Guatemala Mayan Textile Sales

Ethical Fashion Guatemala will introduce tourists and buyers to Mayan Weaving Co-Operatives and Independent weavers in the highlands of Guatemala.

You can spend a day with us to learn how to weave or enjoy a Tour of the Artisans homes and small shops.

You will not find thier products sold on the Streets or Tourist destination shops found in Antigua, Chichi Market and Lake Atitlan.

The Artisans work from their homes and small shops in the villages surrounding these cities.

About Guatemala Mayan Textile Sales

Guatemala Mayan Textile Sales, you will not find our products sold on the streets of Tourist destinations such as Antigua and Lake Atitlan. The Artisans work from their homes in the villages surrounding these cities.

We do not support the idea of Fair Trade, because we do not feel our Artisans paid the Guatemala minimum wage of $12.00 per day for products that are sold for hundreds of dollars profit by others is Fair.

Guatemala Mayan Textile Sales

Why, to be honest we receive hundreds of requests from individuals who want to copy another work or purchases the works of Maya cultural art for pennies on the dollar.

If you are interest we will provide you with Facebook and Whats App access, they all have smart phones, by email, no, I would suggest Facebook Messenger to start with.

Most speak some English or use Google Translate.

Weaving is a method of Mayan textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.

The Mayan Textiles produced are rare and hard to find authentic Mayan Art.

Tourism in Guatemala and in other developing countries has caused a high demand for these works.

The result is today throughout Guatemala machine made textiles and finished prodcuts are offers as orginal works of Mayan Textile Production.

Mayan Textile Production Process

The back strap loom is a simple loom that has its roots in ancient civilizations. It consists of two sticks or bars between which the warps are stretched. One bar is attached to a fixed object and the other to the weaver, usually by means of a strap around the back. The weaver leans back and uses their body weight to tension the loom.

Arizona Mayan Textiles are produced on a loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads.

The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.

Mayan Textile Production Cotton

Guatemala Natural Dyed Organic Yarns | Casa Flor Ixcaco

Women have traditionally created Mayan Textiles in Maya society, and textiles were a significant form of ancient Maya art and religious beliefs, considered a prestige good that would distinguish the commoners from the elite.

The threads are cotton, although silk frequently interwoven with cotton in textiles destined for ceremonial use.

Maya women today use two natural types of cotton to work with, one white and the other light brown, called cuyuscate, both of which use herbs and plants in the dyed process.

The preparation of cotton for spinning was very burdensome, washed and picked clean of seeds. The cotton was usually associated with the elites.

Mayan Textile Production Using Natural Dyes

Until the nineteenth century, most dyed threads were naturally dyed but now in current times, Guatemalan weavers prefer and heavily rely on “commercial and handspun yarns dyed with mollusk dye.

As stated by Brumfiel, the use of these easier to acquire materials, “reduces the time needed for cloth production by two-thirds to three-quarters…, making it possible for weavers to devote more time to the actual weaving process” when using a backstrap loom.

Throughout Guatemala your will find weavers using commercial handspun yarns.

Our weavers do not. They follow the Mayan Textiles tradition of only usiing, plants, bark, insects and herbs for the production of the Textiles offered by Ethical Fashion Guatemala.

Handmade Mayan Clothing

Production times, to spin a ball of yarn can take a day, the dying process takes twelve hours, weaving a scarf can take a day.

Today most woman weavers split these task with other woman that have selective skills.

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Handmade Mayan Yarns

Cotton Yarns produced in almost any color imaginable, and hand spun for various applications, sowing, to knitting.

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Handmade Mayan Bags

Bags of any size, shape, color, backpacks, tote, shoulder, plain textiles, leather and textiles, leather, all we need is your design. We ship worldwide.

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Handmade Mayan Huipiles

Huipiles we do not cut up and up-cycle Huipiles into leather bags and other products like most.

Our Huipiles are new from one of 17 villages around Guatemala that weavers will produce an original piece for you based on the village styles the weaver is from.

Using natural Mayan Textiles a stunning authentic Huipile.

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