The beautiful Huipils and other textiles made by the Mayan women of Guatemala are all hand made. The first step in the process is to clean and spin raw cotton into thread. The thread is then dyed and wrapped around a spindle so it can be managed easier when weaving on a backstrap loom.
Lidia Lopez and her family demonstrate cooking a traditional Guatemalan meal called Pepian (also spelled Pipian.)
Lidia Lopez teaching the art and techniques of backstrap loom weaving.
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 Woman Showing Huipils
Lidia Lopez is an expert in backstrap loom weaving. Here she is showing the different patterns used on huipils from the different villages around Guatemala.