About Fabrica Trading Station
Fabrica Trading Station began with a love of Shweshwe fabric, a heritage textile from South Africa. Trish’s South African roots and her family’s history with trading stations inspired the name.
Trish with Fabso - funky hippo in Shweshwe fabrics!
A Quilting Journey
Trish first discovered quilting at Sunflower Stitches in the UK. Her early quilts reflect her love of wildlife, heritage and South African culture.
South African Roots
Shweshwe has always been a part of life in South Africa. With family connections to trading stations in the Transkei, the Fabrica Trading Station name reflects this proud tradition.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
Today Fabrica Trading Station imports authentic Da Gama Three Cats fabrics direct from South Africa, sharing this heritage fabric with UK quilters and makers.
Above is my very first quilt made with Shweshwe!
Inspired by my love of wildlife, each block features one of the incredible animals you can encounter in South Africa’s game parks. To celebrate the country’s rich cultural heritage — with its 11 official languages — I stitched the word ‘hello’ in different languages alongside the animals. The bold, vibrant colours of Shweshwe brought my imagination to life and made this quilt a true celebration of South Africa’s nature and spirit.
I then had fun exploring the mathematical side of quilting with this illusion design. The pattern stays the same, but the changing colours make it look completely different.
This quilt was created to celebrate my dad’s 90th birthday. The vibrant colours brought him so much joy, and as a lifelong birder, he loved that it carried a touch of his passion for the natural world
My story with this quilt coming soon!
See how others are using Shweshwe in our Fabric Gallery