I just had a trip to Cape Town with some friends and found something I've never come across before - ShweShwe. Here's the history. It's discharge printed from etched copper rollers onto cotton and comes in a heavy smelly wax to preserve it. On a great tour of Khayelitsha township I asked to find a fabric shop and managed to buy some.
The traditional way to use it is in a panelled skirt, some of the fabric was ready marked in the panels for easy sewing. Below are a few examples of ladies wearing their superior creations. After washing the wax disappears and the fabric softens up.
