Have you wondered how our fabrics are made?
"Weaving for a weaver is like writing a book for a writer, both put all their thoughts, their feelings and their emotions in something that becomes a wonderful piece of art.”
Foot Loom
Our fabrics are woven on a foot loom, an ancestral weaving method that was only used by men since it requires a lot of strength. In PIXAN we believe that man and women have the same capacity to do things this is why, women from the communities we support were trained by a master foot loom weaver on this technique and were donated more than 8 wooden foot looms between the Mam & K'iche communities.
The foot loom process is very interesting, the weft goes over and under the warp back and forth, again and again to create the fabric while the pedals open and close the sheds by raising and lowering the harness.
The wide varieties of fabrics and patterns that weavers create are a result of knowledge that has been passed generations from generations.
Backstrap Loom
The Backstrap loom weaving is an ancient art practiced for centuries by Maya artisans in Guatemala. This art has been passed generations to generations from mothers to daughters and today it is still used on a daily basis, in many parts of our country by Mayan women.
This is a very special technique because the weaver's body is the most important part of the loom and the weaving. The back rod is tied to a tree or post while weaving and the other end has a strap that encircles the waist or backside and the weaver can move back or forward to produce the needed tension. The weaver usually spends 4 to 6 hours weaving, sitting on the ground on her knees and when they start getting older and want to keep weaving that position becomes a little bit uncomfortable and they have to use a small stool, but they still enjoy it and they put all their feelings and emotions on each piece of art that they make.
It usually takes 3 weeks to 1 month to weave a 10 x 10 inches panel, the time they need to weave depends on the design and the size.