Kuba Applique Textile

History

Over the centuries weaving techniques have not changed significantly. Finding and preparing the raffia fibres, weaving the cloth, dyeing and decorating with embroidery cut-pile, applique or patchwork still remains the basic steps in textile fabrication. Applique is the most popular weaving technique among the Kuba. To create an applique, Kuba artists use a stencil to cut decorative designs out of a brightly coloured cloth, then sew or apply the designs onto a cloth of a different colour.The designs are then placed on top of yet another cloth. Through this process, the artist has the freedom to create an almost unlimited variety of patterns and combinations. Some of the mostly used colour familiar to applique are dark brown/black on an ecru background, a pattern which is sometimes seen on the reverse. Applique textiles are simple but really nice designs.