Fabrics in Arusha

Being me, I've been looking around for fabrics and ultimately a sewing machine. The sewing machines are awesome here: they are all the old treadle sewing machines built into the tables. I'm dying to get one and Jimmy, our taxi cab driver, says he's going to help me out.

I haven't been to any of the fabric shops here yet, but I know they have them.

I have been to buy kanga and kitenge's though. They are the traditional types of East African fabrics and you see them mostly as dresses on the Tanzanian women.

Kangas are 1 meter long and tend to be of cheaper fabric with less design on them. I am generally unimpressed with them.

Kitenges are 6 meters long and come in absolutely beautiful patterns. I’ve bought a few kitenge and plan on making pillows and maybe a cat bed for our house. The green/brown one and the brown stump pattern are for couch cushions. (Once I manage to find the pillow guy on the street. The easiest way to buy pillows here is to spot the pillow guy, a man with a shit-ton of pillows on his back, and lean out your car and call him over. "kaka!" which means brother. You can get a pillow stuffed with foam chunks from him for 4,000 shillings. Like $2.50.)

The purple and turquoise patterns are going in my room.

And the crazy patterned one is for floor pillows for my classroom.