My patterns, kits
and fabrics are published under the name Kitambaa Designs.
“Kitambaa” is
the Swahili word for cloth, and the baobab tree that I use for
my logo is a tree prevalent in many equatorial African
countries. There is a legend, variously told in several
countries, that it once was the most beautiful tree in the
forest. But it became proud, and the gods were not pleased. They
plucked it out of the earth and planted it upside down with its
roots in the air, so it could never boast again. And that
explains the root-like shapes of the ugly-beautiful branches.
Both the logo and the name were chosen in recognition of the
years I spent living and working in Southern Africa, and the
importance for me of this experience.
