Shweshwe!!

Shweshwe (say “Shwesh weh”) is a lightweight cotton fabric. The original shweshwe is manufactured under the Three Cats label by Da Gama Textiles. It’s a tiny bit heavier than most quilting cottons, but once it’s been primed to sew (more on that in a bit) it’s soft and smooth and vibrant.

Three Cats shweshwe is the only fabric still printed with hand-engraved copper rollers. The motifs are highly detailed, and vibrantly dyed using an acid-discharge process. Originally developed as indigo trade goods, shweshwe has evolved into an almost instantly recognizable textile that’s captured the imaginations of young contemporary African fashion designers. Once relegated to grannies and housewear, shweshwe now graces the runway.

As shweshwe grows in popularity, knockoffs and inferior quality goods are appearing on the market, mostly made in India and China. Look for the large, faint “Three Cats” logo on the back of genuine Da Gama yardage and you’re safe. Shweshwe is very heavily starched during the manufacturing process, which makes it feel stiff and smell less than pleasant. Don’t worry—if you pretreat it properly, it becomes soft with a very drape-able hand. The strong starchy smell disappears. It presses beautifully, and accepts fusible stabilizers well. The saturated colors of the detailed print motifs make it a statement fabric, and its workability makes it ideal for fabric handbags.

To pretreat shweshwe, give it a thorough rinse in cold water, then wash it in hot water/gentle cycle. Line dry out of direct sunlight or tumble dry, but don’t let it dry all the way in either case! When it’s still damp, press with a hot iron or overhand press. Now you’re ready to cut. Like many all-cotton fabrics, shweshwe prints can bleed, although I’ve never had this happen personally. But the manufacturer says it’s a possibility, so I feel obligated to pass that along to you! It also shrinks a little—about 1/8” over 12 inches on average.

Give this special fabric a try and see what the buzz is about. I think you’ll love working with it. It’s an appropriate weight for garment sewing, quilting, and bagmaking, too! The little bag shown below is our Scooter Minibag. Pick the pattern up in the Bucklebee Tool and Pattern Shop!