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"King Solomon made for himself the carriage; he made it of wood from Lebanon. Its posts he made of silver, its base of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple, its interior inlaid with love." (Song of Songs 3:9-10)

For the first time, rare evidence has been found of fabric dyed with royal purple dating from the time of King David and King Solomon.

While examining the colored textiles from Timna Valley - an ancient copper production district in southern Israel - in a study that has lasted several years, the researchers were surprised to find remnants of woven fabric, a tassel and fibers of wool dyed with royal purple. Direct radiocarbon dating confirms that the finds date from approximately 1000 BCE, corresponding to the biblical monarchies of David and Solomon in Jerusalem. The dye, which is produced from species of mollusk found in the Mediterranean, over 300 km from Timna, is often mentioned in the Bible and appears in various Jewish and Christian contexts.

This is the first time that purple-dyed Iron Age textiles have been found in Israel, or indeed throughout the Southern Levant. The research was carried out by Dr. Naama Sukenik from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef, from the Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Prof. Zohar Amar, Dr. David Iluz and Dr. Alexander Varvak from Bar-Ilan University and Dr. Orit Shamir from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The unexpected finds are being published today (January 28, 2021) in the prestigious PLOS ONE journal.

"This is a very exciting and important discovery," explains Dr. Naama Sukenik, curator of organic finds at the Israel Antiquities Authority. "This is the first piece of textile ever found from the time of David and Solomon that is dyed with the prestigious purple dye. In antiquity, purple attire was associated with the nobility, with priests, and of course with royalty.

"The gorgeous shade of the purple, the fact that it does not fade, and the difficulty in producing the dye, which is found in minute quantities in the body of mollusks, all made it the most highly valued of the dyes, which often cost more than gold. Until the current discovery, we had only encountered mollusk-shell waste and potsherds with patches of dye, which provided evidence of the purple industry in the Iron Age. Now, for the first time, we have direct evidence of the dyed fabrics themselves, preserved for some 3000 years."

Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef from Tel Aviv University's Archaeology Department says, "Our archaeological expedition has been excavating continuously at Timna since 2013. As a result of the region's extremely dry climate, we are also able to recover organic materials such as textile, cords and leather from the Iron Age, from the time of David and Solomon, providing us with a unique glimpse into life in biblical times.

"If we excavated for another hundred years in Jerusalem, we would not discover textiles from 3000 years ago. The state of preservation at Timna is exceptional and it is paralleled only by that at much later sites such as Masada and the Judean Desert Caves. In recent years, we have been excavating a new site inside Timna known as 'Slaves' Hill'. The name may be misleading, since far from being slaves, the laborers were highly skilled metalworkers. Timna was a production center for copper, the Iron Age equivalent of modern-day oil. Copper smelting required advanced metallurgical understanding that was a guarded secret, and those who held this knowledge were the 'Hi-Tech' experts of the time. Slaves' Hill is the largest copper-smelting site in the valley and it is filled with piles of industrial waste such as slag from the smelting furnaces.

"One of these heaps yielded three scraps of colored cloth. The color immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe that we had found true purple from such an ancient period."

According to the researchers, true purple [argaman] was produced from three species of mollusk indigenous to the Mediterranean Sea: The Banded Dye-Murex (Hexaplex trunculus), the Spiny Dye-Murex (Bolinus brandaris) and the Red-Mouthed Rock-Shell (Stramonita haemastoma). The dye was produced from a gland located within the body of the mollusk by means of a complex chemical process that lasted several days.

Today, most scholars agree that the two precious dyes, purple [argaman] and light blue, or azure [tekhelet] were produced from the purple dye mollusk under different conditions of exposure to light. When exposed to light, azure is obtained whereas without light exposure, a purple hue is obtained. These colors are often mentioned together in the ancient sources, and both have symbolic and religious significance to this day. The Temple priests, David and Solomon, and Jesus of Nazareth are all described as having worn clothing colored with purple.

The analytical tests conducted at Bar Ilan University's laboratories, together with dyes that were reconstructed by Prof. Zohar Amar and Dr. Naama Sukenik, can identify the species used to dye the Timna textiles and the desired hues. In order to reconstruct the mollusk dyeing process, Prof. Amar traveled to Italy where he cracked thousands of mollusks (which the Italians eat) and produced raw material from their dye glands that was used in hundreds of attempts to reconstruct ancient dyeing.

"The practical work took us back thousands of years," says Prof. Amar, "and it has allowed us to better understand obscure historical sources associated with the precious colors of azure and purple."

The dye was identified with an advanced analytical instrument (HPLC) that indicated the presence of unique dye molecules, originating only in certain species of mollusk. According to Dr. Naama Sukenik, "Most of the colored textiles found at Timna, and in archaeological research in general, were dyed using various plant-based dyes that were readily available and easier to dye with. The use of animal-based dyes is regarded as much more prestigious, and served as an important indicator for the wearer's high economic and social status. The remnants of the purple-dyed cloth that we found are not only the most ancient in Israel, but in the Southern Levant in general.

We also believe that we have succeeded in identifying the double-dyeing method in one of the fragments, in which two species of mollusk were used in a sophisticated way, to enrich the dye. This technology is described by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, from the first century CE, and the dye it produced was considered the most prestigious."

Prof. Ben-Yosef identifies the copper-production center at Timna as part of the biblical Kingdom of Edom, which bordered the kingdom of Israel to the south. According to him, the dramatic finds should revolutionize our concepts of nomadic societies in the Iron Age. "The new finds reinforce our assumption that there was an elite at Timna, attesting to a stratified society.

"In addition, since the mollusks are indigenous to the Mediterranean, this society obviously maintained trade relations with other peoples who lived on the coastal plain. However, we do not have evidence of any permanent settlements in the Edomite territory. The Edomite Kingdom was a kingdom of nomads in the early Iron Age. When we think of nomads, it is difficult for us to free ourselves from comparisons with contemporary Bedouins, and we therefore find it hard to imagine kings without magnificent stone palaces and walled cities. Yet in certain circumstances, nomads can also create a complex socio-political structure, one that the biblical writers could identify as a kingdom.

"Of course, this whole debate has repercussions for our understanding of Jerusalem in the same period. We know that the Tribes of Israel were originally nomadic and that the process of settlement was gradual and prolonged. Archaeologists are looking for King David's palace. However, David may not have expressed his wealth in splendid buildings, but with objects more suited to a nomadic heritage such as textiles and artifacts."

According to Ben-Yosef, "It is wrong to assume that if no grand buildings and fortresses have been found, then biblical descriptions of the United Monarchy in Jerusalem must be literary fiction. Our new research at Timna has showed us that even without such buildings, there were kings in our region who ruled over complex societies, formed alliances and trade relations, and waged war on each other. The wealth of a nomadic society was not measured in palaces and monuments made of stone, but in things that were no less valued in the ancient world - such as the copper produced at Timna and the purple dye that was traded with its copper smelters."

Reference: "Early evidence of royal purple dyed textile from Timna Valley (Israel)" by Naama Sukenik, David Iluz, Zohar Amar, Alexander Varvak, Orit Shamir and Erez Ben-Yosef, 28 January 2021, PLOS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245897

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A Glimpse Into the Royal Purple Wardrobe of King David and King Solomon - 3000 Years Ago

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Joint research by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and Bar Ilan University. "King Solomon made for himself the carriage; he made it of wood from Lebanon. Its posts he made of silver, its base of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple, its interior inlaid with love." (Song

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Art for Kids: Warping your cardboard loom for a wall hanging

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Basic weaving on a cardboard loom

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Art for Kids: How to Make + Warp a Cardboard Weaving Loom

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Everything I Know About Kasuri

The weaving workshop Everything I Know About Kasuri was based upon the Japanese weaving technique Kasuri.The workshop was the result of my three month stay in Japan where I experienced the appreciation and preservation of crafts and tradition and how cultural differences and meetings create an inspiring, dynamic and constant aesthetic development.

My wish was to make a Kasuri weaving project that explored the possibilities of the technique, which could bring a group of people together and emphasise the meeting of cultures. The outcome was the Kasuri workshop Everything I know about Kasuri . The Kasuri technique seen through the eyes of a Danish textile designer. Everything I know about Kasuri was my textile interpretation of the amazing meeting of cultures I have experienced in Japan. It is my suggestion to how the Kasuri technique can be interpreted and bring people together.

The workshop was inspired by workshops I had seen in Japan. I distributed flyers, found a location in the city and created the tools for the workshop participants to work with. Ten participants signed up for the three-hour workshop. Their background ranged from an car engineer to a university professor in tapestry weaving. I made a lecture about the Kasuri technique from a scandinavian perspective based on my previous research from Helsinki, Finland. Afterwards the workshop participants could start weaving on small wooden looms with a Kasuri warp on using a needle and three weft choices - undyed, fully dyed and Kasuri dyed yarn.

In 2015 I facilitated the first Everything I know about Kasuri I workshop in Denmark at Kolding School of Design. The workshop was attended by design students and experienced weavers.

I further developed the workshop with the purpose of providing the students with a practical insight in the Kasuri technique that would make it possible for them to apply the technique in their own future projects.

Photos:
By Kohei Usuda and
Rosa Tolnov Clausen

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Everything I Know About Kasuri - Rosa Tolnov Clausen

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Everything I Know About Kasuri The weaving workshop Everything I Know About Kasuri was based upon the Japanese weaving technique Kasuri.The workshop was the result of my three month stay in Japan where I experienced the appreciation and preservation of crafts and tradition and how cultural differences and meetings create an inspiring, dynamic and constant aesthetic development.

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Have you ever seen those beautiful bright multicolored scarves worn on graduation day by thousands of African Americans and African students across the United States? Those scarves are usually hand-woven, bright, and multicolored, worn to represent the membership to a Black sorority, fraternity, or to just an African student organization at the different colleges and universities.

Well, those scarves are made from a material commonly known as 1711The art of weaving Kente cloth, which originates from the Ashanti people of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. The Ashanti people used to (and still do) hand weave these bright multicolored clothes for their kings and noblemen. The tradition of kente cloth is said to have been developed in the th century, and stems from ancient Akan weaving techniques dating as far back as the th century AD (this is one of Africa's textile tradition). Kente cloth is known as nwentoma (meaning woven cloth) in Akan language, and is a type of silk, cotton, or rayon fabric made of interwoven cloth strips which is native to the Akan/Ashanti ethnic group of Southern Ghana (and also Cote d'Ivoire). It is woven on a wooden loom, which produces a band about 10 cm wide; several bands will then be sewn together to make a larger cloth. The elaborate patterns arise from the mixture of different weaving techniques applied to the same band of cloth. The quality of the fabric, and weaving indicates the rank of the person, the best being reserved for the kings. It is worn by men as a toga, and by women as upper and lower wrappers. kente is around the Kumasi region of Ghana. kente is passed down only to males, from generation to generation. The main center of weaving

An Ashanti legend has it that two friends who had gone hunting in the forest came across a giant spider (the famous Ananzé) who was weaving her web. They were so amazed that they stayed welded in place for two days, contemplating the spider at work. When they returned from hunting, they imitated the animal and wove a cloth out of raffia. This is how was born the first kente which was offered to the king. The Asantehene (king) was so amazed by the beauty of the present, that he elevated the weavers to the rank of royalty, and they became the king's exclusive tailors. The clothes woven for the king were each unique, and whoever tried to reproduce them was severely punished.

Kente is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and is the cloth of kings and nobility, before finding its way into bags, and scarves sold around the globe nowadays. In Akan culture, the different colors and intricate patterns used in the weaving do have traditional meanings.

White: is the color of purity, innocence, spirituality, and peace (mental, collective, and interior). Very small amount are found on the kente (sometimes just the threads are white). White has a divine and sacred character;

This color is strongly represented in the Yellow: is the color of gold, and symbolizes preciousness, royalty, wealth (financial, spiritual, intellectual, etc), and fertility. It is associated with the earth's generosity. divine goodness. kente, because the king, who wears it during public gatherings, embodies all these virtues: gold, royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity. Yellow, just like the sun's rays, also reminds of

Its discrete presence in Black: is the color of bereavement, and darkness, but also of mystery and secrecy. It is mostly used in initiation and purification ceremonies. It is an ambivalent color representing both obscurantism, and spiritual elevation; it is thus both feared and revered. maturation and intensified spiritual energy; kente reminds that noblemen are first and foremost the guardians of the throne. Black also represents

Blue: reminds of the big spaces: the sea and the sky. It symbolizes elevation, communion, humility, patience, and wisdom. The king and noblemen have perfect control over their environment. Blue is the color of peace, harmony, and love. It is sometimes associated with yellow or white, or red, to represent wealth and power which are founded on spirituality, and which bring tranquility, and balance, and constitutes a strong guarantee of stability for all powers;

Joined with blue and yellow on a Green: is the symbol of life, growth and harmony. Green reminds of the forest, the trees, birth, and youth. It is also linked to vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, and spiritual renewal. kente, it completes the meaning of the clothing which expresses wealth and nobility founded on humility, humanism, and balance.

Other less common colors are:

Grey: healing and cleansing rituals, and is associated with ashes;

Brown: is the color of mother earth, and is associated with healing;

Pink: mostly worn by women, is associated with the female essence of life: sweetness, tenderness, calmness, pleasantness;

Purple: is associated with feminine aspects of life, and is mostly worn by women;

Red: political and spiritual moods, bloodshed, sacrificial rites, and death;

Silver: serenity, purity, joy, and is associated with the moon;

As the colors have meaning, the shapes on kente cloth also have meanings. There are five (5) most commonly used patterns: square, triangle, diamond, circle, and cross.

Square: is the symbol of the earth and cosmos, with its four sides marking the junction between these two entities. It is associated with femininity, because the woman gives life (creation - procreation). This shape is very common in the kente as a reminder that the Akan society is matrilineal.

Triangle: with its three sides, represents life and family. The base symbolizes the birth (of the world) and existence (realization of self, and one's destiny). The summit marks both death (physical) and spiritual elevation. The three sides represent the union of masculine and feminine principles that combine to give a third principle, like the father and the mother who give birth to the child or as the intellect and the heart which give birth to will-power. The triangle in essence, simply represents completeness; it represents a man's life.

Diamond: is two triangles upside down. Often present on kente worn by kings during big ceremonies, it symbolizes the existential duality of the monarch: as a chief (the bottom triangle), and as a human (the top triangle). These two are linked, meaning that both destinies as king and man are linked: all his acts as man and king, work for his prestige and that of the royal institution.

This figure of divine essence is found on almost all Circle: represents the infinite, with neither beginning nor end. It is analogous to power as the concept of infinity, just as eternal royalty, whose origins are often lost in the midst of time. The full circle represents the universe, the community of men. kente worn during the enthronement of the king to remind all of his divine character.

Cross: brings back to the motion of the water and fire, but mostly to the four cardinal points. When one extends one's arms, it symbolizes the vital force, the breath of life, and an existential landmark. The cross is found in different shapes on the kente, but also on another Akan cloth, the adinkra.

Thus, the kente can be read as an open book to the philosophical, political, and social concepts of the Akan society. To learn more, check out: Kente history, Wrapped in pride, Kente designs, asantemankente.com, Afroriental, and Busua Inn. Above all, the kente is the fabric of royalty, and should be adorned with great pride.

