African Mudcloth Fabric

Mud cloth is 100% cotton hand woven Malian fabric, traditionally dyed with fermented mud. The men start the process by weaving cotton thread on a loom.
The dyes are made from a mixture of roots, leave, barks and wild grapes and usually painted by the women.
It is handmade from start to finish. The cloth is being exported worldwide for use in fashion, fine art and decoration. Hotels in Mali often use them for tablecloths or as decorations for walls but worn by individuals.
The making of mud cloth is time-consuming and normally takes four days to a week to complete depending on weather.
No two pieces of mud cloth are exactly the same. The patterns vary from one piece to the other. African artisans hand-dye symbols into these fabrics in order to tell stories of their villages and African proverbs.
Mud cloth has a long tradition of being used by West African warriors and hunters to camouflage themselves. Nowadays, people across the globe are wearing them to stand out and celebrate their connection to the African heritage.

These mudcloth pieces, which are made in Mali are "Lapa" size. Approx. 38" - 45" wide x 63" - 68" long. Sizes may vary as these are hand made. Traditional African mudcloth sheets are handwoven and made one at a time. No two pieces of mud cloth are exactly alike, so the colors shown are available, but the exact patterns vary from one piece to the next. They're great for clothing, home decoration, crafts and other creative pursuits. African artisans hand-dye symbols into these fabrics in order to tell stories of their villages and African proverbs. Mudcloth has a long tradition of being used by West African warriors and hunters to camouflage themselves. Nowadays, people across the globe are wearing them to stand out and celebrate their connection to the African continent.

Best to wash by hand.

Price is for One piece of fabric.

All mudcloth is individually hand spun, hand woven, and hand painted. Each piece is different. Photos shown here are representative of colors only.