Indigo dyed fabrics can be traced back through the centuries. Chinese and African cultures have utilized indigo to create a wide range of decorative cotton fabrics. So why not use this Afeican indigo or Chinese batik as wall art?
​photo above, credit: @camrosemarket

Greige Design uses Vintage Chinese batik indigo hemp cloth draped over the back of a sofa combined with a simple African indigo textile wrapped over the seat cushions. These vintage indigo fabrics add depth and history to the contemporary interior space. The African juju hats hand made with white feathers finish off the room.

There are many advantages to designing with vintage indigo fabrics. You can find any shade of indigo blue from the very light and faded to the ultra dark blue hues. The two African indigo fabrics seen here have already had long, full lives. When I purchased them from an African textile dealer, they were both in dire need of cleaning and repairs. But as you can see, the time, careful handling, and effort were worth it to preserve these incredible African indigo textiles.

Vintage Chinese indigo textiles, like my current favorite Nanking batik seen above, can add drama and warmth as a bed scarf or wall hanging. These vintage batik fabrics add instant drama to any design project.

.One of the best features about vintage indigo fabrics is that they all coordinate beautifully. You can mix and match indigo patterns that have been created using shibori, block print, or batik indigo dye methods. All three of the vintage Chinese indigo textiles seen here would make an amazing pillow set or patch-work jacket.
The outerwear piece below showcases an African indigo stripe repurposed into a one of a kind garment @mirablackman.

Next time you're not sure how to begin a new design project, whether interior or apparel, you can look to the vast selection of global indigo textiles for inspiration. I carry a full range of vintage African indigo textiles in solids, stripes, or tie dye patterns. You can also visit my vintage Asian indigo selection of batik, block printed, and Shibori fabrics for a bit of indigo creativity.

It's an exciting time for vintage global textiles. Vintage African mud cloth and African indigo fabrics have a character and beauty that can only come with time and creativity.  What better fabric to add personality to your design or sewing project. Photo:@lavenderskyblue_textiles.

Casual style is at your fingertips with African indigo pillows created using authentic vintage textiles.  House of Pillows does a beautiful job presenting striped African indigo, shibori-style African indigo, and the classic solid blue indigo all placed together.  These vintage textiles mix and match because they are like a pair of blue jeans that go with almost anything.  Vintage African indigo fabric is particularly suited to a coastal cottage, but the hand-crafted fabric looks at home just about anywhere.

Vintage African indigo with a faded quality or seen here with a shibori fish motif, look right at home in any casual space. These three African indigo pillows by Indiebungalow.

With the new popularity of African mud cloth and African indigo, designers and DIY textile addicts are going beyond using the African textile as a simple, square pillow front. Examples in the photos show natural ivory mud cloth that has been bleached to use as a compliment fabric back to African indigo remnants.  This is a fantastic method of re-using damaged African indigo or mud cloth instead of throwing away the entire piece. What might have seemed too small to save, these mini pieces have become part of a patch work pillow cover.  
photo left: HomeGirlCollection    photo right: Indiebungalow

Extra large lumbar pillows have become a favorite pillow size that lends itself to half or quarter pieces of African tie dyed indigo.  Relaxed appeal can be yours by crafting your next pillow out of authentic African indigo mud cloth.  I've always got plenty in the shop for you to choose from.

African mud cloth comes in many different weights and an endless variety of patterns. Mud cloth has been collectible for decades because of its hand-loomed appeal and African-art style. So why not display a piece of vintage or new mud cloth fabric on your wall? @pillows_by_elissa, a tribal print black and white mud cloth gives this space warmth and depth.

I carry black with natural resist print African mud cloth as well as oyster white mud cloth with black tribal patterns. The average size of these African textiles is sixty inches long by forty-two inches wide. Authentic mud cloth is made of hand loomed strips of fabric. It is then block printed by hand. Newly crafted African mud cloth tends to be a more economical choice than vintage mud cloth. But that's not always the case. Many vintage mud cloth fabrics cost less depending on the condition and rarity.

African indigo, vintage of course, can add just the right touch of denim blue and geometric pattern. This African textile, many refer to as mud cloth, adds warmth to a plain white wall. The tie dye/Shibori technique used to create this one-off global fabric ensures an interior style that's both classic and on-trend.

Try a combination of mud cloth fabrics and colors to get a sophisticated pattern mix. African mud cloth makes it easy to blend multiple colors and textile patterns. Seen above, a mix of new black and white mud cloth with vintage African indigo mud cloth couldn't get any better! Photo credit @indiantan

You will find African mud cloth fabrics to suit your personal style preferences in my shop. I always carry new mud cloth textiles in a wide range of colors and plenty of African indigo fabrics for you to choose from.

Still not sure how to use African mud cloth as wall art? Then keep it simple by hanging a solid indigo blue African mud cloth textile. The amazing shades of blue that appear after decades of use have rendered this vintage African textile display-worthy. The African indigo mud cloth seen here has the complex depth that an abstract contemporary painting might have.

Be sure to visit my on line store, Morrissey Fabric, to find a mud cloth, new or vintage, to suit your design taste.