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Kente Cloth: An Ashanti Tradition dating Centuries back

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Have you ever seen those beautiful bright multicolored scarves worn on graduation day by thousands of African Americans and African students across the United States? Those scarves are usually hand-woven, bright, and multicolored, worn to represent the membership to a Black sorority, fraternity, or to just an African student organization at the different colleges and...

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After our 1st 'history of weaving' blog , which explores weaves in Asia, we continue the series by discussing the history of weaving in Africa, and present you with various textiles that can be found in this beautiful continent!

African textiles are a part of the cultural heritage of its people. The ancient Egyptians are known to use looms as early as 4000 BC, and wore linen clothing made with fibers from the flax plant, which were beaten and combed. Nubian people would wear cotton, beaded leather and linen clothing. The region along the Nile was a center of cotton manufacturing, which had already been domesticated (~5000 BC) in eastern Sudan.

Cotton was the textile of choice in the sahel region as well, and was traditionally used to make clothing for both genders.

The earliest surviving sub-Saharan textiles date as far back as the ninth century BC, and come from the Igbo Ukwu site in Nigeria. Many of the ancient weaving techniques, patterns and styles are still used today, and remain an important part of African culture.

Traditionally, throughout most of the continent's regions, the women would spin the thread and dye the yarn, which was made from natural materials, such as animal hair, various plant fibers and tree bark, whereas the men would do the actual weaving. The weavers were sometimes part of a caste-like group, or even slaves to rich families. In some cases, the Yoruba people's artisans would teach the boys how to weave, and the girls how to spin the yarn. Some of the children would take up weaving as early as 4 years old.

The looms that were traditionally used were the double heddle loom, which was used for narrow strips of fabric, the single heddle loom, which was used for wider spans of cloth, and the ground or pit loom. The heddle-type looms are indigenous to the region, whereas the pit loom is used in specific parts of the continent, and is of Middle Eastern origin.

The African weavers used natural dyes, which were made using various plants, in order to color their yarns, or even their finished cloths. Popular colors included a few shades of brown, green, yellow and red, however the color which has traditionally been the most important by far, is indigo. The artisans would typically combine white or beige cotton fibers with stripes of indigo blue to create one of the most popular designs of African culture.

It is traditionally believed that the art of textile weaving symbolizes human reproduction and resurrection. Because of this idea, the African artisans would not work on their weaves during the night, for fear that they would weave negative elements, like the darkness or the silence of night, into their fabric.

In some cases, even the color of the cloth would have a symbolic meaning. For example, the color of a healer's white garb might hint at a connection to water spirits, which were believed to promote healing and fertility. Each tribe would have their own textile design, which was used as a way to identify their own people.

Types of traditional African textiles

Sierra Leone and Liberia

Country Cloth

Primarily produced in Liberia and Sierra Leone, this kind of textile was made of hand-spun, naturally dyed and handwoven cotton. The weavers would use traditional looms to create four inch wide and about 36 yard long strips of cloth, which could be white, beige, or naturally dyed using kola or indigo blue dyes. The artisans would usually leave the weft undyed, and the produced cloth would usually feature linear, colored stripes.

The Dogon people who inhabit Burkina Faso and Mali make a type of cloth which resembles country cloth, especially in that it is hand-woven and naturally dyed, which features designs made using an undyed warp. The warp would traditionally only be dyed when the weavers needed to create border stripes near the cloth's ends.

The traditional shirt that Dogon males would wear was white or beige, sometimes even indigo or brown, v-neck vest. Boys' shirts would sometimes be adorned with tassels. Huntera' shirts would be sometimes 'blessed' with various trinkets, such as jewelry, spikes or other items, which were believed to bless the wearers and improve their success rate.

Indigo Cloth

Very popular in the western regions of Africa, indigo textiles were made by dyeing off white cloth with naturally-made indigo dyes. In order to create the indigo color, the artisans would collect the red or purple flowers of the indigo plant. Indigo was the foundation of ancient textile traditions throughout this region, since clothes dyed in this color were a sign of wealth. The cloth would be dyed by female artisans, however in the communal dye pits of the ancient city of Kano, men could often be seen working as well.

The Kofar Dye Pits are supposedly the oldest in Africa, and are a great attraction for visitors who are interested in experiencing first-hand the traditional indigo dyeing process, as it has been practiced for over 500 years. There are many dye pits in Kofar mata, but nowadays more than 100 have been left in a state of disrepair, and abandoned.

The pits are the dyers' livelihood, so it is to be expected that each dyer inherits his pit from his father, to pass it on to the next generation in the future. The process of dyeing fabric indigo involves creating a water and ash mixture to make the glaze, which is then combined with potassium, that acts as a fixative. The dyers add dried indigo twigs into the mix, and the dye is left in a 6m deep pit for a month, in order to ferment. The fabric is dipped in the pit for up to 6 hours, interspersed with intervals of lifting and airing the cloth, in order to allow the mixture to react with the oxygen in the atmosphere. The duration of the process depends on the shade of indigo the dyer is going for.

Finally, the cloth is beaten with mallets, in order to become soft and supple, and it's ready for the marketplace!

Tie dye fabric

This type of fabric is very popular throughout Africa, especially among the groups that inhabit the region which lies to the east of Nigeria. Among the techniques that are traditionally used for tie dyeing, the most commonly used processes involve stitching the fabric, tying it using bands or even around itself, binding it into tight pleats, or even applying a starchy substance onto it, so as to create areas of the fabric that will not absorb the dye, and will retain the background's color, instead. This slow and laborious process allows for more varied patterns, and inspires the artisans to create more original designs.

The best type of fabric that is traditionally used to create these traditional cloths is a high quality African 'brocade', which is adorned with woven patterns and designs. The tie dyed cloth is used in many everyday items, such as sheets, table runners, drapes and clothes.

Kente cloth is an icon of African cultural heritage around the world, a very special type of hand-woven silk and cotton textile, native to the Akan people of South Ghana. Kente cloth could be viewed as a visual representation of the people's history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious belief, social values and political thought. Kente cloth originated in the Ashanti Kingdom (17th century AD), but it has its roots in a long tradition of weaving in Africa, dating back to around 3000 BC. This special kind of textile became widely popular in many West African countries. Initially reserved for special religious or social occasions, and seen as a luxury good that should only be used by the king and the royal court, this Akan sacred textile is still considered a prestige item because of the time and the skill it takes to weave.

Traditionally, Kente cloth features colorful stripes, which are typically about 4 inches wide, and 3 or 4 meters long. Each cloth has a unique name and its own meaning, and each of the various designs and motifs bears its own significance, as well. Traditional design would be inspired by historical events, dreams, personal achievements, proverbs, philosophical concepts, oral literature and human or animal behaviors, which were depicted using abstract geometric renditions of objects that were associated with the intended meaning.

The colors that were used to dye the Kente cloths bore a symbolic meaning, as well:

Red was associated with bloodshed, sacrificial rites and seriousness. It symbolized heightened spiritual and political mood, sacrifice and struggle.

Blue was associated with the sky, and symbolized spiritual sanctity, good fortune, peace, love and harmony.

Green was associated with plants, farming, and herbal medicine. It symbolized vitality, fertility, growth, health and rejuvenation.

Purple and maroon were associated with Mother Earth, and they symbolized femininity (especially in the case of purple), healing and protection against evil spirits.

White was associated with egg whites and white clay, which was reserved for special rites intended to purify the soul, as well as for celebratory events. It could symbolize the spiritual connection to one's ancestors, celestial beings or even ghosts, and when used with other colors, such as yellow, green or black, it could also signify strength, spirituality and harmony.

Grey was associated with ashes, which were used in cleansing rituals, and symbolized spiritual cleansing and balancing.

Silver was connected to the notion of the feminine aspect of the world, as well as to the moon. Silver was chosen to symbolize calmness, happiness, pureness and joy.

Gold was connected to the color of gold coins, and derived its significance from their commercial value. It signified elevated privilege, money, grace, higher quality, dignity and spirituality.

Black was associated with the idea that blackened appearance sometimes denotes an item's maturity or aging. It symbolized spirituality, the soul's connection to one's ancestrors, age, maturity and ability.

The Bonwire kente weaving village in Ghana

The Bonwire kente weaving village in Ghana is a center for traditional kente cloth production. The weavers' only source of income are their weaving products, which they sell themselves, and don't shy away from bargaining, as seen in the following video:

As you can see, this village's kente cloth is characterized by dazzling, multicolored patterns of bright colors, geometric shapes and bold designs.

There are many Ashanti-style architectural details to enjoy in the village, as well.

Adinkra cloth

Adinkra fabric is a very special kind of textile that features symbolic designs, each of which carries its own meaning! It's made by sewing panels of colored cotton cloth together. Its size can reach about 3 by 4 yds. The panels, which are usually six in total, are stamped using special tools. The symbols are stamped using a natural, thick black dye that is produced using the bard of indigenous trees. The Adinkra symbols range from simple to very complex, and they often represent scenes and events inspired by the people's everyday life.

The word 'Adinkra' means 'goodbye', and the fabric was reserved for appropriate occasions, such as funerals, as a final 'goodbye' to the deceased. The colors that are mainly used for this type of fabric were dark shades of brown, red and black, when they were intended for 'darker' occasions, such as funerals, whereas they would adopt a brighter palette of white, light shades of yellow and baby blue, when intended for festive occasions.

Nowadays, Adinkra fabric is produced in the regions of Ghana, but the symbols are used on many projects throughout west Africa.

One fantastic weaving village near Kumasi, which does not get nearly as much coverage as it should, is Ntonso. It is considered the home of the Adinkra cloth, since legend has it that 3 men from this village were the first ones to develop this type of fabric.

Ntonso has its own visitors' center, the 'Ntonso Craft Village', which features a museum, where visitors can stamp their own symbols onto a piece of fabric, using a variety of provided tools.

The process of creating the dye is also demonstrated in the museum. There are guides who can also show the visitors around the village, and take them to the location the bark for the dye is collected. Visitors are even allowed to pound the bark and experience the dye creation process first-hand!

Hausa and Djerma fabric

These two types of fabric are very similar. They are a wider version of the previously mentioned Kente cloth, and they are made using manufactured threads and wider looms. Between the two, Djerma typically features strips that are a little narrower, and it is often more intricate and colorful.

Khasa blankets

Traditionally, the Fulani people who inhabit Mali have been making wool heavy blankets that they wear during the cold months. These striped blankets are usually about 7 ft long, and feature 8-inch strips. The blankets are traditionally white, but sometimes they can have colored strips; usually yellow, red or even black. The Fulani women were responsible for hand spinning and dyeing the wool, whereas the men would do the actual weaving. Patterns such as stripes, circles, triangles, diamonds and chevrons were widely used in the creation of Fulani blankets, since they depicted symbols pertaining to the people's myths and pastoral life.

Bogolani fabric or Mud cloth

One of the most outstanding types of mud cloths in West Africa seems to be the Bogolan, which is also known as 'Bogolanfini', a name that derives from the words bogo (which means 'earth'), lan (which means 'with'), and fini (which means 'cloth'). The cloth has been traditionally produced by women of various ethnic groups, and was primarily used for special occasions. The knowledge of weaving was passed from one generation to the next, with mothers teaching their daughters how to weave this special type of cloth. It was also worn by men for during hunts, and also on celebrations. Nowadays the cloth is woven by both genders, and sold in markets.

The artisans would use smaller segments of handwoven cotton in various widths and lengths, which they would sew together, to form a larger piece of fabric. The Mud cloth is then treated with a natural yellow fixative solution, which is made using boiled and mashed leaves, with or without the addition of tree bark. There are reports of at least three different methods of performing this initial yellow dyeing process, but they all involve natural materials.

The final step involves the usage of wooden or bamboo sticks to design symbols onto the Bogolani cloth, using mud, and then drying the cloth by laying it under the hot sun. After washing the fabric, the artisans would then wash it, and repeat the process until the desired, deeply embedded color is achieved. When the dyeing process was done, they would wash the cloth using a special emulsion, which would remove any impurities, and brighten the background color. Nowadays mud cloth is available in a multitude of colors, such as gold, yellow, white, brown, and the color of rust.

Korhogo fabric

Traditionally made by the Senufo people around Korhogo in Ivory Coast, this type of cloth is supposedly made using dung in the fixative tincture, giving it a bit of a weird smell as it dries. Just like mud cloth, dung cloth is produced by sewing together natural colored handwoven 5-inch strips. The artisans would then paint onto the cloth using black, brown or rust-colored mud, in order to create various patterns and symbols, such as various animals, people wearing ceremonial clothes, architectural elements and geometrical designs.

Abomey Appliqué

The artform of producing this type of textile originates back in 1600, and was developed throughout the historical period of the Dahomey Kingdom, up to 1900. Each King had their own signature symbols and favorite epigrams, which were used to decorate banners, standards, buildings and royal items. These royal symbols, as well as other motifs, can also be incorporated into modern projects' designs.

The creation of appliqués is considered a proper craft nowadays, and modern artisans tend to use both traditional and contemporary designs. Maps, nature themes and everyday life are some of the modern designs used in the various markets the tourists love to visit, in capital cities of the continent.

Tunisia and the Maghreb

Some of the most sought after textiles of North Africa, are their knotted pile carpets, also known as 'zerhivas', whose origins lie in the Middle East, where they were used as both decorative and functional pieces.

The indigenous Berber women traditionally weave short-nap, flat rugs and tapestries (known as klim), some of which are embroidered (and are known as mergum). These weaves' patterns usually feature diamond and triangles, as well as animal motifs; usually depicting camels.

The Berber people also make ajars, which are hand woven shawls, made of natural black and white wool. They usually feature horizontal bands, which are decorated with supplementary weft patterns. These patterns are woven by weaving wool and white cotton into the cloth, in order to create the designs. Common themes draw inspiration from other traditional arts and crafts, such as traditional silver jewelry, henna body paint designs, and tattoos.

The shawls are dyed in red, blue or black, depending on their intended use, and the wool's absorbency - as opposed to the cotton threads' resistance to dyeing - helps create the pattern of the fabric.

The burnous cloths are tightly woven, sleeveless woolen cloaks with hoods, which are worn during the winter by men. They are typically blue or brown, and they date back to the Roman era, and before the Arab conquest. They are traditionally made using camel hair or sheep wool, and each piece can take up to six months to make. A lighter version of these capes, the djebellas, which are worn by both genders, are nowadays available in hundreds of colors, and are still pretty popular; perhaps because of the fact that their design inspired the Jedi robes of the ever-popular Star Wars franchise!

Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Natella and Gabior Gabi

There are numerous woven cotton fabric types in East Africa, such as Gabior Gabi and Natella, which are shawls found in Ethiopia. The former is a heavy cloth, which is best described as a throw, or a light blanket. The latter is a light cloth that resembles gauze, which is decorated with a colorful border. Natella shawls are considered very trendy, and are often used to adorn western style clothes, such as jeans.

Another woven cotton fabric from this area is the Kikoi, a piece which resembles a sarong. It is rectangular in shape, and is often decorated with multi-colored bands, which tend to be found near the fabric's edges. Traditionally, kikois were worn by men on the East African coast, but nowadays they have evolved into a unisex piece of clothing for all ages. The fabric is also used for all kinds of everyday items, such as bags, pillows, robes etc.

