A cruise to Nassau in The Bahamas included more than the usual straw market shopping this week. One member of our foursome remembered buying batik fabric made on Andros Island on her previous trip. We went in search of the store, but alas, no luck. However, a shop clerk described a fabric store several blocks from the town center. We hired a cab (a stretch limo actually), and off we went to Bahama Hand Prints. The store front was small and held about two dozen cotton screen-printed fabrics. Purses, totes, and handbags made using the fabrics, along with ready-to-wear clothing like robes and t-shirts, were also available. To our delight, a peek through a partly opened door gave us a glimpse of the print room that ran across the back of the building. Since the printer was just getting ready to screen print, we were given a tour and demo of the work space.
Thirty yards of fabric are printed at a time. The photo shows tea towels with the first of two colors screened on cotton pique fabric. The ink is poured into a well at one end of the screen, and then a squeegee is used to force the ink through the design areas on the screen. Four passes of the squeegee were required for the textured pique.
Each of us bought one yard of the cotton fabric for quilting, and then divided it in quarters to swap with each other.
The prints are island inspired, vibrant and bright. No plans for a project in which to use them, but when has that ever been a prerequisite for buying fabric?
Goodbye to Nassau, and a delightful visit to Bahama Hand Prints.
1 comment:
These remind me of the Key West Prints that were so popular in Florida in the 70's. I have a few of my mother's left, and I've got to make a quilt some day. Sure looked fun
Post a Comment