A group of us had the fun experience of learning how to batik fabric last Saturday at the home of a woman who sells her beautiful fabrics in a little shop not far from the area office in Accra. Esther is a very talented artist who creates some of the most unusual and appealing batik fabrics we have seen in Ghana.
 |  |
| As we first entered the workshop in Esther's back yard, this wall of intricately carved stamps immediately caught our eye. | We stood in front of the stamps for a long time trying to decide which ones to choose for our 2- or 3-yard piece of cotton fabric. |
 |  |
| Creating an appealing design takes planning and discussion. | Sponges dipped in hot melted wax are lightly placed on the fabric. |
 |  |
| It takes practice to figure out just how much pressure to use. | The wax dries quickly after being applied to the fabric. |
 |  |
| A propane gas fire helps keep the wax at the correct temperature. | Once the wax is dry, the fabric is ready to be dyed. |
 |  |
| A variety of beautiful colors are created with the powdered dye. | There's no exact measuring. Just dump and mix. |
 |  |
| Nothing fancy about the equipment used for this fascinating art. | The parts of fabric covered in wax resist the dye. |
 |  |
| After the fabric has been dyed once, more wax designs can be applied to block other parts from the dyeing process. | We were fascinated to watch a dark color like this change to a light yellow or green as it dried in the hot sun. |
 |  |
| The last step is to dip the fabric in boiling water to remove the wax. | What we learned helped us really appreciate the art of batiking! |
