Batiking in Ghana

• Posted on 29 February 2020
• By LynAnne
• Posted in How it is Made
• 0

I have been reminiscing about my trip to Ghana with Global Mamas in January 2019. Being one who loves all things crafty, my favorite day of the trip was the day of the batik workshop.

The Ghanian women who work with Global Mamas are incredible artists who produce colorful batiked fabric and sew that fabric into apparel and home goods. I have always loved the bold prints and playful styles, but learning the process of batiking gave me a whole new respect for this craft.

First, stamps are chosen and hot wax is stamped onto plain white fabric.

Once stamped, the fabric is dyed and hung out to dry.

Lastly, the fabric is thrown in a vat of boiling water to remove the wax. It is rinsed and then set out to dry!

To do it right, this entire process takes a remarkable amount time and skill. Each piece of fabric that Global Mama's purchases from the Mamas is inspected for quality. My blue batik wouldn't even be considered for the lowest quality to be used for scrap, but I love it nonetheless. 

Many thanks to Louisa and Mary for sharing their workshop for a day and taking time to teach this skill!

To see the Mamas in action, check out this video to see the entire process of producing a Global Mama's garment, from batiking to final inspection.