The Masai men traditionally wear Shukas , which are basic pieces of fabric featuring red patterns, often plaid tartans, that can be worn in many ways, according to the wearer's preference. Traditionally made out of animal skins, nowadays it is predominantly made of cotton. In order to create a shuka, the fabric is rubbed with red dye, in order to camouflage the wearer effectively in the red dirt scenery of that region. In areas with dry grass, the shukas can be dyed white for the same reason.

But there also other types of fabric in East Africa, such as bark cloth, which is made from pieces of bark from various trees that the gatherers collected during the rainy season, and are a renewable resource. After harvesting the bark, the gatherers would wrap the exposed tree trunk with banana leaves, in order to help it heal. The bark would grow back soon, and it could be harvested again. The process could be repeated indefinitely. The harvested pieces of bark would be beaten with mallets, and, when prepared, they would look like a terracotta-colored kind of corduroy, and would feel like silk to the touch.

The women of northern Kenya's nomadic ethnic groups also wear gorfas, a type of red or black-dyed sheepskin, which is wrapped around their bodies and held in place using rope or leather belts.

Gudza cloth

This type of fabric is made of twisted fiber, harvested from the inner parts of tree bark. The tree bark may come from Musasa trees, or even the gigantic Baobab trees. The fibers are soaked, in order to become soft, but traditionally, the artisans would also chew the fibers, in order to make them even more supple. The fibers are then dyed and woven together.

Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Congo

Kuba cloth is indigenous to the Kuba people. It is made of tightly woven strands of raffia palm leaves, which are interwoven in order to create detailed geometric designs. It comes in two styles; with or without a pile. The traditional process of producing Kuba cloth involved using vegetable-based dyes on raffia threads, which would be embroidered onto finished cloth pieces, in order to create patterns such as squares, lines, creative curves and circles, each of which would bear its own meaning. Kuba patterns could also be created with appliqué shapes. Small panels of fabric could be sewn together, in order to create a larger piece, like the one pictured above.

Mashamba cloth is a type of cloth which is similar to the Kuba cloth. It is by the Yeyi women, tied around their waists, and is reserved for traditional occasions.

Batik fabric

The batik technique was known in Egypt even before the 3rd century BC, so it has an important historical presence in the region. However, the cloth produced in Africa featured fuzzier designs. The artform almost died before the 60's in Burkina Faso, but thanks to a Peace Corps member who was trying to come up with sustainable income generating activities, the Batik technique was reestablished in East and West Africa, and is viewed as a mainly contemporary art form. The designs were initially created on thicker handmade fabric, but nowadays it has been replaced by thinner, industrially produced cotton textile.

Traditionally, the batik creation process involved stamping, brushing or combing a design made of wax right onto the textile, and allowing it to dry, in order to form areas of the cloth that would resist dyeing. In order to create a multicolored cloth, the dyes would be applied in succession, from the lightest to the boldest. Finally, the wax would be scraped off the fabric, or boiled off it. It was a very complex process, and complicated designs could take up to many months to create!

Print fabric

African print cloth originated from Indonesia, which had a rich batik tradition. This type of textile is also known as wax-resist, Java, lappa, wrappa, pagne or kanga fabric, depending on the region. Nowadays, print cloth is industrially made and machine-printed, and is used for almost anything, from clothing to curtains, since it is attractive and durable.

The designs and patterns change from place to place, and they are very diverse. There are cloths featuring repetitive motifs, proverbs and some prints are even used to commemorate events!

Baskets and Bags

One of the most prominent parts of Africa's weaving tradition involves the production of baskets, bags, fishing nets and various other everyday items. They are diverse in style, material and design, and they come in all shapes and sizes.

1. Overview of Textiles in Africa

2. Ikat Weaving Around the World

3. Kofar Mata Dye Pits, Kano, Nigeria

4. Kente Cloth: An Ashanti Tradition dating Centuries back

5. History of Ashanti Kente Cloth

6. Bonwire Kente weaving village

7. Jake Galloway TravelBlog

8. Field Trip to Adinkra Village in Ntonso

11. Mudcloth from Mali, West Africa

12. Creative Expression, Culture, and Society

13. On the Road... The blue and white city of Essaouira

15. Techniques and production

17. Visit The Colourful Weavers Of Oodi

18. Sample Batik Prints

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The History of Weaving Part 2- Africa - Wild Tussah

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After our 1st 'history of weaving' blog , which explores weaves in Asia, we continue the series by discussing the history of weaving in Africa, and present you with various textiles that can be found in this beautiful continent! African textiles are a part of the cultural heritage of its people.

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Many centuries ago, hair from animals was woven to insulate and protect homes. Hair, along with fibers from various plants and trees, were used to create bedding, blankets, clothing, and wall, window and door hangings. As textiles became more sophisticated, they were also used as currency for trading. Many of the ancient designs and weaving methods are used today and remain an important part of African lifestyles.

Weaving methods and fibers used today varies within the African continent. For instance, narrow strip weaving is used in West Africa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly called Zaire). However, the weaving is slightly different in the Democratic of Republic in that they incorporate raffia palm leaf to create their Kuba cloth.

Handmade looms are still used today to weave various textiles. The looms are usually handed down from generation to generation. During the weaving process, they are placed in horizontal, vertical, or angular positions.

Textiles are often enhanced through hand-stamping, stenciling, dyeing, painting, or embroidery. Sometimes soil is used to make paint, and dyes can originate from herbs, leaves, bark, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grasses; these are mixed with water or other chemicals such as zinc, sulfur, or iron to obtain the desired thickness and hue. Colors hold different cultural meanings based on village or family affiliations. In some parts of Nigeria, red is a threatening color worn by chiefs to protect them from evil, but it is a sign of accomplishment in other areas, while red is used for mourning robes by the Akan in Ghana and for burial cloths in Madagascar.

Traditionally, many African textiles were not cut or tailored. Instead, they were draped and tied to suit various occasions.

But with the current interest in textiles outside of Africa, textiles and handmade fabrics are being cut and fashioned into contemporary clothing and home furnishings, including pillows, upholstered furniture, wall hangings, blankets, and throws. When authentic African textiles are fragile or rare, we recommend having them professionally mounted or framed for use as wall hangings.

Asoke cloth is very sturdy and practical. The Yoruba in Nigeria reserved this cloth for funerals, religious rituals, and other formal occasions. This cloth is woven in 4-inch wide strips that vary in length. Some older Asoke cloths are characterized by their openwork or holes. It is known for supplementary inlays, which are generally made of rayon threads on a background of silk cotton.

Adinkra cloth is made by embroidering wide panels of dyed cotton and stamping them with carved calabash symbols. Adinkra patterns are numerous, ranging from crescents to abstracts forms; each of the symbols carries it own significance and represents events of daily life activities. As stated in "The Spirit of African Design", Adinkra means "farewell" and was used for funerals and to bid a formal farewell to guests. Dark colors, like brick red, brown, or black, were associated with death while white, yellow, and light blue were worn for festive occasions. The cloth is still produced in Ghana today.

Adire cloth comes from Nigeria. There are two types of Adire. One is made by tie dying or by stitching a design with raffia. The second method is painted freehand or stenciled using a starchy paste made from cassava or yams. Both styles of Adire can be found today.

Batik cloth includes patterns by applying melted wax on the fabric. A design is drawn onto the fabric. To produce a multicolor effect, colors are applied one top of the other, beginning with the lightest color. For instance, a cloth is dyed yellow, and then melted wax is applied to areas that are yellow. The cloth is dried after each stage of the dyeing process, and then the wax is removed by scraping or boiling it off the cloth.

Ewe cloth is similar to the Asantes' kente cloth. This cloth is named after the Ewe people who originated from the southeastern region of Ghana. There are two types of Ewe cloth. Wealthy people wear a type of Ewe cloth that is elaborately decorated. It's made of silk, rayon, or cotton, and typically contains inlays of symbols representing knowledge, ethnics, and morals as applied in one's daily life. The other type is made from simple cotton fibers and display modest patterns. It also contains smaller and simpler versions of the more elaborate designs, but they always have a beauty of their own.

Khasa consists of heavy woolen striped blankets that are woven by the Fulani of Mali. The textile is typically 6 to 8 feet long and woven in 8-inch wide strips. Although the traditional blanket is white, it is also common to have yellow, black, or red strips. Khasa is usually ordered for the cold season.

Kente cloth originated from the Fante people of Ghana, who sold this fabric in baskets. The Fante word for basket is "kenten". Authentic Kente cloth is typically woven in 4-inch wide strips. Kente patterns have religious, political, and even financial significance. Today, there's a pattern to indicate the importance of almost any special occasion, and colors are chosen to reflect customs and beliefs. Red represents death or bloodshed, and is often worn during political rallies; green stands for fertility and vitality, and is worn by girls during puberty rites; white means purity or victory; yellow represents glory and maturity and is worn by chiefs; gold is for continuous life, is also worn by chiefs; blue represents love and is often worn by the queen mother; and black meaning aging and maturity and used to signify spirituality. Because of its vibrant beauty and regal legacy as a cloth fit for kings and queens, authentic Kente remains one of the most popular fabrics on the market today.

Korhogo cloth is made by the Senufo people of the Ivory Coast. Approximately 5-inch strips are hand-woven. Mud is painted on the cloth to create patterns of animals, men in ceremonial dress, buildings, or geometric designs. The soil used to make this mud is usually black, brown, or rust and is collected throughout West Africa. This textile, which comes in various lengths and widths, is used for clothing as well as for pillows, wall hangings, and folding screens.

Kuba cloth originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (also known as Zaire). This textile is tightly woven using strands from raffia palm leaves. Raffia strands are also interwoven between the warp and weft to create intricate geometric patterns. Kuba cloth comes in two styles. One has a rich and velvety pile; the other has a flat weave will little or no pile. To create Kuba cloth, vegetable dyes are used on raffia threads that are then embroidered onto finished cloth to create patterns such as rectangles, lines, creative curvatures, and circles. Kuba cloth is used for ceremonial skirts, wall hangings, or mats for sitting and sleeping.

Manjaka cloth is woven in 7-inch wide strips that are sewn together; this textile is distinguished by its intricate geometric patterns. Manjaka originated from Guinea-Bissau and has complex designs. For example, if a section of Manjaka cloth has triangles, the background area will feature a different pattern.

Mud cloth originated from Mali and once worn by hunters. Mud cloth is made from narrow strips of hand-spun and hand-woven cotton, which are sewn together in various widths and lengths. The cloth is first dyed with a yellow solution extracted from the bark of the M'Peku tree and the leaves and stems of the Wolo tree; the solution acts as a fixative. Then, using carved bamboo or wooden sticks, symbolic designs are applied in mud that has been collected from riverbanks and allowed to ferment over time. After the mud is applied to the cloth, it is dried in the sun. The process is repeated several times to obtain a rich color that is deeply imbued in the cloth. When it reaches the desired hue, the cloth is washed with a caustic solution to remove debris and to brighten the background. Today, mud cloth comes in background shades of white, yellow, purple, beige, rich brown, and rust.

African Brocade fabric is made from 100% cotton. Unique designs are intricately woven into shiny and starchy fabric. This cloth is also called Basin fabric. Brocade or Basin fabric is very popular in West Africa.

African Tie Dye Fabric is popular in Africa. A common method of tie dyeing is the formation of patterns of large and small circles in various combinations. This is found particularly among people from Senegal, Gambia, and the Yoruba of Nigeria. There are several techniques used for resist-dyeing. For instance, a cloth is tied or stitched tightly so that the tying or stitching prevents the dye from penetrating the fabric, and sometimes-starchy substance is applied to the textile. This will resist the dye giving pale areas on a dark background when it's washed at the end of the dyeing process. Another method of tie dyeing consists of folding a strip of cloth into several narrow pleats and binding them together. The folds and the binding resist the dye to produce a cross-hatched effect. A very popular tie-dyeing technique in Nigeria is to paint freehand with starch before dyeing in indigo in order to resist the dye. These are only a few examples of tie-dyeing methods used in Africa today.

African Print fabrics are reproductions and machine made. This fabric can endure heavy wear and tear.

African Textiles and Dyeing Techniques by Claire Polakoff

The Spirit of African Design by Sharne Algotsson and Denys Davis

African Textiles by John Picton and John Mack

© Textiles and Fabric of Africa, 2009.
Written by Victoria Saho

via www.da-viva.com

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The History of African Textiles and Fabrics Many centuries ago, hair from animals was woven to insulate and protect homes. Hair, along with fibers from various plants and trees, were used to create bedding, blankets, clothing, and wall, window and door hangings. As textiles became more sophisticated, they were also used as currency for trading.

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Click on the markers to learn more about different craft techniques

Appliqué

Dyeing

Embroidery

Fiber

Lacemaking

Needlework

Printing

Tapestry

Weaving

Discover heritage & contemporary crafts

The Craft Atlas is an open access platform for global craft knowledge, techniques & makers. Discover different ways of making by browsing the map & our collections.

A Digital Atlas of Crafts

The Craft Atlas is a map to the curious and the common.

We collect and disseminate resources, knowledge and visual communications. We connect people for trade, production and creative collaborations, craft-based supply chains and artistic intercultural exchange - for more cultural appreciation and less appropriation.

Craft reflects our connections.

It weaves a thread of community, memory and creative expression through our human experience, along trade routes, across continents, in small villages and big cities. Embroidery patterns, weaving techniques, symbols - among all uniqueness set by human hand, recurring patterns can be found in craft products throughout the world.

The global artisan economy employs millions.

The handicraft sector is the 2nd largest employer in the developing world, with a majority of women artisans. It is a driver for entrepreneurship and trade on the one hand, for artistic expression and intangible cultural heritage on the other. Handicraft has an impact - on livelihoods, on everyday life and on the shaping of culture.

Latest Craft techniques, dyes & materials

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The Craft Atlas is a platform for exploring global craft techniques & makers. Browse the map & the image gallery to discover different ways of making.

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Our Rio Grande weaving tradition is closely linked with Northern New Mexico's history. Although New Mexico has spent much of its history in relative isolation, trade and political changes have wrought major changes in culture and, by extension, weaving production. These styles, Rio Grande, Saltillo, Vallero, and Chimayo, all have beginnings in different periods, representing their time and place in the history of the Southwest. Read More...

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Centinela Traditional Arts is a tapestry gallery located in Chimayo, New Mexico, specializing in hand woven tapestry wool products using natural dyes, custom-dyed yarns, handspun yarns, and the traditional Chimayo and Rio Grande weaving styles. The weaving gallery is run by Irvin and Lisa Trujillo, who are award-winning weavers whose work has been shown in museums worldwide, including the Smithsonians.

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Map, 2015. Private home commission. Weft-faced ikat tapestry.
Wrapped dyed and woven wool, silk/bamboo on linen warp.

Mary Zicafoose: Midway Film Release

The long-awaited documentary film about Mary's life and career has been released. Director Jeffrey Hahn combines the testimony of Mary's peers and friends, with the narrative of her artist's journey, to recount a colorful exploration of the virtuoso, teacher, and woman that is Mary Zicafoose.
Watch the film
Ikat Book Holiday Sale

Mary's new book, Ikat: The Essential Guide to Weaving Resist-Dyed Cloth was released by Penguin Random House this month. This inspirational book features both natural and synthetic dye formulas and processes, in addition to instructional ikat projects.
Purchase your copy today!
2020 Bemis Benefit Art Auction Limited Edition Prints

The 2020 Bemis Benefit Art Auction Exhibition is now open to the public. The Bemis Center has commissioned Mary to create a limited edition silkscreen print, available for purchase now.

