ALPARA SEED BLUE by Aboriginal Artist Rosie Bird

THIS LISTING IS FOR:

1 x FQ (Fat Quarter) 50cm x 55cm (19.7” x 22”)
or
1 x Full Width Strip 25cm x 110cm (9.85” x 44”)
or
1 x Metre 100cm x 110cm (39.37 x 44")

*Select your preferred cut from the dropdown list
**Purchases of more than 1 unit of the same fabric will be sent as a single piece
***If you need more fabric than is listed, please ask as we may have more

TO PURCHASE CONTINUOUS LENGTHS BY FQ OR 25cm UNIT:

2 units = ½ metre 50cm x 110cm (19.7” x 44”)
3 units = ¾ metre 75cm x 110cm (29.5” x 44")
4 units = 1 metre 100cm x 110cm (39.37” x 44”)

HANDY CONVERSION:
1 metre = 100cm or 39.37"
1 yard = 36 inches or 91.4 centimetres
1 Foot = 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres
(to simplify…1 metre is approx. 3 inches longer than a yard)

FABRIC: 100% Cotton (quilting, apparel, craft)
MANUFACTURER: M & S Textiles Australia                                                             

PALETTE:  Multicoloured

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ARTIST: Rosie is the second daughter of Lindsay Bird Mpetyane and Mavis Bird Petyarre. Lindsay is senior leader of Ilkawerne country, teacher of the Dreamtime stories and well known Utopia artist. Rosie has been painting since 1989, learning from her father, aunts and uncles. She lives amongst a large community of painters.

THE DESIGN:  Alpar is the Anmatyerre word for the rat-tail goosefoot or green crumbweed plant (Dysphania kalpari). This small, erect herb is sticky to touch and scented heavily of citrus. Growing especially well in Mulga tree communities, it is found in abundance in southern Utopia, north east of Alice Springs. It produces small clustered flowers that form long spikes, resembling that of a rat tail, as well as small black shiny seeds. These seeds are high in protein and low in fibre. Due to the sticky nature of this plant, the seeds are not shed as soon as they mature, making them available much later in the season than most other plants.

In the olden days, the women of Ilkawerne country would collect these seeds, sometimes soak them in water until swollen or cooked in hot coals, and then grind them into a powder that was used for making damper (bread). This practice is not as habitual now due to ready-made bread, however the story is continually taught to the younger ones and ceremonies are carried out to ensure its productivity.

The scented leaves of alpar were also collected, soaked in water and used as a medicinal wash. Alternatively they would be ground into a powder and mixed with animal fats for use as an ointment, making this plant a very important food and medicinal source.

Traditional Australian Aboriginal art goes back more than 50,000 years.

DISCLAIMER: One of the drawbacks of buying fabric online is that in spite of every effort made by the Seller to provide a photo that represents the true colour of the item, it is impossible to do so, as the colour appears differently on every computer screen. Therefore the item you receive may be a slightly different shade to what appears on your computer screen.

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INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING delivery times vary depending on the destination, Customs, and local postal service. Orders usually arrive in 10 -21 days although this can extend to 30+ days for Canadian deliveries. Peak period delivery times can delay delivery, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

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RETURNS/EXCHANGES: Whilst every effort is made to accurately process your order, mistakes can occasionally be made.

Exchanges or refunds are at the sole discretion of the Seller. (“I’ve changed my mind” is not an acceptable reason to return an item.) If you are unhappy with your purchase, please contact the Seller within 7 days of delivery for pre-approval before returning a purchase for exchange or refund. Unless the Seller has made a mistake and sent the wrong item(s) or the item differs significantly from the item description, the Buyer must pay for return postage. The Seller reserves the right to decide whether to exchange an item of refund the Buyer. If approved, a refund will be credited to the original purchaser's credit card or PayPal account (however they originally paid) and in most cases will not include the original postage/shipping cost. Please allow up to 10 working days after our receipt of the returned item for your refund to be completed.