Shweshwe Fabric from South Africa

We’ve got some really exciting news! We now stock Shweshwe fabric from South Africa. We are starting with a selection of 10 new prints from the Three Cats range.

Shweshwe or shwe shwe is a printed dyed cotton fabric widely used for traditional South African clothing and now for even more uses. Originally dyed indigo, the fabric is now produced in a variety of colours and designs usually of intricate geometric patterns.  It is also sometimes referred to as ‘German Print’, ‘Ujamani’ or ‘Blauwdruk’.

FABRIC FACTS

• 100% cotton
• Width: 90 cm (35 inches)
• Length: Available by the metre
• Weight: 158 grams

The name shweshwe is said to be derived from the fabric’s association with Lesotho’s King Moshoeshoe I, of the Basotho who was gifted with the fabric by French missionaries in the 1840s and subsequently popularised it.

The fabric is trademarked and is manufactured by Da Gama Textiles in the Zwelitsha township outside King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

The Three Cats brand is one of the most popular brands of the fabric; identifiable from the 3 CATS backstamp that confirms the products are ‘THE ORIGINAL SHWESHWE’.

The fabric has a distinctive stiffness when new and this is attributed to the starch historically used to preserve the fabric during long sea voyages for transportation. The fabric, when brand new, still comes quite stiff from the manufacturers so make sure you wash before you start your sewing project.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with yours!

Check out our selection of via this link: Shweshwe fabric selection