Visit the auction website to purchase your print.

Schacht Spindle interviews Mary for Spinning & Weaving Week

Jane Patrick of Schacht Spindle Company interviews Mary in a segment "The World is Begging to Become a More Beautiful Place".
Watch the interview
The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) asked artists from the museum's collection to create a short video about their workspace to share during the COVID-19 pandemic. Come along and join the studio tour!

New Tapestry Installation

Mary's recently completed ikat diptych tapestry was installed at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. The massively scaled Pink and Yellow Tapestries were commissioned to enhance the warmth and vitality of the foundation's lobby.

Mary Receives NAC Individual Artist Fellowship Award

The Nebraska Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowship program recognizes exemplary work by Nebraska artists and provides support through public recognition and monetary awards. The program rotates annually, highlighting different artistic disciplines each year. Mary, along with eight other artists were chosen to receive this 2019 grant for visual arts.

NET Television Interviews Mary

Consider This with Cathy Wyatt interviewed Mary for an episode about the UNMC Healing Arts program. View the episode here.

Great Plains Textile Center's Founding Board of Directors

To help launch the newly formed Great Plains Textile Center, Mary will serve as an adviser to the board of directors. The center's mission is to provide instruction, inspiration, equipment and materials to ignite textile arts within our community.

Omaha Magazine Feature's Mary and Her Work at the Buffett Cancer Center

In the September/October 2017 issue of Omaha Magazine, Kim Reiner interviewed Mary about her massive installation at UNMC's Buffett Cancer Center lobby. Visit their website to read the article.

Hope and Healing Tapestries Receive Best OEAA Public Art Award for 2017

In February, Mary was honored to receive the OEAA award for Best Public Art from the Omaha Arts and Entertainment Awards.

Visit the OEA website.

Nebraska Cultural Endowment Blog Features Mary's Perspective on Her Career

The blog of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment featured an article about Mary's introduction to textiles. Read her narrative on the What's Your Livelihood blog.

Follow Mary on Facebook

To see what's new and happening in the Mary Zicafoose Textiles studio, "Like" the Mary Zicafoose Textile Facebook page.

September 10, 2020
Ikat: The Essential Handbook to Weaving Resist-Dyed Cloth
Book Release
Order your copy today!

January 5, 2021
Textiles and Tea
Zoom Interview, Handweavers Guide of America
Register to attend4:00 PM EST

February 20, 2021
Weaving Indiana
Zoom Presentation
Contact dshudson1249@me.com for more info

February 24, 2021
Weavers of Western Massachusetts Zoom Program
Ikat: Notes from the Field
3:00 pm
Contact: Brenda Parella, brendaparella@yahoo.com

March 13, 2021
Tapestry Weavers West
Zoom Program
Ikat: Notes From the Field
10:00 PST
Contact: Alex Friedman, aqsfriedman@gmail.com

March 27, 2021
American Pen Womens Program
Mary Zicafoose: Midway
12:00 pm
contact: Susan Baron, susanbbaron202@gmail.com

April 23-25, 2021 (tentative)
Shifted Warp Ikat Scarf - Three Day Workshop
Omaha Weavers and Spinners Guild

June 24-27, 2021
Virtual Conference
The Shifted Warp Ikat Scarf, Three Day workshop
MidAtlantic Fiber Association 2021 Conference
Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania

July 15-21, 2022
Convergence International Weaver's Conference
The Shifted Warp Ikat Scarf Three Day Workshop
Knoxville, TN

The events listed below have been cancelled or rescheduled due to the global pandemic

Rug Weaving Basics and Next Level Rug Weaving Workshops
Yadkin Valley Fiber Center
Yadkinville, NC
To be rescheduled in 2021

Evening Lecture: Ikat, Icons, and Inspiration
Maiwa School of Textiles.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
To be rescheduled in 2021

The Shifted Warp Ikat Scarf: 5 day workshop
Maiwa School of Textiles,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
To be rescheduled in 2021

Rocky Mountain Weaver's Guild
Lecture: Ikat a Global Story of Exotic Cloth, Nov. 21st
Workshop: The Shifted Warp Ikat Scarf, Nov. 19th, 20th, 22nd
To be rescheduled

Spring 2023 (TBA)
Jane Carney + Mary Zicafoose: Double Vision
Hammes Gallery
St. Marys College
Notre Dame, IN

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{…} Paradigm Creative Media Incorporated, Graphic Design and Web Development, Omaha, Nebraska USA; http://www.paradigmcmi.com

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Mary Zicafoose Tapestries and Prints | Home Page

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Map, 2015. Private home commission. Weft-faced ikat tapestry.Wrapped dyed and woven wool, silk/bamboo on linen warp. The long-awaited documentary film about Mary's life and career has been released. Director Jeffrey Hahn combines the testimony of Mary's peers and friends, with the narrative of her artist's journey, to recount a colorful exploration of the virtuoso, teacher, and woman that is Mary Zicafoose.

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Polly Barton creates vivid, full saturation stitched pastel drawings and contemporary Ikat weavings in her Santa Fe studio.

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Evidence of early examples of batik have been found in the Far East, Middle East, Central Asia and India from over 2,000 years ago. It is possible that these areas developed independently, without the influence of trade or cultural exchanges. However, it is more likely that the craft spread from Asia to the islands of the Malay Archipelago and west to the Middle East along the caravan trading route.

13th century stone carving on a temple in East Java showing batik patterns

In China, batik was practised as early as the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618). Silk batiks in the form of screens have also been discovered in Nara, Japan ascribed to the Nara period (AD 710-794). These were probably made by Chinese artists, and are decorated with trees, animals, flute players, hunting scenes and stylised mountains.

Wax resist textile from Niya, Xinjiang, China

No evidence of very old cotton batiks have been found but frescoes in the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra State, India depict head wraps and garments which could well have been batiks. Likewise temples such as at Borobodur and Prambanan in Java contain figures dressed in garments patterned in a manner suggestive of batik.

A mural from the Ajanta caves, India

In Egypt, linen grave cloths from the 4th century BC have been excavated which show white patterns on an indigo blue background, possibly made by scratching designs into wax. In Africa resist dyeing using cassava and rice paste has existed for centuries in the Yoruba tribes of Southern Nigeria and Senegal.

Indonesia, most particularly the island of Java, is where batik has reached its peak. Here, Chinese, Arab, Indian and European traders bought and sold textiles and batik is first specifically mentioned on a cargo bill in the mid-17th century. From around 1835, textile manufacturers in Holland started attempts to mechanise the production of batik using copper rollers and a resin resist. When the Javanese proved unwilling to buy this cloth, it made its way to West Africa, where it began a life and a tradition of its own, one which continues to this day as "waxprint".

In Java, textile merchants responded to the threat by finding a way to speed up the time consuming method of hand drawing the design. Wooden block printing was adapted to batik with the invention of copper stamps (or tjaps as they are known) to apply hot wax.

Imitation batik cloth was produced in numerous European textile printing companies throughout the 20th century, most notably in the UK and Holland, and to this day is still made in just one - Vlisco in Helmond, the Netherlands - a reminder of a colonial past.

Ragnhild d'Ailly, Art Deco silk batik shawl, 1928

In Europe, these exotic cloths sparked a wave of creativity. In the 1890s in Amsterdam, a group of young artists introduced the batik technique to interior decoration, furnishings and later to fashion. This proved very successful, and from the the beginning of the 20th century, batik was practised by thousands of European and American artists and craftspeople. The peak of its popularity was between 1918 and 1925 when it was popular in Holland, Germany, France, Poland and the UK.

German artist with a glass canting about 1910

The art of batik waned in the West until the 1960s when it was once more taken up, explored, and adapted by artists, including Noel Dyrenforth in London who was the founder of The Batik Guild. What started out in 1986 as a small group of Noel's students has become an international collection of batik lovers, teachers and artists. In Asia too, artists began to see the potential of their grandmother's craft and now batik flourishes both as a traditional and as an innovative, completely contemporary art form loved and practised by batik artists all over the world.

Text by Diane Gaffney
www.textiletraders.co.uk

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Evidence of early examples of batik have been found in the Far East, Middle East, Central Asia and India from over 2,000 years ago. It is possible that these areas developed independently, without the influence of trade or cultural exchanges.

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Handweaving of ikat cloth is not for sissies. The laborious and skillful process of resist-dyeing and weaving fine threads is not one quickly learned. Take me for instance-this resist-dyeing process has intrigued me since college when I spent a semester teaching myself warp ikat, studying whatever I could from the few books then available. I figured out a primitive method of stringing the warp between empty curtain rods in my window, stretching the cotton threads taut before wrapping a simple pattern. After numerous steps of tying, dyeing, weaving and so forth, with finished piece in hand, I met with my teacher who took one look at it and called it a schmatta, a rag. But even with that discouragement, my interest in ikat continued these forty years leading me to study and travel.

A Whole Wide World of Ikat
Since ClothRoads opened its doors seven years ago, I've traveled to seven countries where ikat is still being woven. ( Here's the link to my blog on identifying the types of ikat: weft, warp, double and compound.) My first trip was to Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang, Laos, where I naturally dyed fine silk and wove a simple weft ikat scarf. This was the first time since college that I wove ikat and it certainly was a more rewarding experience. But I was learning from a master weaver who aided me along the way.

In Ecuador, I met Jose Jiménez at his workshop in Gualaceo, 35 km east of Cuenca. Sr. Jiménez is a master weaver of " macana or makana", the traditional warp ikat cotton shawl with a knotted fringe. He and his family continue this art and its use of natural dyes.

In Guatemala, the resist-dyed fabric is called "jaspe" and in Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, the entire town seems to be involved in the full-scale production of this cloth. Specialists in each part of the jaspe process work in different parts of town. Hundreds of people do the simple tying and dyeing work, but only fifty specialize in "labor" tying. ("Labor" is complex ikat of figures, animals, butterflies, flowers, etc.) We met Tomasa Siquina, an amarrador, a person who ties labor jaspe.. Depending on the complexity of the designs, Tomasa can tie about 160 yards of warp per day-that's enough to make about 22 cortes (traditional skirts), give or take.

The practice of double ikat, called patola, has a long heritage in India. These fine-silk textiles with intricate patterns are tied both in the warp and weft threads and dyed with natural colors prior to weaving. Once a thriving craft practiced by the Salvi caste throughout Gujarat, only a handful of true patola are now only made in this single Indian workshop by a fourth-generation extended family of artisans. Despite a busy schedule, we were warmly welcomed by Mr. Salvi who invited us to observe them at work.

In the small village of Sallac, Peru, the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco discovered one man who still knew how to warp-tie traditional designs called " watay or huatay ". Over the years, other weavers in the village have learned and it's one of the revitalized textiles cultivated by the Center.

There was only one trip where every day for ten days, we visited a different village where natural dyeing and weaving of ikat is part of their tradition, heritage and life-the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. Led by experts, David and Susan Richardson, the breadth and depth of this experience was by far my most exhaustive and rewarding. Our final stop was in Sumba where the complexity of the ikat designs and the edging of the cloth, where warp becomes weft, will leave me mystified for some time.

This year, I finally made my "bucket" ikat trip to Uzbekistan, where ikat means "to tie a cloud". The town of Margilan in the Fergana Valley is the center of silk production of the whole of Central Asia. Our group stayed at "The Ikat House", a small traditional hotel owned by the ikat-producing family of Rasuljon Mirzaakhmedov. We visited the workshop of ikat master Fazlitdin Dadajanov where we saw the entire ikat process. We spent a morning at the colorful Kum-Tepa market where stall after stall was loaded with ikat. Another morning we toured the Yadgorlik factory seeing silk being reeled and spun from cocoons and ikat being woven on floor looms.

I've written about the weaving of the exquisitely complex T'nalak, a resist-dyed abaca fiber which is backstrap woven by T'boli women in the southern Philippines and the indigo dyeing and weaving of kasuri cloth in Japan. So what's left to explore? Certainly Africa and Cambodia have long resist dyeing traditions to explore. Honestly, my need to travel the world over in pursuit of ikat knowledge wanes, but here are two traditions and countries still on my list: the rebozos (shawls) in Mexico, and in southern India, the region of Andhra Pradesh where until the mid-20 th c. the telia rumal cotton ikats, a form of handkerchiefs, survived.

Learn and Acquire Ikat Here in the U.S.
The U.S has its ikat masters too-weavers who have studied and pursued the making of this complex art form for decades. Perhaps you have had the privilege of studying with or viewing the work of these masters: Virginia Davis, Hillary Steel, Wendy Weiss and Mary Zicafoose. A year ago, I took a weeklong immersive ikat tutorial with master Polly Barton at her studio in Santa Fe. Polly's ikat work is based on the Japanese tradition of "kasuri" having studied with master weaver, Tomohiko Inoue in Kameoka, Japan, in the early 80s. This type of ikat lends itself well to small studio work. It's only now that I have carved out time to weave the ikat prepared a year ago. If I have the gumption, you may see the finished piece in a future blog.

If ikat has pursued you the way it has me, share your stories with us.

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Handweaving of ikat cloth is not for sissies. The laborious and skillful process of resist-dyeing and weaving fine threads is not one quickly learned.

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Technique

Ikat is produced in many traditional textile centres around the world, from India to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called "kasuri"), Africa and Latin America. Double ikats-in which both the warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed before being woven into a single textile-are relatively rare because of the intensive skilled labour required to produce them. They are produced in Okinawa islands of Japan, the village of Tenganan in Indonesia, and the villages of Puttapaka and Bhoodan Pochampally in Telangana in India. In fact, many other parts of India have their indigenous Ikat weaving techniques. Orissa's Sambalpuri Ikat is quite different from the sharp Ikat patterns, woven in Patan of Gujarat. The latter, known as Patan Patola, is one of the rarest forms of double Ikat, which takes a lot of time and effort in dyeing and weaving. A different form of Patola ikat is made in Rajkot, Gujarat. Telia Rumal made in Andhra, Pasapalli from Odisha and Puttapaka from Telangana are other Indian Ikats.

In weft ikat it is the weaving or weft yarn that carries the dyed patterns. Therefore, the pattern only appears as the weaving proceeds. Weft ikats are much slower to weave than warp ikat because the weft yarns must be carefully adjusted after each passing of the shuttle to maintain the clarity of the design.In warp ikat it is only the warp yarns that are dyed using the ikat technique. The weft yarns are dyed a solid colour. The ikat pattern is clearly visible in the warp yarns wound onto the loom even before the weft is woven in. Warp ikat is, amongst others, produced in Indonesia; more specifically in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Sumatra by respectively the Dayaks, Torajans and Bataks.