Global influences in fabric can be found in abundance in apparel and home design.  Everything from pillows to upholstery and totes to one-of-a-kind tops have become all the rage as the web has made the fashion and design world a much smaller place. Trend inspiration photo @Dysfunkshionmag. 

Fabrics from warm-climate locales lend a casual and easy appeal to apparel and accessory lines. As our temperatures hit record-highs, fabrics that breath and make us feel good are essential. Textiles made of cotton and linen, i.e. natural fibers, are a must. Hand-loomed and loaded with hand-made details give fabrics from around the globe a place in all types of design,

Vintage fabrics with embroidery give a colorful and custom-made feel to a simple clutch.  Mixed with other textiles like silk, block-print cotton, and loads of casual jewels creative style can be yours no matter what your age. Photo credit @bead.stone.skin 

Vintage African indigo mud cloth, from my shop, was the textile inspiration @CUTotes. 
What can you create using a vintage global textile? Embroidered vintage fabric, simple African indigo, or colorful Asian and Mexican cloth will help inspire your next design project.  Find a large selection @morrisseyfabric.com or in my Etsy.com/shop/morrisseyfabric webpage.

African mud cloth, also called African strip cloth, is hand loomed in every color imaginable. Seen above is a yarn dyed mud cloth. This means pre-colored yarns are woven to create the patterns. But today I'm posting some photos of new mud cloth that is made in natural oyster white, then dyed or printed using resist techniques.

Mud cloth is decorated with traditional geometric linear patterns. After a wax resist is applied to create the graphic design, the mud cloth is then over dyed black or earth tone colors.

This chocolate brown African mud cloth is a less common color, but nonetheless beautiful.

Mud cloth in shades of peanut, khaki, rust, and terra cotta are just a few of the colors you can find in my shop.

Classic black African mud cloth with natural or white patterns is always a favorite.

Another type of resist dying is tie dye. The mud cloth above in indigo blue has a very different appeal than the gray mud cloth pictured below due to the color and difference in the age of the mud cloth.

no matter what your design taste, there's a good chance you can find an African mud cloth to fit your next project. Please be sure to visit my on line store or Etsy shop for a large selection of resist dyed African mud cloth.

A classic African indigo textile is casually thrown over the bed to add pattern and color. The black and white tribal print mud cloth works well as draped over the headboard and made into posh pillows. 📷@indiantan

African indigo pillows add a fresh and casual accent to theses simple white beds. The graphic patterns on the indigo mud cloth is created with resist dye Shibori techniques.
​ 📷 @theivorygull

Mud cloth in faded earth tones combined with a vintage Asian indigo batik pillow look beautiful. I have several washed and faded mud cloth fabrics available in the store for you to create your own pillows, or send me a message for a custom quote. 📷 @indibungalo

Mixing ethnic textiles in a design project can make for unexpected perfection! One of my favorite fashion lines @Stellajeanltd takes a military-green jacket to the next level by adding tribal-inspired bone and tassel trim.

Mixing vintage global textiles for accent pillow covers is so creative! Here, @bohobyash, faded Chinese batik, White African mud cloth (with tribal print), and vintage Hmong pillows in pink are beautifully balanced against the white bed with African indigo throw. Be fearless when mixing your global textiles!

Amazing mix of a Mexican Sarape staged with an African indigo vintage fabric throw. And note the two large pillows in back are also Vintage African indigo with southwestern motif pillows in front. Well done.

Note sure how to mix your global textiles? Send me an email or message with questions.
plenty of options for vintage African textiles, Mexican fabrics, and Asian batik textiles here in my store. You can find more in my Etsy.com/shop/MorrisseyFabric.

​I Recently I traveled to Oaxaca City which is at the southern end of Mexico. It took my daughter Cate and I two flights to get there from LAX. (We changed planes in Mexico City)

Most of us from southern California think of Tijuana as representing the rest of Mexico, but this is far from accurate. I was pleasantly surprised to find Oaxaca city to be enchanting. I didn't know we would be strolling on stone streets that had been there since the Spanish occupied the region in the sixteenth century. I was amazed by the incredible amount of Spanish architecture that was still in tact. And then of course, there were the textiles!

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Mexican textiles come in the full spectrum of colors. I picked up the large tablecloth pictured above at the shop across the street from the hotel we stayed in. The Aztec motifs and hand loomed stripes are a lovely shade of spring green. Perfect for a jungalowstyle interior or global design scheme.

The open courtyard of our small hotel was lovely. We ate breakfast here surrounded by travelers from all over the globe. The Parador de Alcala had only eleven rooms so we felt like house guests rather than hotel customers. The recently renovated spaces felt clean yet authentic to historic as well as contemporary Mexican architecture.

The view from one of our four balconies was like taking a step back in time. Cars did not have access along this stretch of Mesadonio de Alcala keeping it pedestrian friendly.

Down the block I found several wool rugs and cotton table runners for very reasonable prices.

I was so inspired by the tuquoise and indigo blue colors in this hand loomed wool rug I couldn't pass it up! My cost? $200 US dollars.for a 12 foot runner.

Mexican textiles on your mind? Try taking a quick trip to Oaxaca for your fill of cotton and wool hand loomed fabrics.
im happy to answer any questions so feel free to email me through MorrisseyFabric.com.