Titriku Red - Magie Relph
For this very long piece, Magie used a very narrow length of red and white Ewe Kente strip cloth.
When several strips are stitched together to make a full Ewe Kente cloth, this creates a checkered design called Titriku.
For her background, Magie used a finely woven strip of tree cotton which she had dyed by her favourite indigo dyer - Musa Jaiteh in The Gambia.
She's embellished the piece with fragments of Ethiopian silver jewellery.
Appoximate dimensions: 230 x 8 cm
View and buy: Vintage Textile Fragments
Ashanti Turquoise - Magie Relph
Magie loves textile fragments - the more torn, tattered and fragmented the better.
Here, she's used a very worn piece of Kente strip stitched to a background of indigo-dyed tree cotton courtesy of Musa Jaiteh in The Gambia.
She highlighted the worn areas with tiny Ghanaian waist beads and gold seed beads.
Approximate dimensions: 15 x 60 cm
View and buy: Vintage Textile Fragments
Broken - Magie Relph
A very small piece of truly 'broken' fragments.
The tattered pieces of fine checked strip cloth are particularly interesting. Woven cloth just like this found in the Tellum caves of the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali have been carbon dated to the 11th century.
The broke trade bead, Magie bought on her first African journey in Nairobi in 1984.
Look closely at the brass tortoise. Cast using the 'lost wax' method in Ghana, this piece is a quality reject because it only has three legs!
Approximate dimensions: 14 x 23 cm
View and buy: Vintage Textile Fragments
Liar's Cloth - Magie Relph
When we're out and about doing quilt shows and other events - remember that idea? - Magie usually brings along a few packs of what we call Little African Treats.
Here's a sampler she made to show what you can do with these goodies.
The name Liar's Cloth refers to the zigzag warp design of the vintage Kente strip. Single warp threads are very cleverly travelled from one side of the cloth to the other - a graphical representation of how a liar weaves his untrue tales.
Legend has it that the Ashanti king would wear this pattern to 'confuse the doubtbul veracity of those who came before him.'
The background is a fragment of silk Nigerian ashoke or sanyan cloth.
Appoximate dimensions: 30 x 40 cm
View and buy: Vintage Textile Fragments
