast of Africa. They have become a boho-style favorite for interior design and garments alike.

Baule Cloth is also popular for a look known as Jungalow Style. Vintage Baule cloth is used as pillow covers, throws, and window valances because the Ikat fabric comes in an endless range of color combinations.

So next time you need to add a bit of relaxed color to your decor, try adding a piece of African Baule Cloth to the mix. You can find a nice selection of these fabrics in my Morrissey Fabric on line store, or in my Etsy Shop.

African Baule Cloth, especially the vintage fabrics from the Ivory Coast, usually have shades of blue ranging from dark indigo to powder blue.  But you can find some Baule cloth with no blue in the design at all, but I didn't have any in my current inventory to publish!

Boho Style incorporates fabrics from around the globe, and African ikat baule cloth is one of the easiest to work with.  
Happy sewing and happy decorating!_

I'm loving how dramatic this vintage African Kuba cloth looks as wall art! Vintage Aftican textiles such as this are a simple and quick way to add a dramatic focal point to your interior space. Image from Pinterest.

Authentic African Kuba cloths such as this are available in my on line store or in the Morrissey Fabric Etsy shop. The prices on Kuba cloth varies depending on age, quality, and how rare the rafia textile is.

Smaller African Kuba cloth pieces can be used as wall art too. These textiles are typically sized. From 18 inches squared up to 25 inches. Small Kuba cloth such as these are always available in the shop.

Larger Vintage Kuba cloth like the one seen here can add drama to any space. Note the tie-dyed border and the small shell accents.

Next time you have some blank wall space and don't know why to fill it with, consider using authentic African Kuba cloth.

Happy decorating!

Vintage African indigo with a tiny bubbles tie dye pattern looks fabulous as a table runner. Photo provided by Morrissey Fabric customer Haydee S.

Vintage African mud cloth made from tie dyed indigo cotton adds color to the table top here. African hand loomed strip cloths like this can work as a neutral: like a favorite pair of jeans.

African Baule cloth and faded African Indigo add style and a casual vibe to the interior shown here. Photo cred. Shop Taot.

Morrissey Fabric has a large selection of vintage indigo fabrics for you to choose from. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest additions of African indigo mud cloth, vintage Shibori indigo fabrics, and vintage African Baule cloth.

Happy Decorating!

Hand loomed textiles in every imaginable color and pattern can be found in historic Oaxaca city, Mexico.  Above, a local woman hand looms a cotton top at the market called the "Zocalo."  There were political demonstrations going on in May that encompassed the Zocalo area.  It was a bit difficult to see all the street market textile and craft vendors, but we made many exciting discoveries. 

A hand loom model seen in a collective shop was used to demonstrate how the cloth is created.. Handy for the local artisan markets that represent and sell a variety of different hand makers who craft lovely Mexican textiles. I was able to source cotton and woolen fabrics, throws, and rugs despite warnings that everything made in Mexico would be synthetic fibers. Not true. There was an abundance of pure cotton and pure wool textiles.

This was my first trip to Oaxaca city central in Oaxaca, Mexico.  I saw many textiles in many different colors and qualities.  I met artisans that have been practicing their craft for decades. My daughter Cate and I searched high and low to see what unique and beautiful Mexican fabrics we could find.  We were not disappointed! I found so much to choose from that I will be traveling back to Oaxaca to source more Mexican textiles in the near future.  

African mud cloth fabrics became very popular in black and white tribal prints. These vintage textiles also gained momentum in the full range of indigo blue colors. Now we are seeing the warm earthy colors make their appearance front and center on the interior fabrics stage.

Vintage global textiles from kilims to African Kuba cloth are renowned for their warm natural hues. The stunning room above is inviting due to the mix of traditional patterned rugs and fabrics in earth tone colors. Note the addition of the hot pink juju hat on the wall for that extra pop of warmth. Inspiration photo @canarylane.

Textiles in rusty reds and warm browns don't get too heavy when placed against a light bedcover fabric. Well done @moodledesign.

Vintage Kantha cloth quilts from India can be found in lovely earth tone combinations. You can easily update an interior space by simply tossing one of these Kantha quilts over your sofa back or a chair. The vintage textile above can be found in my on line store @morrisseyfabric.

Vintage African Kuba cloth can be placed on a table, displayed on the wall, or cut into pillow covers for a global earth-tone style statement. Raffia textiles like this are also in the shop.