Double Ikat is a technique in which both warp and the weft are resist-dyed prior to weaving. Obviously it is the most difficult to make and the most expensive. Double ikat is only produced in three countries: India, Japan and Indonesia. The double ikat made in Patan, Gujarat in India is the most complicated. Called "patola," it is made using fine silk yarns and many colours. It may be patterned with a small motif that is repeated many times across the length of a six-meter sari. Sometimes the Patan double ikat is pictorial with no repeats across its length. That is, each small design element in each colour was individually tied in the warp and weft yarns. It's an extraordinary achievement in the textile arts. These much sought after textiles were traded by the Dutch East Indies company for exclusive spice trading rights with the sultanates of Indonesia. The double ikat woven in the small Bali Aga village, Tenganan in east Bali in Indonesia reflects the influence of these prized textiles. Some of the Tenganan double ikat motifs are taken directly from the patola tradition. In India double ikat is also woven in Puttapaka, Nalgonda District and is called Puttapaka Saree.[ In Japan, double ikat is woven in the Okinawa islands where it is called tate-yoko gasuri.
Pasapalli Ikat is a one of the gorgeous Ikkat saree and Pasapalli ikat saree made in Odisha. The word Pasapalli comes from 'Pasa' which means a board game with four clear parts (much like Ludo). Each pasapalli ikat saree or material - which is actually made with the same technique as the famed Sambalpuri Ikat - has some or the other form of this chequered design

Application

Ikat created by dyeing the warp are simpler to make than either weft ikat or double ikat. First the yarns--cotton, silk, wool or other fibres-are wound onto a frame. Then they are tied into bundles. The bundles may be covered with wax, as in batik. (However, in making batik, the craftsperson applies the resist to the finished cloth rather than to the yarns to be woven.) The warp yarns are then wrapped tightly with thread or some other dye-resistant material to prevent unwanted dye permeation. The procedure is repeated, depending on the number of colours required to complete the design. Multiple coloration is common, requiring multiple rounds of tying and dyeing. The newly dyed and thoroughly washed bundles are wound onto the loom to produce the warp (longitudinal yarns). Warp threads are adjusted for the desired alignment for precise motifs.

Some ikat traditions, such as Central Asia's, embrace a blurred aesthetic in the design. Other traditions favour a more precise and more difficult to achieve refinement in the placement of the ikat yarns. South American and Indonesian ikat are known for a high degree of warp alignment. Weavers must adjust the warp repeatedly to maintain pattern alignment.

Patterns result from a combination of the warp dye and the weft thread colour. Some warp ikat traditions are designed with vertical-axis symmetry or have a "mirror-image" running along their long centre line. That is, whatever pattern or design is woven on the right is duplicated on the left in reverse order about a central warp thread group. Patterns can be created in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal.

Weft ikat
Nevertheless, highly skilled artisans can produce precise weft ikat. Japanese weavers produce very accurate indigo and white weft ikat with small scale motifs in cotton. Weavers in Odisha, India have replicated fine Urdu script in weft ikat. In Thailand, weavers make very fine silk sarongs depicting birds and complex geometrical designs in seven colour weft ikat.Weft ikat uses resist-dyeing for the weft yarns. The movement of the weft yarns in the weaving process means precisely delineated patterns are more difficult to weave. The weft yarn must be adjusted after each passing of the shuttle to preserve the pattern.

In some precise weft ikat traditions (Gujarat, India), two artisans weave the cloth: one passes the shuttle and the other adjusts the way the yarn lies in the shed.

As the weft is commonly a continuous strand, aberrations or variation in coloration are cumulative. Some weft ikat traditions incorporate this affect into their aesthetic. Patterns become transformed by the weaving process into irregular and erratic designs. Guatemalan ikat is well-noted for its beautiful "blurs."

Double ikat
Double Ikat is created by resist-dyeing both the warp and weft prior to weaving.

This form of weaving requires the most skill for precise patterns to be woven and is considered the premiere form of ikat. The amount of labour and skill required also make it the most expensive, and many poor quality cloths flood the tourist markets. Indian and Indonesian examples typify highly precise double ikat. Especially prized are the double ikats woven in silk known in India as patola (singular: patolu). These are from Gujarat (Cambay). During the colonial era, Dutch merchants used patola as prestigious trade cloths during the peak of the spice trade.[13]

In Indonesia double ikat is only woven in the Bali Aga village of Tenganan. These cloths have high spiritual significance. In Tenganan they are still worn for specific ceremonies. Outside Tenganan, geringsing are treasured as they are purported to have magical powers.

The double ikat of Japan is woven in the Okinawa islands and is called tate-yoko gasuri.

Pochampally Sari, a variety from a small village in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India is known for silk saris woven in the double Ikat.[citation needed]

The Puttapaka Saree is made in Puttapaka village, Samsthan Narayanpuram mandal in Nalgonda district, India. It is known for its unique style of silk saris. The symmetric design is over 200 years old. The Ikat is warp-based. The Puttapaka Saree is a double ikat.

Before the weaving is done, a manual winding of yarn, called Asu, needs to be performed. This process takes up to 5 hours per sari and is usually done by the womenfolk, who suffer physical strain through constantly moving their hands back and forth over 9000 times for each sari. In 1999, a young weaver C Mallesham developed a machine which automated Asu, thus developing a technological solution for a decades-old unsolved problem.[15]

Meaning & Symbols

Ikat is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can be the nouns: cord, thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as the verbs "to tie" or "to bind". It has a direct etymological relation to Javanese language of the same word. Thus, the name of the finished ikat woven fabric originates from the tali (threads, ropes) being ikat (tied, bound, knotted) before they are being put in celupan (dyed by way of dipping), then berjalin (woven, intertwined) resulting in a berjalin ikat- reduced to ikat.

The introduction of the term ikat into European language is attributed to Rouffaer. Ikat is now a generic English loanword used to describe the process and the cloth itself regardless of where the fabric was produced or how it is patterned.

In Indonesian the plural of ikat remains ikat. However, in English a suffix plural 's' is commonly added, as in ikats. This is true in other some other languages. All are correct.

Origin

As textiles do not last well through history, scholars have so far been unable to determine where the technique of ikat originated. Nevertheless, some parts of Asia demonstrates strong ikat traditions which suggest its possible origin; they are Maritime Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.[10] However, it probably developed in several different locations independently, since ikat was known to be produced in several pre-Columbian Central and South American cultures.

The term "ikat" has Indonesian origin, and it was introduced into European textile vocabulary back in early 20th century, when the Dutch scholars begin to study the rich textile traditions of East Indies archipelago (today Indonesia).

Uyghurs call it atlas (in IPA [ɛtlɛs]) and use it only for woman's clothing. The historical record indicates that there were 27 types of atlas during Qing occupation. Now there are only four types of Uyghur atlas remaining: Qara-atlas (Darayi, black ikat used for older women's clothing), Khoja'e-atlas (yellow, blue, purple ikat used for married women), Qizil-atlas (red ikat used for girls) and Yarkant-atlas (Khan-atlas). Yarkant-atlas has more diverse styles; during Yarkant Khanate (16th century), there ten different styles of Yarkant-atlas.

Distribution
Ikat is a weaving style common to many world cultures. It is probably one of the oldest forms of textile decoration. However, it is most prevalent in Indonesia, India and Japan. In Central and South America, ikat is still common in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.

In the 19th century, the Silk Road desert oases of Bukhara, Samarkand, Hotan and Kashgar (in what is now Uzbekistan and Xinjiang in Central Asia) were famous for their fine silk Uzbek/Uyghur ikat.

India, Japan, Indonesia and many other Southeast Asian nations including Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand have weaving cultures with long histories of ikat production.

Double ikat weaving is still found in India, Japan and Indonesia. In Indonesia, it is still woven in Bali, Java, Kalimantan or Borneo and Sumatra.

Oshima
Oshima ikat is a uniquely Japanese ikat. In Oshima, the warp and weft threads are both used as warp to weave stiff fabric, upon which the thread for the ikat weaving is spot-dyed. Then the mats are unravelled and the dyed thread is woven into oshima cloth.

The Oshima process is duplicated in Java and Bali, and is reserved for ruling royalty, notably Klungkung and Ubud: most especially the dodot cloth semi-cummerbund of Javanese court attire.

Other countries

Cambodia
The Cambodian ikat is a weft ikat woven of silk on a multi-shaft loom with an uneven twill weave, which results in the weft threads showing more prominently on the front of the fabric than the back.

By the 19th century, Cambodian ikat was considered among the finest textiles of the world. When the King of Thailand came to the US in 1856, he brought as a gift for President Franklin Pierce fine Cambodian ikat cloth.[18] The most intricately patterned of the Cambodian fabrics are the sampot hol-skirts worn by the women-and the pidans-wall hangings used to decorate the pagoda or the home for special ceremonies.

Unfortunately, Cambodian culture suffered massive disruption and destruction during the mid-20th century Indochina wars but most especially during the Khmer Rouge regime. Most weavers were killed and the whole art of Cambodian ikat was in danger of disappearing.

Kikuo Morimoto is a prominent pioneer in re-introducing ikat to Cambodia. In 1995, he moved from Japan and located one or two old lady weavers and Khmer Rouge survivors who knew the art and have taught it to a new generation.

Thailand
In Thailand, the local weft ikat type of woven cloth is known as Matmi (also spelled 'Mudmee' or 'Mudmi').[19] Traditional Mudmi cloth was woven for daily use among the nobility. Other uses included ceremonial costumes. Warp ikat in cotton is also produced by the Karen and Lawa tribal peoples in northern Thailand.

This type of cloth is the favourite silk item woven by ethnic Khmer people living in southern Isaan, mainly in Surin, Sisaket and Buriram.

Latin America
The Mexican rebozos can be made from silk, wool or cotton and are frequently ikat dyed. These shawls are seen as a part of the Mexican national identity and most women own at least one.Ikat patterns are common among the Andes peoples, and native people of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The Mapuche shawl or poncho of the Huaso cowboys of Chile is perhaps the item best known in the West. Wool and cabuya fibre are the most commonly used.

Latin American ikat (Jaspe, as it is known to Maya weavers) textiles are commonly woven on a back-strap loom. Pre-dyed warp threads are a common item in traditional markets- saving the weaver much mess, expense, time and labour. A Latin American innovation which may also be employed elsewhere is to employ a round stick around which warp threads are wrapped in groups, thus allowing more precise control of the desired design. The "corte" is the typical wrap skirt used worn by Guatemalan women.

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Ikat, or ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.

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Encountering traditional Peruvian textiles can be an intense experience. Their vibrant colors and striking designs give us a glimpse into the myths and arts of ancient Peru - and into an era when all textiles were imbued with meaning.

Expanding on our earlier report about Peru's Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, contributor Anne-Laure Camilleri takes a longer look at the center and its founder, Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, exclusively for THE KINDCRAFT.

During the mighty Inca empire, feathered cloaks and fine handwoven fabrics displayed wealth and status. Textiles were so integral to their political, social and ritual life, in fact, that Inca rulers established textile centers to sustain the weaving of these beautiful cloths. The enigmatic appeal of Andean textiles has lived on through the centuries: Pre-Columbian weavings are known to have influenced 20 th century Bauhaus artists such as Paul Klee, Josef and Anni Albers, and American textile artist Sheila Hicks.

Located in the heart of Cusco, the capital city of the Inca empire, the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco ( CTTC) stands as a bridge between past and present Peruvian cultural identity. Established in 1996 by a group of Chinchero weavers, it's led by award-winning author and Quechua master weaver Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez.

Nina Callañaupa Alvarez

Alvarez learned her craft growing up in Chinchero, a small village located 30km northeast of Cusco. As a little girl, she says she spent her days looking after her parent's sheep flock in the majestic Chinchero Highlands. She learned to spin and weave from an elderly woman whose skills sparked her interest in fine handmade fabrics.

Intertwined throughout her life, she says, have been the threads of her academic education and her indigenous traditions. Weaving provided Alvarez a reliable source of income during her college years at Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. After she graduated in 1986 (the first in her community to do so), she received a six month grant to study textile history in Berkeley, California. Returning home to evaluate her career options, Alvarez says she decided on a path which would combine her academic and traditional arts experiences - working with traditional Peruvian Textiles and traveling to North America to teach her art.

The Birth of CTTC

The idea of creating a group which would preserve Cusco's textile heritage had its origins during the mid-1970s. Some weavers in Chinchero (including Alvarez's own relatives) were deeply concerned that young people were turning away from weaving and that complex designs were being forgotten. Determined to revive their traditional textiles, this small group began to work together, using handspun yarn and natural fibers like alpaca, llama, and sheep's wool as a first step toward restoring high-quality indigenous textiles.

This informal cultural project ultimately developed into CTTC: In 1996, Alvarez and supporters from the USA joined these efforts and formed a non-profit organization with headquarters in Cusco. Envisioned as an educational and research center, the CTTC's primary mission is to preserve and to promote high-quality traditional Cusqueñan textiles. The group also provides direct support to the weavers through the sale of their products.

CTTC is proactively preserving hand-spinning and reviving intricate weaving techniques through its research, demonstrations, and workshops. Long-forgotten designs are being woven again and ancient textiles (like the Aksu Inca dress) can be reproduced with similar colors. Following years of research and lengthy testing, natural dyeing techniques were re-introduced in 1999 to replace the synthetic dyes widely used in the Andes for decades. Natural fibers react differently to natural dyes and all CTTC's weavers were trained to dye their yarn using dyes from flowers, leaves, vines, lichen, fungus, and cochineal.

"All of the un-dyed textiles they weave are in alpaca fiber as alpaca comes in many different natural tones," explains Sarah Lyon of CTTC's Education Department. "Sheep wool dyes much better than alpaca fiber. When you dye sheep wool, it comes out bright. When you dye alpaca, it comes out lighter - more like pastel colors." Weavers often prefer sheep yarn for the warp because they weave warp-faced textiles and use alpaca for the weft. The end result is a brightly-hued textile that is slightly softer due to the alpaca weft.

Peruvian Textiles - Techniques & Designs

All textiles are woven on a backstrap loom or on a four-post loom, a horizontal loom fixed to the ground with four stakes. CTTC is selling the perennial mantas or llicllas (women's carrying shawls), ponchos, chullos (knitted hat), and chuspas (traditional bag) - but has adjusted to recent market trends by transposing traditional Peruvian textiles into modern and functional items like pillow covers, placemats, handbags, table runners or backpacks.

Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez says that globalization has affected many traditional practices within the communities. "Today plastic bags are everywhere, replacing our traditional carrying cloths - but the Pitumarca community is still weaving traditional striped potato sacks using undyed llama wool."

She also says that the demands of the foreign markets drive additional changes. "We encourage the weavers to take advantage of the rich palettes of the natural dyes and, sometimes, we have our say in the color combinations or the size and styles of the textiles. But we never change the traditional patterns. This is something we have to respect totally. Some new items may not be typically traditional, but our members must weave at least two traditional pieces each year for their own use or for our store."

Warp-faced weaving is the most commonly used technique in the Andes. Complementary warp (pallay) and supplementary warp ( ley pallay) are two variations of this technique in which the warp creates the design and completely covers the weft. Wide textiles such as ponchos, blankets or bed throws are made with at least two handwoven pieces sewn together with ch'ukay, a traditional embroidery sewing stitch with a characteristic design.

"Ch'ukayare both functional and decorative," says Lyon. "While they are physically necessary to hold together the two sides of the poncho or blanket, they are also decorative, and each community has developed its own pattern. For example, in Chinchero the weavers sew a zig-zag seam called q'inqu while, in Mahuaypampa, weavers use a seam that represents petticoats. In Chahuaytire, weavers sew chaska (stars or roses)," she says .

