Senegal & textiles
In Senegal, dyeing long remained women’s work, and the work of two peoples in particular: Wolof and Soninke dyers, the latter renowned for their mastery of the vat. Indigo, drawn from crushed leaves, was not just one colour among others: a deep blue, almost black, spoke of the rank, elegance and wealth of the woman who wore it. Synthetic dyes have since largely replaced natural indigo, being easier to handle and cheaper, but the gesture has stayed the same.
That gesture has a Wolof name: thioub (also spelt thioup), which means both the technique and the cloth it produces. The principle is resist dyeing: you stop the dye from reaching certain areas. The cloth is knotted, folded, bound tightly with thread, or sewn with small stitches that are then pulled to close the fabric in on itself. Dipped in the bath, it only takes the colour where nothing protects it; when it is untied, circles, stars, chevrons and stripes appear, never quite the same from one piece to the next.
Batik takes the same logic further with a different tool: hot wax, applied with a brush or a tool on the patterns to be kept clear. You dye, remove the wax and start again to layer the colours. It is slower and more drawn, and it is this technique that Dutch industry imitated to make wax print.
The king of dyed fabrics in Senegal, though, is still bazin. The paradox: this cotton damask, with its patterns woven into the weft, is made in Europe or in China and then imported undyed. It is here that it becomes bazin: dyed by hand, often by resist, then starched, spread over a wooden block and beaten at length with a mallet until it takes on the stiff sheen of the finest boubous. Thioub and dyed bazin come out for Friday prayers and for the major festivals, Korité and Tabaski above all, before passing into the tailor’s hands.
Weaving, finally, is another world. The best known is Manjak cloth (pagne manjak), named after the Manjak people, who live between Casamance and Guinea-Bissau. It is woven by hand in narrow strips, which are then sewn together side by side. Its first use was funerary: the deceased was wrapped in these cloths, gathered over a lifetime. Today it also accompanies naming ceremonies and weddings, and each pattern carries a message that those in the know can read. Further north, in Thiès, the Manufactures sénégalaises des arts décoratifs (Senegalese Decorative Arts Manufactures), a public institution founded in 1966 at the initiative of Léopold Sédar Senghor, weave tapestries by hand.
Formats on offer
- Dyeing taster workshop (about 3 hours): knot, bind, dip, rinse, then wait for the colour to set. You leave with the piece you dyed.
- Dyeing course over several days: from two days to a month, to go beyond the first knot, work through the resist techniques, use several colours and make more ambitious pieces.
- Single sewing class: an hour or half a day to get to grips with the machine, learn to take measurements or make a small item.
- Two-day sewing workshop: the short format for sewing a simple piece from start to finish, from pattern to finishing.
- Sewing course over several months: from three to six months, a proper programme to learn cutting and dressmaking, designed for those who want to make a living from it or sew their own outfits.
The details of each format (duration, materials provided, number of participants) are given on the activity listing.
Where to try dyeing and sewing in Senegal
- Dakar: the widest choice, from dyeing courses of a few days to a month to sewing classes in every format. To take it further, the Médina market lines up its fabric stalls, from wax print to bazin: after the workshop, you will never look at them the same way again.
- Yeumbeul, in the Dakar suburbs: the long sewing course, over several months, for residents who want to learn a trade.
- The Somone and the Petite Côte: the dyeing workshop to fit in between two beach days, and sewing classes in Nguékhokh, inland, from two days to three months.
- Saint-Louis: a sewing workshop of a few hours or two days, to combine with a stroll round the island and its colonial façades.
- Thiès: no workshop in the catalogue, but a visit to the Manufactures, where you can watch the weavers at work, rounds off a textile trip nicely.
- Casamance and Ziguinchor: the home of Manjak cloth, to discover on a trip to the south.
When to go
Dyeing and sewing can be done all year round, in the shade or indoors. The season mainly affects drying. From November to June, in the dry season, the sun and wind dry a cloth in a few hours and you leave with a finished piece. During the rainy season (hivernage), July to October, the humidity slows everything down: plan to carry your cloth home still damp in a plastic bag and finish drying it there.
For sewing, the rhythm follows the religious calendar: before Korité and Tabaski, custom calls for a new outfit, or at least a re-dyed one, and this is when you best appreciate the tailor’s work. A long course is nonetheless easier to start outside those festive weeks. For a dyeing course, mornings remain the most pleasant time, before the afternoon heat.
Good to know & budget
Wear clothes you do not mind ruining: dye stains skin for a few days and fabric for ever. The materials provided are set out on each listing. After the workshop, wash your piece on its own and in cold water the first few times: a hand-made dye still runs a little. For sewing, a tape measure and a notebook are all you need; the long courses specify the list of materials.
As for budget, the price shown on each activity is the price of the service, all-inclusive. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the activity. The price varies with the format: a three-hour workshop has nothing in common with a six-month course. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off depending on the activity (the exact rate is shown on each listing). For dyeing workshops and sewing classes, there are no additional official fees.
Who is it for?
A dyeing workshop suits almost everyone: no talent for drawing is needed, and the randomness of the knots does a good part of the work. Children love the moment of untying; adults, the bath. Sewing calls for more patience, but the classes start from the very beginning.
If you live in Senegal, this category is built to last: a dyeing course over several weeks or a sewing course over a few months, close to home, at the resident rate. It is also a very practical way to understand how much work goes into the festive boubou you order every year. If you are passing through, go for the three-hour workshop at the Somone or in Dakar, or a sewing session in Saint-Louis: a short format, a souvenir you made yourself, and a fresh eye on the market stalls.
The truest sound of a dyeing workshop is not that of water, but of wood. Once the cloth is dyed and dry, it is spread over a block and struck with a mallet, at length, in rhythm, until the fibre tightens and the fabric begins to shine. West African dyers have made this gesture for generations, and it is this, more than the colour, that turns ordinary cotton into festive bazin. If you hear it in a Dakar side street, follow it.
Frequently asked questions
What is thioub?
It is the Wolof word for resist dyeing and for the cloth it produces. The fabric is knotted, folded, bound or sewn before being dipped in the bath: the tightened areas do not take the colour and form the patterns. It is also spelt thioup.
Is wax print a traditional Senegalese fabric?
No. Wax is an industrial print inspired by Indonesian batik, developed by Dutch manufacturers in the 19th century. Senegal’s textile crafts are resist dyeing (thioub, indigo), batik, bazin dyeing and weaving, Manjak cloth in particular.
Is bazin made in Senegal?
The undyed fabric, a cotton damask, is made in Europe or in China. Its hand dyeing and its beating with a mallet, which give it its colour and sheen, are done in West Africa, and in Senegal in particular.
Do I need to be able to draw or sew to take part?
No. The dyeing workshop is aimed at complete beginners, children included. The sewing classes also start from scratch; the long courses go all the way to making complete outfits.
Can I take my piece home the same day?
Yes, in the dry season the cloth dries in a few hours. During the rainy season it may stay damp: bring a bag to carry it and finish drying it at home, in the shade.
How does booking work?
You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the activity. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off depending on the activity, and there are no additional official fees.
