NIGERIA: Lagos : Batik print table cloth....

His visit would normally means that a travel back home to Malaysia is just around the corner. Enter...Johnson, our friendly batik table cloth artist.

Craftsman like him do make house call if there's demand for their crafts. Sometimes, the ladies within the compound organised visits by these sort of craftsmen. We've had some sculptors (metal, clay and from recycled items) last year and October 2018. The ones came are quite good and their products pricey but  of course you bargain before purchase.

Johnson normally designs  for 4 seater all the way to 8 seater table; suitable for round, square and rectangle shape. 

I do have a certain type of design in mind, but colour is also what I'm looking for. There are lots of it on sale at Lekki market, but they aren't lively enough. I try my best to avoid drawings of animals and human figure but instead opt for trees and flowers. We do purchase those design, a few for our friends..we know which one. 


One by one Johnson would unfurl the table cloth all over the house. We requested only the colourful ones to be displayed. Each for a relative or friend back home in Malaysia. We normally agree which goes to whom and some extra just in case....

I do give my suggestions... I love colour and how it gives the general look of the fabric. If it brings happiness.. or Spark Joy like Marie Kondo said in her programs in Netflix, then it's a keeper. Got to have the 'chinggggg' moment, she said. I think it's the spark you get when looking at something. Well, look up Marie Kondo, you'll get the idea. 

We bought a few in the end... quite a bit more than we anticipated. Some was requested by MIL for a charity event back in Bangi and the rest for friends and relatives that hadn't got any so far. 

Each costs about RM50 (USD -RM80 depending on size. Of course that's before hard bargain and Madam is truly a champion.

How I got hooked with all these table cloth? It's all because of this one, I bought at the school..yes they do visit school from time to time.. when we arrived back in 2015. I considered it my prized possession... never seen anything like it till today.