Designs and skills have been handed down from generation to generation. However without any written records for thousands of years, this customary transmission of skills nearly disappeared during the 20 th century. CTTC is deeply committed to researching the extensive iconography of Peruvian textiles and has recovered over 110 ancient designs from antique textiles. Most designs reflect the weaver's natural environment, depicting animal and plants or special events and all are woven from memory.

Visiting Cusco's Weavers

Each village has its own patterns, unique weaving techniques, and styles of clothing which indicate indigenous identity and the wearer's community. CTTC has built a weaving center in several communities where the weavers meet once a week, working side by side and wearing traditional clothing distinctive to their village.

Chahuaytire

The village of Chahuaytireis located above the town of Pisac, 25 miles north of Cusco. Thirty-two weavers gather on Wednesdays in their large weaving center. They unroll their backstrap loom, tie it to a pole, and fasten the waist strap to the loom bar. Many men have learned to weave since the village partnered with CTTC and are known to work exceptionally fast.

Chahuaytire textiles are renowned for their stunning color combinations derived from naturally dyed yarn. The community produces double-faced textiles (complementary warp) in which the pattern is the same on both side but the colors opposite and some single-sided textiles (supplementary warp).

Chinchero

As the founders of CTTC, Chincheroweavers set an early example for other communities and remain the most famous weaving community of the Cusco area. The members offer free weaving, knitting, and natural dyeing demonstrations to visitors every day of the week. The characteristic features of Chinchero lliclla (blanket) is a plain-weave middle section in indigo blue or red cochineal with geometric designs on both sides.

Chinchero weavers have also created a tubular border patterned with eyes, called ñawi awapa. "Many other communities weave tubular borders similar to ñawi awapa," says Ms Lyon. "In Chahuaytire and Accha Alta, they weave the tubular border called chichilla which also produces an eye design while, in Patabamba, they weave a very simple tubular border called chinka chinka. "

Pitumarca

The small town of Pitumarca is a two-hour drive south of Cusco. Its weaving association is the only group to continue ticlla, a discontinuous warp and weft technique used by pre-Inca cultures such as the Paracas and Nazca. Elders within the community who had retained this technique are helping CTTC to revive it by training young members.

About 50 weavers of all generations gather on Saturdays in their weaving center. There, they practice their unique weaving skills - such as weft-faced tapestry weaves or the supplementary warp technique. Women and men learn to spin consistent yarn from a raw fleece at an early age using a pushka (drop spindle) and often spin throughout their entire lives. Weaving requires a good eyesight and beating the weft in place on a backstrap loom is physically taxing; older women and men who can no longer weave continue to spin, ply, and then sell or trade their yarn.

Santa Cruz de Sallac

Nestled at the end of a dirt road (and a slow 40-minute drive from the main road), the remote Santa Cruz de Sallacweaving center has a magnificent view of the valley below. About 45 adult weavers and 20 children are members of the weaving association supported by the CTTC since 2005. They meet on Saturdays, spinning, weaving, or knitting hats (called chullos) together.

The Santa Cruz de Sallac weaving community is known for practicing two unique Peruvian textile techniques: Watay can be traced back to the pre-Inca Nazca and Huari cultures; the weavers have revived this resist-dyeing technique with which they create the pattern of the Inca cross (called Chakana), a strong spiritual symbol of Peru. But perhaps their most characteristic skill is the hybrid weaving-embroidery technique. A plain-weave cloth is woven on a backstrap loom, then taken off the loom by the weaver who embroiders patterns onto it, using a needle and different color threads. The finished products look as though they were produced by a supplementary weft weaving technique.

Present Impact (And Future Plans)

Household incomes in the Andes are typically generated from a combination of weaving and livestock farming (and often mixing cash with the barter of goods). Through its purchase of artisan products, CTTC supports close to 600 people in the Cusco area. The group has established strong partnerships with ten Quechua-speaking weaving communities in the Cusco region and is currently working with 450 adult weavers in addition to elderly spinners and groups of children.

The CTTC museum also supports the community through its "Weaving Lives" exhibition, offering an educational journey through Andean past and present cultural identity. The exhibition describes the weaving processes and the origins of natural dyes, as well as showcasing the designs, styles, and the importance of woven textiles in both daily life and ceremonies.

Collecting high-quality vintage Peruvian textiles is another important mission and, through donations and purchases, CTTC has built a unique collection of ethnic Cusqueñan textiles. It currently includes nearly 1,500 pieces, with some rare items dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. CTTC also frequently shows pieces from this collection in temporary exhibits at other museums - but intends to open its own museum to exhibit their permanent collection once space and funds allow.

CTTC founder and director Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez says she has pledged herself to restoring community pride in these indigenous arts through the center's exhibitions and community education efforts. This may be a challenge for her: Cultural identities that were, in centuries past, quite literally woven into clothing have become looked down upon by young and urban people today,

Alvarez says, however, she believes minds are slowly changing: "Today, children wear their traditional clothing comfortably during festivals or celebrations. We have been educating in many ways, but we still have a lot to do - especially with city people."

To Learn More...

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Meet the Quechua Woman Reviving a Sacred Peruvian Tradition

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Encountering traditional Peruvian textiles can be an intense experience. Their vibrant colors and striking designs give us a glimpse into the myths and arts of ancient Peru - and into an era when all textiles were imbued with meaning.

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Did you know that Andean textiles tell stories? The Quechua language is an oral language - it was never traditionally written down. Communication was always expressed verbally. Without writing, you may wonder how Quechua communities recorded historical events or other observations for posterity. Well, it was through textiles!

Weavings are also capable of communicating abstract concepts. For example, the use of light and dark colours in a single pallay can represent the important Andean concept of duality: night/day, male/female, light/dark, good/evil.

Weaving was - and in many cases still is - a means for a weaver to record her thoughts and impressions about life, her community, the natural environment, and even abstract concepts. There are literally hundreds of woven designs, known as pallay, some common across the Andes and others restricted to just one or a handful of localized communities. Many are representational, depicting specific plants, animals and other natural elements or phenomena such as the sun, stars, moon and lightning, or everyday objects, like farming tools, combs or scales. Sometimes there are different pallay to represent the same thing, often from different angles; other times, different communities will weave the same design but give it different meanings.

This interesting symbol is sometimes interpreted to mean "community", showing a representation of the division of fields among different families, or the rotating agricultural practise of sowing some fields while leaving others fallow. It can also represent the more abstract concept of ayni - the spirit of reciprocity that is such a central Andean value.

Some pallay date back to pre-Inca times while others might be very recent innovations; historical events also find their way into the woven record. This is why we see certain pallay that represent early Spaniards, ships, and historical figures and events, such as the execution of revolutionary leader, Tupac Amaru II.

Additional meaning can be encoded depending on the placement in the textile (for instance, whether it's near the edge or in the centre), its placement in relation to other pallays, the colours used, or even which type of textile it's used in.

Consider this textile: To the casual observer, the inclusion of stripes of bright "rainbow" colours might seem out of place, but these colours are actually the representative colours of the city of Cusco. This weaver is clearly making a statement about city life!

The types of pallay used, their placement in relation to one another and the colours employed can be very distinct from community to community, helping to identify one's origins and promote a sense of belonging. Chinchero is a community with a very distinctive style, and easily recognizable.

Similarly, the textiles from communities like Parobamba are very distinctive - and entirely different! Interestingly, Parobamba is located on the edge of the Cusqueñan jungle - hence the use of the bright, more tropical colours, and the extensive use of pallay, perhaps representative of the abundance of vegetation and fauna.

With so much variety, it's easy to see how these different pallay can be used like a language to create intricate patterns of meaning!

by Sarah Confer, Threads of Peru past Project Coordinator and Project Advisor.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANDEAN TEXTILES?

Learn more about Andean textiles symbols and patterns here!

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Andean textiles tell stories... literally!

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Did you know that Andean textiles tell stories? The Quechua language is an oral language - it was never traditionally written down. Communication was always expressed verbally. Without writing, you may wonder how Quechua communities recorded historical events or other observations for posterity. Well, it was through textiles!

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Who are Indigenous Peoples in Canada?

There are three categories of Indigenous peoples in Canada: Inuit, Métis and First Nations. The Inuit primarily inhabit the northern regions of Canada. Their homeland, known as Inuit Nunangat, includes much of the land, water and ice contained in the Arctic region. Métis peoples are of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, and live mostly in the Prairie provinces and Ontario, but also in other parts of the country. First Nations peoples were the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada, often occupying territories south of the Arctic.

The - the principal statute through which the federal government manages a variety of issues concerning Indigenous affairs - further divides Indigenous peoples into two categories: Status Indians and Non-Status Indians. ( See also Indian Status.) Status Indians are individuals who are listed in the Indian Register and are issued identification cards (known as status cards) that contain information about their identity, band and registration number. Non-Status Indians are Indigenous peoples who are not registered with the federal government ( See also Indian).

All Indigenous peoples in Canada are protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which enshrines Indigenous rights. The federal government departments responsible for the affairs of Indigenous peoples are Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Indigenous Services.

Many Indigenous nations have signed treaties with the Crown. These agreements have allowed for the use of Indigenous lands in exchange for annual payments and/or other benefits. Treaties form the constitutional and moral basis of alliance between Indigenous peoples and Canada.

History

Indigenous peoples have been in Canada since time immemorial. They formed complex social, political, economic and cultural systems before Europeans came to North America.

With colonization and white settlement, traditional Indigenous ways of life were forever altered. Colonial practices and policies, such as the , pass system, reserves and residential schools, sought to control and assimilate Indigenous peoples. These have had historic and ongoing impacts on generations of Indigenous peoples.

Such practices and polices, when combined with racism, acts of segregation, loss of land, and declining or unequal access to food resources and public services, have had devastating consequences on the health and socio-economic well-being of Indigenous peoples. ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples and Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples.)

The final reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women speak to ongoing work of reconciliation.

Demographics

In the 2021 census, 1,807,250 people in Canada identified as Indigenous, making up 5 per cent of the national population. The First Nations population numbered 1,048,405, the Métis population was 624,220, and the Inuit population reached 70,545.

The Indigenous population in Canada is growing steadily; between 2006 and 2016, it has grown by 42.5 per cent, more than four times the growth rate of the non-Indigenous population. From 2016 to 2021, the Indigenous population grew 9.4 per cent. This indicates the Indigenous population was growing at nearly twice the rate of the non-Indigenous population. Statistics Canada projected, in 2016, that in the next 20 years, the Indigenous population will likely grow to more than 2.5 million people. The changes in population reflect increased life expectancy, high birth rates, and more people identifying as Indigenous in the 2016 census.

The 2016 census showed population growth in First Nations communities both on and off reserve; from 2006 to 2016, the on-reserve population grew 12.8 percent while the off-reserve population grew 49.1 per cent. Statistics Canada also reported that the Métis are the most likely Indigenous group to live in an urban community; nearly two-thirds of the population lived in a city in 2016. For the Inuit, nearly 75 per cent of the population inhabit Inuit Nunangat, a stretch of traditional territory covering the land, water and ice contained in the Arctic.

Did you know?
In the 2016 Census, 11,620 people in Canada claimed Cherokee ancestry. The Cherokee Nation is the largest tribal nation in the United States.

Regional and Cultural Diversity

Indigenous peoples, both historical and contemporary, in North America can be divided into 10 cultural areas. Only the first six areas are found within the borders of Canada:

Contemporary political borders in North America do not reflect (and often overlap) traditional lands. For example, the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne straddles both provincial ( Québec and Ontario) and international (New York State) borders, as its existence predates the establishment of the international border in 1783 ( See also Indigenous Territory).

These areas are based on linguistic divisions first defined by the ethnologist and linguist Edward Sapir in 1910, while he was head of the Anthropology Division at the Geological Survey of Canada, which later became the Canadian Museum of History ( See also Indigenous Languages in Canada). Sapir's geographical framework was adopted by the Smithsonian Institution's Handbook of North American Indians, the first volumes of which were published in 1978, and continues to be used widely in scholarship.

The Handbook states that these categories are "used in organizing and referring to information about contiguous groups that are or were similar in culture and history," but it is important to note that these delineations are not concrete, and neighbouring peoples always share some similarities and some differences. Rather than representing 10 distinct cultures, these areas reflect geographic and cultural groupings that are fluid and often intermixed. In addition, contemporary Indigenous peoples may live far from their ancestral homelands, and indeed may form new communities rooted in urban centres rather than traditional lands.

These cultural areas are massive and generalized; what is true of a part is not always true of the whole. For example, some sources further divide the Eastern Woodlands into the Southeast and Northeast regions, while others combine these regions into simply Woodlands, and as such one must not assume that all peoples in a cultural area shared the same experiences.

Research overviews of the six cultural areas in Canada provide only some specific anthropological information. The peoples included in these areas are in some ways similar and in other ways different. What is true for the Wendat may not have been true for the Mi'kmaq, and indeed there existed variations among bands within a group. When considering contemporary situations, it is impossible to assume that one issue, set of beliefs, or cultural reference can relate to all Indigenous people in Canada, though in contemporary politics, large-scale political movements like Idle No More have gained wide acceptance and mobilization.

The ethnologists, archaeologists and anthropologists who have written about these cultural regions were often not Indigenous themselves. Though much of this research was done through interviews and fieldwork, it inevitably operated within a settler-colonial framework - a worldview that privileges property acquisition, European-style government and economic growth - regardless of the positive intentions of the researcher. Nevertheless, this research remains valuable both as historical and historiographical tools.

List of Indigenous Peoples in Canada

In 2016, more than 1.6 million people identified as Indigenous in Canada. Below is a list of separate entries on various Indigenous nations in Canada. This is not a comprehensive list, but it provides insight into the history, society, culture, politics and contemporary life of various First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada.

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In Canada, the term Indigenous peoples (or Aboriginal peoples) refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. These are the original inhabitants of the land...

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Textile arts of indigenous peoples of the Americas are decorative, utilitarian, ceremonial, or conceptual artworks made from plant, animal, or synthetic fibers by native peoples of both North and South America.

Textile arts and fiber arts include fabric that is flexible woven material, as well as felt, bark cloth, knitting, embroidery, featherwork, skin-sewing, beadwork, and similar media. Textile arts are one of the earliest known industries. Basketry is associated with textile arts.

While humans have created textiles since the dawn of culture, many are fragile and disintegrate rapidly. Ancient textiles are preserved only by special environmental conditions. The oldest known textiles in the Americas are some early fiberwork found in Guitarrero Cave, Peru dating back to 10,100 to 9,080 BCE.

The oldest known textiles in North America are twine and plain weave fabrics preserved in a peat pond at the Windover Archaeological Site in Florida, the earliest dating to 6,000 BCE.

As previously mentioned, fragments of rope and textiles dating back between 12,100 and 11,080 years ago have been unearthed from Guitarrero Cave in Peru. Because of the extremely dry conditions of the desert sands, twined textiles from the Norte Chico civilization in Peru have survived, dating back to 2500-1800 BCE. Cotton and wool from alpaca, llamas, and vicuñas have been woven into elaborate textiles for thousands of years in the Andes and are still important parts of Quechua and Aymara culture today. Coroma in Antonio Quijarro Province, Bolivia is a major center for ceremonial textile production. An Aymara elder from Coroma said, "In our sacred weavings are expressions of our philosophy, and the basis for our social organization... The sacred weavings are also important in differentiating one community, or ethnic group, from a neighboring group..." Aguayos are clothes woven from camelid fibers with geometric designs that Andean women wear and use for carrying babies or goods.