Ready to to find your inner earth child? Don't forget the natural clay, bark, and mud colors.

​Happy creating!

Black and white abstract tribal pattern as a head board, wall decore. Statement piece done with ease!

simple Black and white tribal inspired graphic bracelets worn with a white T and jeans for an easy wardrobe update. @myamericannomad.

Dressesin black and white graphics with black fringe details have a destinct tribal appeal with sophisticated ease. @edun.com

@houseofpillows, the simplest of black and white patterned mud cloth looks fresh and on-trend.
so how will you use the global graphic style? Be sure to check my Etsy.com/shop/MorrisseyFabric store for a selection of African inspired tribal fabrics and throws.

Vintage Batique Indigo fabrics have been collectible for centuries. Various batik patterns identify the region from where the vintage indigo fabric originates.

Shown here is a large example of an intricate pattern created using a dye resist technique known as batik. Hot wax is carefully placed on to white hemp, cotton, or linen that will resist the color when the cloth is dipped into a vat of indigo dye. The dedicated textile craftspeople of many Asian hill tribes expressed their creative talents in this form of decorative cloth work.

Batik fabric motifs like butterflies are popular.

Vintage Adian indigo batik motifs also include the lotus and swimming koi. The perspective in this antique indigo textile is as though you were looking into a large pond.

the blue color of the indigo can vary depending on how old and how much use the vintage Asian indigo has seen.

which Hill tribe indigo is for you? There are as many variations as there are visual preferences.
Watch for future posts on specific regions and eras where these incredibly beautiful textiles were hand loomed and batik dyed.

African Indigo textiles are wonderfully adaptable for any design project. Shibori indigo fabric that is hand loomed and hand dyed is like a favorite pair of jeans that you can dress up or dress down depending on your style and mood. Photo @Houseofhipsterblog.

African indigo textiles like the Shibori fabric seen here on the cover of "indigo," can be repurposed for apparel or interior design.

Vintage African Indigo adds color to a neutral room. Not a sewer? Simply wrap an indigo piece of fabric around a loose seat cushion and enjoy.

Find plenty of African indigo in a wide range of Shibori patterns in my Morrissey Fabric on line store or on Etsy @Etsy.com/shop/MorrisseyFabric

Happy sewing!

Guatemalan hand loomed textiles: One of my favorite European Designers, Stella Jean, Ltd., is well known for her use of a wide variety of global textiles. Seen above, even her menswear line shows us how to incorporate Guatemalan and Peruvian Textiles into fashion pieces. A fabulous modern garment made with a traditional ikat patterned fabric.

Guatemalan textiles are hand loomed in various villages throughout the region. The color variety in Guatemalan fabrics is endless.  I choose to focus mainly on the indigo blue color family because it is well suited to my Southern California casual lifestyle. The beautiful Guatemalan fabric pictured above is available in my shop. It's a vintage guatemalan piece that could be used for apparel or interior design applications. 

Guatemalan fabric like the indigo piece here, would have been hand loomed and worn by a local artisan. This ikat textile shows the wear and fading on one side of the fabric, while the inside of the Guatemalan textile remains darker indigo blue.  The individual that wore this particular Guatemalan vintage piece joined two hand loomed textiles together to achieve a longer length skirt when worn.

At Morrissey Fabric I do my best to offer a well curated range of global textiles that my customers cannot easily access on their own. I shop vintage markets, textile shows, and travel whenever possible to source vintage hand loomed fabrics so my customers can create to their heart's desire.

Happy Sewing!

Mud cloth in black and white with tribal prints can be seen in high-end interiors, couture fashion, boho-style spaces, and street-style fashion. You don't have to look far to see an African tribal print on hand loomed cotton mud cloth. Photo credit @shophesby

mud cloth prints In white with black or hand loomed black with white resist prints will add depth and a global character where ever they are placed. Photo credit, right, @fleamarketfab

African mud cloth is highly versatile so the black and white tribal prints are at home as a backdrop or focal point as accent pillows.

Elizabeth Pappas at House of Pillows uses Mud cloth with tribal prints for on-trend clutch bags. @houseofpillows

African tribal print looks can be designed simply by adding a decorative trim to a white or black mud cloth. @morrisseyfabric

Influence by global style, the stunning dress by Herve Leger exemplifies the look.

African mud cloth, black and white tribal print trims, and vintage mud cloth fabrics allow you to create the look that suits your own unique personality.
​What will you create?