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How to sew Aso Oke- and other woven African textiles
Have you bought Aso-oke from us and wondered how to sew it?
Aso Oke is a loom woven textile from Nigeria, with a rich and regal heritage. It has close similarities to other woven textiles that can be seen across West Africa like Kenta, Akwete, Daboya and so on.
Typically, aso-oke is used to make traditional garments for special occasions such as coronations, weddings and festivals. It is woven using a range of threads, with the most common being cotton and silk. It is a thick and durable material and lends itself well to even more modern applications. It makes beautiful cushions, totes, clutches, table runners, fabric storage boxes and more.
The fabric is unique, in that it is double-sided, there is technically no wrong side with most of the designs.
Aso Oke is sold as bundles but we also provide the option to purchase it by the metre. The strips range in width from 4 inches to 7 inches. To create an item or garment, you would cut and sew the strips together to achieve your desired size of cloth.
We have put together some tips on simple ways to cut and assemble the fabric, and similar loom woven fabrics, to give you a well constructed and useful finished item.
1. Cutting Aso-oke
When cutting, make sure to use pinking shears to limit the fraying on the fabric. Aim to cut across the width of the fabric as much as is possible and avoid cutting along the length.
2. Joining Aso-oke
If your seam will be concealed and it’s bulk is not important (for example the sides of a tote bag), you can join the fabric using a straight stitch with you desired seam allowance.
If you prefer a flatter finish which is most times more visually appealing, overlap the selvedge of one strip over another and use a straight stitch. As the fabric is usually striped, this can serve as a guide to pinning and sewing. Using a 5 to 10 mm overlap works well. For best results, pin in place before sewing and use a thread that is as close a match to the part of the strip that will be sewn over. This ensures that the stitches are hardly visible.
Naturally, the selvedge will be visible and this adds to the look of what you are sewing so consider this when planning your project. Another tip would be to sew as closely as possible to this edge for a clean professional appearance.
3. Finishing Aso-oke
For hems and ends, it is best to secure the loose threads by using a double hem. Fold the raw edge created with pinking shears to the wrong side of the fabric, then fold again and sew in place following the folded edge.
If you have an further tips on how to sew Aso Oke, we would love to hear from you. Do share in the comments.
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