The search word that most often brings folks to my blog-doorstep is "pagne". I'm kind of surprised at , but pleased with, this interest in these lengths of cloth that are so important in daily Burkinabé life! The "Pagnes 101" posts I did are the most popular of this blog. In them, I explained what a pagne is, what it can do and , finally, how to wear one. But I didn't show many
pieces of actual cloth. However, as I went on a huge pagne spree yesterday, I now have a few fun photos to share. Not many, sadly, as I managed to drop our camera on the tile floor this morning. The camera, as you may have guessed, did not benefit from this incident. JP is calling it "a stupid accident because you are careless". I prefer to call it " getting to know and respect gravity. "
Anyway, one of the grooviest pagnes out of the eight patterns I got yesterday is this one. Computers! Is it too cute, or what? For some reason, you never see this type of pattern done in multi-color. It's always a sober two-color. Patterns featuring everyday items are pretty common and they follow definite fashions. A few years back, fans were popular- oscillating electric fans in blue and beige. This year, it's old fashioned men's shoes.
But I went with the computers. It's for gifts, as I know people that like computers (Hi mom!) and I thought the fabric could make fun dust covers, or something.


Now here's one that has astounded everyone that I've shown it to. Even my Burkinabé friends find it pretty odd. I found it in a Lebanese pagne shop in the central market. The place was just a big cement block room with pagnes stacked up on the floor. Everything was priced at 4000 for 3 pagnes. It all gave the feeling of a mafia pagne shop selling cloth that "fell off the back of a truck". Kind of strange. But I couldn't resist this one.
Pagne patterns often have names, but nobody seems to know what this one is called. So, I have been calling it "Freakishly Deformed Person Hacked up by a Serial Killer". It elegantly accounts for both the severed fingers and the eyeball located in the palm of the hand.

I'm very entertained by it, but not sure what to do with it. I offered to make the twins some bedroom curtains out of it. With matching pillow shams, even! But they, shockingly, turned me down.

Hey Lynsey- want some for a wrap skirt?
If anyone is brave enough, I'll share.