
Some of your frequently asked questions
I hope you have all enjoyed this six part series on African wax print fabric. There is so much more I could write about but I'll end here by answering some of your frequently asked questions. The interest in this series has been brilliant so I will definitely revisit this topic again in future.
For now, here are some of your most common FAQs. Enjoy!
1. How do I order more than one yard?
To order more than one yard simply add one yard of any particular fabric to your cart. You will then be taken to another page where you can select the number of yards. You can do this for each fabric you would like to buy.
2. Do you sell by the yard or by the metre?
Traditionally, African wax prints are sold in either 12 or 6 yard 'pieces', therefore, I sell by the yard. A yard is approximately 91 cm.
3. Where do the fabrics come from?
Most of the fabrics come from Holland. The Dutch have been making wax prints for well over 100 years. A lot of my fabrics are also made in Korea.
4. What are your fabrics made from?
All our fabrics are 100% cotton.
5. What can I make with the fabric?
African wax print fabric can be used in dressmaking, quilting, bag making and upholstery. Literally, anything that can be made with fabric can be made with African wax print fabric.
6. Can I wash the fabric?
Yes, as with most fabrics it is good practice to wash and 'press' before you cut and sew. Simply put in your machine on a cool wash. However, given that the fabric has a stiff / waxy finish, you may wish to skip the washing step if you are bag making, for example.
7. Why are some of the fabrics different prices?
There are currently three price points of fabrics that are sold by the yard: £5, £7.50 and £10 per yard. The difference in the price reflects the difference in the quality of the cotton. The ones that sell at £5 per yard are very good quality and I regularly wear clothes made from them. However, the ones sold at £7.50 are a better quality of cotton and the ones sold at £10 are a better quality still.
2 comments
Hi Gloria,
Thank you so much for your comment! I am in the process of bringing out a range of dress patterns that are designed specifically for sewing with African wax print fabrics. Currently, I have a skirt pattern and a top pattern that are available to purchase, however, you have asked for dresses so these may not be suitable. I am unable to give you any numbers of sewing patterns but what I would do is look for patterns that have very few pattern pieces as this way you won’t ‘hack’ into the print too much. I say this from my own experience of having made dresses using commercial patterns with mixed success. Hope this is helpful.
Best,
Adaku
I need to know some sewing patterns numbers that are good to make dresses out of african print wax fabrics.