Guatemalan women have been weaving on backstrap looms for centuries. They first start with raw cotton that they clean, dye, and spin. The dry thread is wound around a yarn winder to keep it from tangling while they weave it in and out of the pegs on a warping board. This warp will be set on the bars of the backstrap loom, and then they can begin the process of weaving Huipils and other beautiful textiles.
The women of Guatemala have worn the same traditional dress (called ‘traje’) for centuries. They have passed down the art of weaving these textiles through many generations.
This is JoAnn Paulsen at the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Lidia Lopez is teaching a class on how to weave on the backstrap loom.
Guatemalan women use raw cotton for weaving textiles. They prepare the cotton before spinning and dying it with natural dyes.
The Guatemalan woman in this photo is weaving on a backstrap loom, just as her Mayan ancestors have done for centuries.
Women in Guatemala begin weaving by creating a ‘warp’ out of yarn. They wind the yarn around pegs on a warping board, crossing the strings in the middle to create a striped pattern. The warp is then attached to the bars of the loom and they are ready to begin the weaving process.