READ THE CLOTH CHALLENGE
New cloth, new idea, a few things to explain. Here's everything — and if I've missed something, just ask.
It's a three-month making challenge — August to November 2026 — where you put two very different African cloths in conversation: handwoven akwete, the cloth of the Igbo weavers of eastern Nigeria, and printed wax. One whispers, one talks. Your job is to make them talk to each other.
You read the cloths, decide what they're doing together, and make a finished piece. That's it.
My mother could pick up a wrapper at the market and read it — its name, its colour, the occasion it was made for. She wasn't seeing fabric; she was hearing what it had to say.
That's all I'm asking. Before you cut, look. Akwete is woven — slow, quiet, structural. Wax is printed — bold, loud, graphic. When you set them side by side, you're sitting two different voices at the same table. Reading the cloth means hearing both, then choosing how they'll speak together.
Three ways your two cloths can work together. You only need to pick one:
Tension — let them argue. A quiet woven against a loud print. The clash is the point.
Conversation — let them rhyme. Pull one colour from the akwete and answer it in the wax, so the eye travels between them.
Handoff — let one lead. One cloth is the star, the other the ground it stands on.
You don't have to tell me which you picked. But being able to say it in a sentence is what turns two fabrics into something you made.
WHAT YOU MAKE
Four categories — enter as many pieces as you like, in any of them:
Art Quilt — 12″ to 30″. The gentle start.
Wall Hanging — 24″ to 45″.
Quilt — 50″ to 80″.
Wearable — any garment (coat, cape, vest, wrap), knee-length minimum, shown on a model or mannequin.
Nervous? Start with a small art quilt. It's a real, finished piece and it counts fully.
One rule: at least 75% of your piece should be the mix we're celebrating — akwete and wax print, or other African fabrics. The remaining 25% is yours, any fabric you like.
And let the akwete lead — read it first, then choose what answers it. It's the rarer cloth, so we build around it with respect.
Yes — and honestly, that's my favourite way in. Most of you have a cupboard full of prints waiting for a reason to be cut. This is that reason. Pair akwete and wax you already own and you're making. No purchase required.
No, it's just one approach you might choose. By collage I mean a piece that depicts something you recognise — a face, a figure, a still life, a scene — built from fabric. Abstract, non-representational pieces are just as welcome; they simply sit under "art quilt."
ENTERING & WINNING
$10 per piece — the gentle end of what quilt challenges cost. Enter as many pieces as you like.
And if the fee is ever a barrier, email me — quietly, no questions. Money should never be the reason you don't make something.
There's no judging panel and nothing to be nervous about.
Winners are chosen two ways: Community Choice (everyone votes, one vote per person) and Curator's Pick (my eye — chosen, not scored). Every category is celebrated both ways, plus two overall Best in Show.
Camera off, one finished piece, you're here — that's the win.
Every prize keeps you in the cloth — free BOM 2027 months, Quilt Africa fabric credit, and features across our channels. More fabric, more building, more of what brought you here.
August — play and start.
September–October — build and finish.
October 31 — finished pieces due (up to four photos).
November 12 — winners announced.
Then a little breathing room before Block of the Month 2027 opens in December
THE FABRIC
Mystery Akwete Kit — a half-yard of akwete, my colourway pick. $35.
Akwete + Ankara Bundle — half-yard akwete plus three Ankara prints I hand-pick to your chosen direction (tension, conversation or handoff). $68.
Akwete by the Yard — raw cloth, my colourway pick. $38/yard.
Garment Bundle — 1 yard akwete + 3 yards wax, curated to your direction. $135.
All prices plus shipping.
A half-yard makes akwete your feature — the band, the border, the medallion — with wax carrying the field. That's plenty for an art quilt or wall hanging.
For a whole quilt or a garment, you'll want more: buy akwete by the yard, or take the garment bundle, which is sized for a wearable.
Everything is handwoven to order. Orders ship within 1–3 business days, and delivery takes 14–21 days — though I push hard to get it to you sooner.
Particular pieces are limited, but the cloth never runs dry — I'll always source more akwete and wax to pair.
We've honoured Yoruba cloth together before — Adire, aso-oke. This season we move to akwete, the handwoven cloth of the Igbo of eastern Nigeria.
African fabric resonates differently for anyone Africa has touched — whether you're African, whether your family served there, whether it's in your blood generations back, or you've simply always felt the pull.
I don't claim this cloth as mine; I point you to where it comes from, honestly, and open the door so it can be seen. That's the whole spirit of Quilt Africa.
Still wondering something?
If your question isn't here, just ask — I'd rather you started with everything you need.