Awasaka was the most common grade of weaving produced by the Incas of all the ancient Peruvian textiles, this was the grade most commonly used in the production of Inca clothing. Awaska was made from llama or alpaca wool and had a high thread count (approximately 120 threads per inch). Thick garments made from awaska were worn as standard amongst the lower-classes of the Andean highlands, while lighter cotton clothing was produced on the warmer coastal lowlands. Peruvian Pima cotton, as used by the Incas, is still regarded as one of the finest cottons available on today's market.

The finest Inca textiles were reserved for the nobility and the royalty, including the emperor himself. This cloth, known as qompi, was of exceptionally high quality and required a specialized and state-run body of dedicated workers. Qompi was made from the finest materials available, alpaca, particularly baby alpaca, and vicuña wool were used to create elaborate and richly decorated items. As a result of their smoothness, Inca textiles made of vicuña fiber are described as "silk" by the first Spanish explorers. Remarkably, the finest Inca cloth had a thread count of more than 600 threads per inch, higher than that found in contemporaneous European textiles and not excelled anywhere in the world until the industrial revolution in the 19th century.

Kuna tribal members of Panama and Colombia are famous for their molas, cotton panels with elaborate geometric designs created by a reverse appliqué technique. Designs originated from traditional skin painting designs but today exhibit a wide range of influences, including pop culture. Two mola panels form a blouse. When a Kuna woman is tired of a blouse, she can disassemble it and sell the molas to art collectors.

Mayan women have woven cotton with backstrap looms for centuries, creating items such as or traditional blouses. Elaborate Maya textiles featured representations of animals, plants, and figures from oral history. In modern times, weaving serves as both an art form and a source of income. Organizing into weaving collectives have helped Mayan women earn better money for their work and greatly expand the reach of Mayan textiles in the world.

Pieces of 7,000- to 8,000-year-old fabric have been found with human burials at the Windover Archaeological Site in Florida. The burials were in a peat pond. The fabric had turned into peat, but was still identifiable. Many bodies at the site had been wrapped in fabric before burial. Eighty-seven pieces of fabric were found associated with 37 burials. Researchers have identified seven different weaves in the fabric. One kind of fabric had 26 strands per inch (10 strands per centimeter). There were also weaves using two-strand and three-strand wefts. A round bag made from twine was found, as well as matting. The yarn was probably made from palm leaves. Cabbage palm, saw palmetto and scrub palmetto are all common in the area, and would have been so 8,000 years ago.

Seminole seamstresses, upon gaining access to sewing machines in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, invented an elaborate appliqué patchwork tradition. Seminole patchwork, for which the tribe is known today, came into full flower in the 1920s.

Great Lakes and Prairie tribes are known for their ribbonwork, found on clothing and blankets. Strips of silk ribbons are cut and appliquéd in layers, creating designs defined by negative space. The colors and designs might reflect the clan or gender of the wearer. Powwow and other dance regalia from these tribes often feature ribbonwork. These tribes are also known for their fingerwoven sashes.

Experimental contemporary textile artists include Martha Gradolf ( Ho-Chunk), whose work addresses historic injustices against native peoples, and Marie Watt ( Seneca), who creates installations and interactive artworks using blankets as a metaphor.

Pueblo men weave with cotton on upright looms. Their mantas and sashes are typically made for ceremonial use for the community, not for outside collectors.

Navajo rugs are woven by Navajo women today from Navajo-Churro sheep or commercial wool. Designs can be pictorial or abstract, based on traditional Navajo, Spanish, Oriental, or Persian designs. 20th century Navajo weavers include Clara Sherman and Hosteen Klah, who co-founded the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.

Valencia, Joseph and Ramona Sakiestewa ( Hopi) and Melissa Cody ( Navajo) explore non-representational abstraction and use experimental materials in their weaving.

Traditional textiles of Northwest Coast tribes are enjoying a dramatic revival. Chilkat weaving and ravenstail weaving are regarded as some of the most difficult weaving techniques in the world. A single Chilkat blanket can take an entire year to weave. In both techniques, dog, mountain goat, or sheep wool and shredded cedar bark are combined to create textiles featuring curvilinear formline designs. Tlingit weaver Jennie Thlunaut (1892-1986) was instrumental in this revival.

Button blankets are wool blankets embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons worn on significant occasions, such as potlatches.

1. ^ Stacey, Kevin. "Carbon dating identifies South America's oldest textiles." University of Chicago Press Journals. 13 April 2013.

2. ^ Spike, Tamara. "Review of Doran, Glen H., ed., Windover: Multidisciplinary Investigations of an Early Archaic Florida Cemetery". Humanities and Social Sciences Online.

3. ^ INCA: Textiles and Ornaments of the Andes. e L. Bjerregaard, S.Desrosiers, B.Devia, P.Dransart, E.Dufour, P.Eeckhout, C.Giuntini, N.Goepfert. A.H. Peters, E.Phipps, A.P.Rowe 208 pag. (2019), ISBN 9493039021, ISBN 9789493039025

4. ^ Maynard, Ashley E.; Greenfield, Patricia M.; Childs, Carla P. (1999). "Culture, History, Biology, and Body: Native and Non-Native Acquisition of Technological Skill". Ethos. 27 (3): 379-402. doi:10.1525/eth.1999.27.3.379. JSTOR 640594.(subscription required)

5. ^ Brown, Robin C. (1994). Florida's First People: 12,000 Years of Human History. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press. p. 23. ISBN 1-56164-032-8.

6. ^ Milanich, Jerald T. (1994). Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. pp. 74-75. ISBN 0-8130-1273-2.

7. Blackard, David M. and Patsy West. ^ Seminole Clothing: Colorful Patchwork. Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine Seminole Tribe of Florida. (retrieved 11 April 2009)

Gibbs, Charlotte Mitchell. Household Textiles. Boston: Whitcomb & Barrows, 1912.

Siegal, William (1991). Aymara-Bolivianische Textilien. Krefeld: Deutsches Textilmuseum. ISBN 978-1-135-96629-4.

Stone-Miller, Rebecca. Art of the Andes: from Chavín to Inca. London: Thames and Hudson, 2002. ISBN 978-0-500-20363-7.

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Textile arts of indigenous peoples of the Americas

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Textile arts of indigenous peoples of the Americas are decorative, utilitarian, ceremonial, or conceptual artworks made from plant, animal, or synthetic fibers by native peoples of both North and South America. Textile arts and fiber arts include fabric that is flexible woven material, as well as felt, bark cloth, knitting, embroidery, featherwork, skin-sewing, beadwork, and similar media.

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NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art

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Native American Technology & Art: An internet resource for indigenous ethno-technology focusing on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples; providing historical & contemporary background, technical instruction & references.

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The textiles of Mexico have a long history. The making of fibers, cloth and other textile goods has existed in the country since at least 1400 BCE. Fibers used during the pre-Hispanic period included those from the yucca, palm and maguey plants as well as the use of cotton in the hot lowlands of the south. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish introduced new fibers such as silk and wool as well as the European foot treadle loom. Clothing styles also changed radically. Fabric was produced exclusively in workshops or in the home until the era of Porfirio Díaz (1880s to 1910), when the mechanization of weaving was introduced, mostly by the French. Today, fabric, clothes and other textiles are both made by craftsmen and in factories. Handcrafted goods include pre-Hispanic clothing such as huipils and sarapes, which are often embroidered. Clothing, rugs and more are made with natural and naturally dyed fibers. Most handcrafts are produced by indigenous people, whose communities are concentrated in the center and south of the country in states such as Mexico State, Oaxaca and Chiapas. The textile industry remains important to the economy of Mexico although it has suffered setback due to competition by cheaper goods produced in countries such as China, India and Vietnam.

The oldest known fabric fragments in Mexico have been found in the arid north of the country in states such as Coahuila, Chihuahua and Durango and date to approximately between 1800 and 1400 BCE. In pre-Hispanic times, the most common woven fibers in dry areas were from the yucca and palm trees, with cotton grown in the hot humid areas near the coast. It was unknown to the Aztecs until they conquered cotton growing areas and began demanding it as tribute. Then, only the upper classes were permitted to wear it. Given the important status cotton cloth had, it is often used as money. For some ceremonial garments, amate or bark paper was used.

Each of the sedentary Mesoamerican cultures had a god of weaving. Women were often buried with woven items they had made. Cortés mentions the Aztecs' skill in weaving in one of this letters to the king of Spain, in very favorable terms.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the production of cloth and the wearing of clothes in Mesoamerica changed drastically. Most pre-Hispanic forms of dress and body adornment were banned by the Spanish as "uncivilized." Indigenous, European and Asian fabrics influenced Mexican cloth production by the mid colonial period. The Spanish did not favor the native cotton, nor did they find the material produced on traditional backstrap looms wide enough. New techniques and materials were introduced. Spanish modes of dress, itself a mixture of European, Asia Minor and Egyptian influences, were introduced as well. At first wool and silk fabric was imported, then sheep and silkworms as well as European foot pedal looms all by the late 1530s. By 1580, Mexico had become one of the most productive areas for wool and silk cloth. Most of the production was concentrated in the present day states of Oaxaca, Tlaxcala and Puebla. At first Spanish weavers dominated production, but they were soon replaced by native weavers who were making material cheaper. Instead of prohibiting Indian made fabric, European weavers decided instead to hire them, creating workshops. While the indigenous weavers were not paid much, the Spanish owners did make money. These workshops eventually produced enough fabric for both internal consumption and for export to Spain, the Philippines, Central America and Peru. Silk cloth production was particularly dominant from 1540 to 1580; However, the end of this period, the yearly Manila Galleon was regularly bringing cheaper silk from Asia.

While cotton cloth was not favored by the Europeans, it was still made and offered as tribute to Spanish overlords. Commercializing the fiber was difficult as the plant grows in the lowlands near the oceans and not near the manufacturing areas in the highlands, and transportation costs were high. Large cotton weaving workshops were not founded until the second half of the 17th century. Eventually, the production of this fabric as well as wool fabric filled the gap left by the disappearance of Mexican silk fabric production. Wool fabric remained important because it was favored by the upper tiers of colonial society, and because sheep could be raised near major weaving areas, such as Puebla, Querétaro, Valladolid, Acámbaro, and San Miguel de Allende.

In times past, fabric and clothing were made to last for decades, but today fabric is much cheaper and much of what clothing is bought is soon thrown away. This is mostly due to the mechanization of weaving, which has made fabric inexpensive. In Mexico, as in other parts of the world, the introduction of modern transportation and communications brought about major changes in the production and distribution of goods and in firms' management and structure. In the 19th century, industrialization affected textile production with the introduction of steam-powered machines and the efforts of French immigrants from Barcelonnette, who began to arrive in Mexico in the early 19th century. The mass production of textiles, especially cotton textiles, developed earlier than in other countries outside of Western Europe and the United States, nearing the same level as in England in the mid-18th century despite social unrest at that time. Mechanization of cloth production began in the 1830s; however, high internal taxes among states kept production facilities small and unconsolidated. While Mexican production lagged behind that of Europe, certain regions of the country such as La Laguna, in the modern states of Durango and Coahuila, became important producers of cotton fabric. The most widely produced fabric was called "manta," a natural cotton favored by many indigenous groups.

The development of steamship lines and railroad networks allowed Mexico-produced fabrics to be exported. The consolidation of power by Porfirio Díaz in the 1880s opened up business opportunities and made foreign investment possible. By the end of the 19th century, textile production and distribution was the country's largest manufacturing sector, mostly controlled by French immigrants. The immigrants worked together, forming the "Barcelonnette network." They started off with small textile mills and dry goods stores, which eventually grew into large factories and department stores, including Palacio de Hierro, which still exists. These French immigrants consolidated textile operations by the end of the 19th century, and by the start of the Mexican Revolution changed their power source from steam to electricity. They also changed textile mills from mostly family-owned organizations to more modern enterprises with professional managers and stock sold on exchanges.

Textiles is one of Mexico's more important crafts as it represents the continuation of tradition as well as its fusion with modern designs and techniques. Both pre-Hispanic and colonial era style textiles are still made in Mexico. In addition, many of the textile factories use machines based on old foot pedal looms from the colonial period. There are basically four types of fibers used for fabric production:

Vegetable products such as cotton

Animal products such as wool and silk

Minerals such as gold and silver thread

Synthetics

Raw materials for textiles fall into two groups: smooth fibers such as silk and wool, introduced to the American continent by the conquistadors; and hard fibers native to Mexico such as ixtle, lechuguilla, reeds, palm, twigs, cotton, and willow. In indigenous regions of Mexico, women are responsible for clothing the community, a process which often begins with harvesting natural fibers and then spinning, dyeing, and weaving textiles. In various parts of Mexico, both native backstrap looms and pedal-driven looms of European origin are used to weave principally cotton and wool.

Most handcrafted textiles are produced by the sixty or so indigenous ethnic groups in Mexico, who mostly live in rural areas in the center and south of the country. In these textiles, traditional indigenous designs, and in some cases techniques still survive. One common technique in craft fabric is brocade, which allows for raised designs to be woven into the cloth. Most indigenous textiles are made at home by women and used for clothing, home use, decorative use and ceremonial use. Items include those that are hand woven, hand embroidered, knitted and more. Clothing is one of the ways that these groups distinguish themselves from each other and the world at large. Some of these garments include the huipil, the quechquemitl, tilmas, sandals and rebozos. A number of ethnic groups, such as the Nahua in central Mexico commercialize their original and traditional creations as well as produce them for domestic consumption. People in coastal areas continue to plant cotton, spin it, dye it with natural elements such as indigo.

Most of the pre-Hispanic clothing that survives is for women. These include "enredos", or wrap dresses, fajas, or cloth belts, huipils, a type of tunic, quechquemitl, which is a kind of rectangular or square short poncho. The last was originally worn directly on the upper body of a woman but today it is worn over a blouse. Loose-fitting sack dresses, called huipils in Oaxaca and guanengos in Michoacán, are often heavily embroidered with straight stitching, cross stitching and tucks with floral and geometric motifs.

A widely used garment in both indigenous and mixed race communities is the rebozo. This is a long rectangular shawl used both as a wrap and as a means to carry children or heavy objects tied onto the body. The rebozo came about during the colonial period, not in the pre-Hispanic era. The rebozo is a synthesis of three historical influences, the pre-Hispanic "mámatl," the Spanish mantilla and the "repacejo," an Oriental garment. This is a long rectangular piece of cloth with long fringes at both ends. Most rebozos are made with multicolored designs woven into the pieces using threads of different colors. Those of a single color are usually made of yarn or thread that has been tie-dyed to produce color variations in the final piece. This latter style is called "jaspe" or jasper and are usually woven on backstrap looms.

The rebozo has been produced mostly in central Mexico since the colonial period, with some of the best known producers in Mexico State and Michoacan. Tenancingo is one of the best known producers of craft rebozos, usually made of cotton but wool is also used. Traditional rebozos in the Lake Pátzcuaro area are often of white and blue over a black background and may be embroidered in tiny cross stitch.

