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/kuba-cloth · pattern · 3 readings

Kuba cloth patterns: cut-pile velvet, appliqué patch, drawn line in three textures

Kuba cloth — Interlocking lozenges and meanders worked in cut-pile raffia so each shape reads as a low velvet nap against the flat woven ground, the outlines stepping by one stitch at a time, the pile trimmed level with a knife., hand-stripped raffia woven on a single-heddle loom, worked in cut-pile stitch and appliqué, trimmed to a nap

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all 9 samples — three readings, three styles ↓

Reading 1Cut-pile velvet
Reading 2Interlace
Reading 3Patched ground

Kuba cloth is raffia palm leaf, woven on a single-heddle loom and then worked by hand: cut-pile stitching trimmed to a velvet nap, appliqué patches, or lines drawn straight onto the panel, joined into skirts that run for metres. These nine hold cut-pile velvet, appliqué patch and drawn line, each in three textured finishes. Ask for a different raffia texture and the same three finishes carry it.

  • a fabric or wallpaper swatch
  • a gift print
  • a cultural studies handout
  • a home decor accent

Frequently asked questions

What size do these print at?
Each pattern is drawn at A3 proportions with an even margin, so it prints clean at A3 or scales to A4.
Can I request a different raffia texture?
Yes — the direction field takes a different texture and the same three finishes render it.
What's the difference between the three textures?
Cut-pile velvet reads as a trimmed nap standing off the ground; appliqué patch sits flat with a stitched edge; drawn line stays thin and linear, closer to the panel's surface.
Is this respectful of real Kuba textile traditions?
The set draws on the cut-pile, appliqué and drawn-line raffia techniques of Kuba cloth as a style reference for a generated print, not a reproduction of any specific weaver's panel.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.