Batik and Baskets

This post is about some of the handicrafts I’ve acquired while in Ghana that I plan to take home.  First off, Bolgatanga is very famous for their colorful baskets and are even sold in stores like Whole Foods and TJ Maxx back in the States .  In December I took a trip to Bolga to go visit a fellow Upper East volunteer Barbara’s village and buy baskets for Ed to take back home.  I love all the colors in those baskets but I also decided I wanted to buy some made in my own village.  Each Sunday at church during the collection (offering) time a simple basket is set out.  The baskets have a square base and are woven in my village.  I asked my friend Chris to take me to a house where the lady makes the baskets (she’s the grandmother of one of my students- of course) and I commissioned her to make baskets for me.  Her granddaughter brought them to my house before school one day.  She'd made two baskets for me to choose from but I couldn’t decide since I liked them equally.  So I just bought them both and love them- especially the handles!

 Whenever I’m in Tamale I almost always visit a store called COLWOD because I love all their cloth and goods (headbands, purses, etc).  They sell a ton of gorgeous batik, which is one of the traditional clothes here.  It is made by stamping a design (for this one the gingko leaf) in wax on dyed calico cloth.  My friend Mary and I discovered a mutual affection for the gingko leaf a while ago and have been talking about getting gingko batik made.  We finally did it and it turned out great!  The first round of batik was in what the store calls ‘blue black’ and it’s close to a navy.  The woman Tumu who made it did a fabulous job and has since made more for me in a gorgeous green that I’m now having sewn into a tablecloth and napkins.  I’ve really enjoyed learning about and buying different crafts here.  I think it’ll be very special once I’m home to have reminders of Ghana throughout the house.