Saturday, February 02, 2008

More Birthday Gifts

Here are two more of the belated birthday gifts I've been working on - two reversible reusable shopping bags made from African fabrics I received as a Christmas gift this year. A friend traveled to Tanzania in November and sent me some beautiful fabrics, including two pieces of kanga. Here's a little more information. Aparently these fabrics are purchased to wear more for the text than the pattern. One of the two fabrics I used in these bags contains the words Nampa Kwa Nafasi Lakini Hana Kaisi, which one of her friends translated roughly to mean: I give him/her his/her share but he/she is worthless!! One of the handles on these bags is made of the strip with these words and that one is a gift for a translator/language teacher friend. (No subtext implied! She is very valuable.)

I hope I'll have time this week to finish up the last two little belated gifts and I'm finally mailing off my Four Seasons swap quilt on Monday! There might be some more aprons in the works, as well. I finally found the post that inspired me with the one I made last week. Thanks Joyce!

11 comments:

Unknown said...
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Libby said...

Oh that fabric text is too funny *S*

Anonymous said...

Love the fabric and the bags, especially the translastion!

Rosalyn Manesse said...

Love it! What an interesting and beautiful fabric.

Unknown said...

The African fabrics are so different, Andrea sent me last autumn a few samples of them.

Anonymous said...

Those look great--glad you found good use for the fabric! (Except for the wedding message)

Jenni said...

The bags look good, as for the translation - how unusual. I was given a bag for Christmas that is made of light weight nylon-type fabric like waterproof jackets ?do you know what I mean? Anyway it is designed to roll up and go in your handbag, and it has 2 little strips at the bottom with a press-stud to wrap around and secure it. It has been the most useful bag, and I cut a rough pattern off it the other night, thinking I'd make a fabric one. I'll get around to it one day...

Deborah Levy said...

beautiful bags! The fabric is great, love the text and the meanings.

Lily Mulholland said...

Still laughing at the translation! Great bags!

So it was Joyce with the apron inspiration - I'm not completely amnesiac yet!

Anonymous said...

Cute bags... and your quilts are just lovely! You are so talented.
Patricia

Anonymous said...

Those cute bags are really very useful and meaningful birthday gifts.