Backstrap looming dates back to the ancient Mayas and has been passed down through generations and generations of Guatemalan women. The women use this style of looming to create their beautifully vibrant colored textiles that they use to make huipiles. The weaver starts with raw cotton, which they clean, dye, and spin into thread. The thread is then made into a warp which is placed on the loom. Then each artisan adds his or her own personality to the cloth by making uniquely intricate brocade and embroidery patterns out of the fabric. The backstrap method has changed very little over the centuries, and we hope that it will continue on for many centuries to come!

A "faster" way of making the fabric we use for our product is made using a Foot Loom. For an experienced male weaver, it takes ONE day to finish 5-6 yards and women a bit longer since they aren't physically as strong. A common design you may see on our fabric is called "Jaspe" and this means that they take the thread and hand tie sections of the thread off that are anywhere from 1-3 inches apart. The craftsman then dyes each individual section, piece by piece and hangs the thread to dry. It is a similar technique to tie dying but on a micro scale! The weaver can then begin the process of threading their foot loom which works much like a bicycle. They alternate pedals with their feet and while threading the fabric back and forth. We are so thrilled that we are able to make custom Nena patterns and employ over 30 men and women to weave fabric for us!