Few pre-Hispanic male clothing pieces survive since many Mesoamerican males went about nude or semi nude, causing Spanish authorities to force them to adopt European shirts and pants early. This early colonial style shirts and pants have changed little in indigenous communities and are now identified with indigenous groups, especially the Tarahumara in Chihuahua, the Tacuates in Oaxaca and the Tzeltals in Chiapas. Many male garments are heavily embroidered in multiple colors. Since indigenous pants lack pockets, many men carry decorated bags called morals. The only pre-Hispanic male garment to survive is the sarape, which is used only in certain areas of Mexico.

In addition to clothing, other items are woven such as bedspreads, blankets, hats, cinches and knapsacks. The designs for these are most often woven into the fabric itself, but embroidered stars, border designs, deer, and other can be seen as well. These items may be made with various fibers include those derived from the maguey plant.

One of the most distinctive aspects of indigenous handcrafted textiles is the use of embroidery. Indigenous motifs found on garments range from geometric patterns, zig-zag, spirals, moons, crosses and stepped frets. Thin cloth belts that wrap around the waist (fajillas) are common in a number of indigenous groups and are richly embroidered. The borders are often adorned with zig-zag edging, such as those of the Huichols. The Otomis use a moon pattern on these belts along with their morrals or carrying bags, and the Tarahumara tend to decorate theirs with triangular designs. Many of the embroidery patterns of the huipils in Oaxaca, also show pre-Hispanic influence. Flower designs are popular for embroidering women's clothing among the Otomis, Nahuas, Huastecs, Huichols and others. Spirals and curved designs appear with frequency especially in the center and south of the country.

In addition to flowers, other themes from nature in woven and embroidered designs include plants, animals such as squirrels, rabbits, deer, armadillos, doves, hummingbirds, pelicans, seagulls and fish. Mazahua embroidered belts are known for their zoomorphic designs and those of Santo Tomás Jalieza tend to have images of large plumed birds. The cloth napkins of San Mateo del Mar have images of aquatic birds such as pelicans and seagulls, with those of the Tacuates of Santiago Zacatepec have borders with many diminutive animals such as centipedes, scorpions, birds, iguanas, cats, foxes and more.

Human figures appear with relative frequency as well. They feature prominently on the embroidered napkins of San Juan Colorado and as Danza de la Pluma dancers on the cloth belts of Santo Tomás Jalieza. Patriotic symbols such as two-headed eagles, the three colors of the Mexican flag and the eagle with serpent crest. These are most prevalent in the central region of the country among the Otomis, Nahuas, Huastecos, Huicholes and others. Christian symbols such as the cross, virgins, saints, angels and other elements were introduced by evangelists in the early colonial period. These appear on small and large pieces such as men's shirts among the Tzotzil in Chiapas, in the fabrics of San Miguel Ameyalco, which feature churches, and the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe in many textiles in the Sierra Norte of Puebla.

Popular sayings or phrases also appear especially in the textiles of the Purépecha around Lake Pátzcuaro and in the state of Puebla.

Two types of looms are employed in the making are handcrafted fabrics, the pre-Hispanic backstrap loom and the introduced European foot pedal loom. Traditionally, weaving, especially on the backstrap loom, was considered to be women's work. Women still produce items such as kitchen cloths, tablecloths, carrying bags and ornamental items with traditional designs. Although considered primitive, the backstrap loom is versatile and allows for different techniques and combinations of techniques, some of which can be very complicated. It allows for the combining of different fibers such as cotton with wool or silk. Designs are woven into the cloth on this loom by changing thread colors and/or by adding items such as shells or other matter into the finished product. The backstrap loom is most prevalent in the south of the country.

The foot pedal loom was brought to Mexico after the Conquest. Unlike pieces done on backstrap looms, pieces done on these machines have traditionally been done by men with wool being the favored fiber. This type of loom is most extensively used in the center and north of the country. The principal advantage of this loom is that it allows for pieces of greater width than backstrap looms and has been used to create sarapes, rugs, blankets and more.

Two states that continue to have significant handcrafted textile production are Oaxaca and Mexico State. Oaxaca is known for its variety of handcrafted textiles including rugs, rebozos, tablecloths and traditional clothing such as huipils. These are made backstrap looms or foot pedal looms. In Mexico State craft pieces are mostly produced in Jiquipilco, Tejupilco de Hidalgo, Temascaltepec de González, Temoaya, Valle de Bravo, Zacazonapan, Toluca and Tenancingo producing napkins, tablecloths, sheets, kitchen items, clothing, bathroom items, rebozos and rugs.

Both states also are significant producers of rugs. The making of knotted rugs by the Otomi in Mexico State is relatively recent. It began in 1969 when Ernesto Fernández Hurtado of the Bank of Mexico decided to promote a pilot center in Temoaya for the study and manufacture of this type of rug using traditional Otomi designs. Today, these rugs are a distinctive feature in Mexico State crafts. The rugs are made with 100% virgin wool and have an average knot density of 140,000 m2. There are about 21 different designs offered with 250 variations in colors and size. Most are sold in upper-class neighborhoods of Mexico City, but due to the problem of cheap imitations, some vendors only sell from their workshops.

Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca is known for its woven rugs. Most producers make their rugs on foot pedal looms using wool dyed with natural materials such as indigo and the cochineal bug. Rugs are also produced in Mitla, Santa Ana del Valle and Tlacolula de Matamoros along with blankets and a type of sarape. One distinguishing feature of Oaxaca rug production is the use of the cochineal insect. This insect has been used since pre-Hispanic times to dye fiber, producing colors ranging from purple to yellow, varying depending on what the ingredients, such as certain flowers or lime juice, are added. For a time, the use of natural dyes was threatened by cheaper synthetics but the use of natural dyes has made a comeback.

After the Mexican Revolution, references to native Mexican cultures became fashionable, including arts crafts food and regional clothing. This was expressed in the arts by those such as Diego Rivera and Dr. Atl. Since that time, there have been a number of efforts to maintain and expand the textile producing traditions, especially of the south of Mexico. The Textile Museum has a collection of 4,000 pieces and is located in the former monastery of San Pablo in the city of Oaxaca. The museum was opened in 2008 and sponsored by the Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation. The pieces include modern, colonial and pre-Hispanic textiles. Clothing items include huipils, enredos, quechquemilts, skirts, rugs and wall hangings. The collection is in three divisions Textiles of Oaxaca, Textiles of Mexico and Textiles of the World.

Sna' Jolobil, or House of the Textiles in the Tzotzil language, is a cooperative of more than 600 Tzotzil and Tzeltal women in 12 municipalities in Chiapas based in San Cristóbal de las Casas. It was founded to promote and elevate the textile crafts, especially those produced on backstrap looms, with the aim of preserving traditional techniques and designs as well as promoting the economic fortunes of women weavers. The organization has a collection of antique huipils available for study and reproduction as well as workshops in weaving and producing vegetable dyes. The organization has been successful in attracting more young people into the craft. In 1986, it received the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes (National Prize of Sciences and the Artes) and numerous members have earned individual awards for their work.

Federal agencies such as FONART and various state agencies have their own promotional efforts including annual crafts contests and the recognition of masters in various fields, including textiles. Florentina López de Jesús is an Amusgo from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero. She learned to weave from her mother at six years of age as well as to prepare raw cotton and spin it into yarn. She continued to weave as well as to do other jobs to help out her family. As an adult she began to make pieces specifically for sale such as tablecloths, placemats, rebozos and huipils, traveling to Ometepec to market. Her work caught the attention of FONART in between 1969 and 1971, which led to her becoming a member of the La Flor de Xochistlahuaca artisans' cooperative. Since then, she has given workshops to people in her region as well as the Curso de Tintes Naturales sobre Algodon (Natural Dyes for Cotton Course) in 1994 and has promoted the use of brown cotton called "coyochi." Her work has won a number of awards including 2nd place Gran Premio de Arte Popular, FONART in 1987, 1st place Gran Premio de Arte Popular, FONART in 1991 and Premio Nacional de Artesanias de SECOFI in 1993.

Handcrafted textiles have also been promoted as a tourist attraction in its own right. This is especially true in the state of Chiapas. Mexican handcrafted textiles have experienced a resurgence of interest due to the reassessment of them as a luxury item and the rising interest in some consumer sectors in locally crafted wares. Many of these textiles are being incorporated into items sold by globally recognized brands. Louis Vuitton, who has manufacturing facilities in Mexico, sponsored an exhibition called "Historias de Tradición artesanal" (Stories of Artisan Tradition) at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City.

However, handcrafted textiles not only compete with other types of imported textiles, but also countries like China and Guatemala are producing imitations of traditional Mexican indigenous designs. These can be found both inside and outside of Mexico. The Asociacion de Mujeres Empresarias in Chiapas considers the imitations to be a form of trademark infringement and puts native weavers livelihoods at risk. Organizations such as this work to have indigenous designs marked as intangible world heritage to protect it with markers for authenticity-much as is done for tequila or Talavera pottery.

Modern textile production in Mexico dates back to the era of Porfirio Díaz from the 1880s to 1910. Today, textile production plays an important role in the gross domestic product of Mexico, since it is exported and generates employment. Textile production includes the making of thread, cloth and decoration, in both natural and synthetic fibers. It accounts for about 1.2% of the total GDP and 7.1% of the manufacturing sector. It is the fourth largest manufacturing activity in the country. From the end of the Mexican Revolution to the mid-2000s, the sector saw steady growth. Much of the growth in the last four decades was spearheaded by "maquiladoras" or manufacturing plants along the northern border, which can import raw materials duty-free to make exportable products.

Another important textile area is the state of Guanajuato, which is Mexico's third largest producer. Some of these products include clothing, thread and sewing fabric, sheets, tablecloths, decorative pillows, rugs, carpets and tarps. Clothing items include jeans, other pants, blouses, tshirts, sweaters, vests, jackets, skirts and others, for national and international brands such as Liverpool, Chipieco, Carhartt, Echojeans, Polo Ralph Lauren, JCPenney, Old Navy, Timberland and more.

However, in the mid-2000s, the sector began to decline, mostly due to foreign competition. A significant number of jobs have been lost since 2003 as well as a number of factories. Many of these operations and jobs are shifting to Asia.

The U.S. is the largest textile importer and almost all textile producing countries compete for a share of this market. Mexico ranks fourth in textile exports to the U.S. according to OTEXA. Mexico's advantages in this market are its proximity and favorable tariffs, especially since the passage of NAFTA. In 2004, all restrictions and quotas on Mexican textiles were lifted in the United States.

However, textile exports to the U.S. fell from more than 11 billion dollars in 2004 to just over 10 billion in 2005, as the U.S. imports more from other countries, who produce more cheaply.

From January through September 2004, U.S. imports of Mexican-made apparel reached $5.069 billion, 4.3% below the total registered for the same period in 2003, according to the CNIV, Mexico's textile industry association. Meanwhile, U.S. imports of Chinese garments grew 21.7% during that period to reach $6.69 billion Yet Mexican-made products began to lose their competitiveness in the U.S. because taxes and tariffs on imports from other countries were also dropping.

While the U.S. is by far the major market for Mexican textiles, Mexico has free-trade pacts with 43 countries, one of the largest such networks in the world. Until very recently, this did not include China, which has been seen as an "enemy" rather than as a potential trading partner. There has been changes in this as Mexico seeks to expand business ties with China, especially in attracting capital. In the Americas, Mexico is part of the Central America Free Trade Agreement, and recently Mexico and Peru struck a deal for the import and export of clothing and other textiles. Mexico's textile exports to Canada increased fivefold by the mid-2000s, raising its market share in that country to five percent. Export growth to Canada has slowed since then but remains fairly strong.

Nine major chain stores control 40% of the brick-and-mortar sales, but approximately 58% of the domestic clothing market obtains its goods through illegal channels, either through smuggling, robbery or the evasion of taxes. Much of the illegal Chinese textiles sold in Mexico enter through the United States, where labels are changed to avoid Mexico's 533% tariff on Chinese goods.

Mexico's international competitors

In addition to those from China, Mexican textile exports face competition from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Central America. In 2000, Mexican textiles held around 12% of the U.S. market while Indian textiles 3.84%. Other Asian countries with presence include Hong Kong (5.7%), Indonesia (5.3), Vietnam and Bangladesh (5% each) .

Much of the reason for this is that labor costs are significantly higher in Mexico than in Asia. Mexico also has regulations that inhibit investment, as well as stricter environmental laws. Mexican fabrics cost 3.45 dollars per square meter while Chinese textiles cost 2.69 dollars. While the cost of Mexican fabric has increased 2%, those from a number of other countries in Asia and Central America have gone down. One major factor behind this is Mexico's relatively expensive labor costs. Another reason Asian products are cheaper is that utilities, such as electricity, gas and transport, are cheaper.

China is Mexico's most important competitor. Not only are products from this country cheaper, the supply chain in China is more organized than in Mexico. For example, most threads used to sew clothing are produced in China; Mexico produces little, creating the need to import such. This can cause production delays. Mexico is also mostly limited to the making of basic items with little added value instead of more fashionable products that sell for more. In addition, Mexico also has protectionist policies designed to inhibit foreign investment and ownership of textile production facilities in the country.

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The textiles of Mexico have a long history. The making of fibers, cloth and other textile goods has existed in the country since at least 1400 BCE. Fibers used during the pre-Hispanic period included those from the yucca, palm and maguey plants as well as the use of cotton in the hot lowlands of the south.

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The gift of Spider Woman: Symbols and motifs in Navajo weavings
by Jerry Freund
For the traditional Navajo family, the Holy People who created the Navajo were very powerful deities.

They traveled on the "sun's rays" and descended into the world on "lightning bolts." It was Changing Woman who taught the Navajo how to live in "harmony," but it was Spider Woman who gave them secrets to find their way in this world.

To the traditional Navajo weaver, Spider Woman provided the framework to live and weave beautiful things - the essence of being Navajo.

Women are the weavers in traditional Navajo society. Although this cultural value is fading somewhat today with a few young men taking up the challenge, women still dominate the area of weaving.

The designs in Navajo weavings have always been a personal expression of the weaver. However, we can make some educated guesses based upon historical research and interviews with Navajo elders.

Representing the teachings of Spider Woman

Prior to 1900, old Navajo wearing blankets often carried symbols or motifs that were attached to the teachings of Spider Woman.

Perhaps the symbol or motif that dominated those early blankets was the cross.

Many a Navajo grandmother will tell you that crosses represent Spider Woman. The symbol of Spider Woman was given to the earliest weavers to remember her teachings and wisdom.

For some weavers, placing the symbol of Spider Woman (crosses) within a graphic form of a diamond, triangle or square was risky business. Spider Woman was not of this world and her spirit should not be entrapped within the form.

Therefore in some Navajo weavings, the cross will have an actual hole or sometimes a graphic hole in the cross.

Depicting the Navajo homeland

Perhaps two of the earliest design elements to be utilized by Navajo weavers are the diamond and the triangle. These elements were incorporated into old wearing blankets and continue in the modern day Navajo rugs.

Again, we cannot be too sure of some of the meanings, but many Navajo grandmothers will tell you that the diamond is a symbol of the Dinétah or Navajo homeland with its four sacred corners that are marked by the four sacred mountains.

Triangles are basic building blocks of Navajo design. Placed on top of each other, triangles can become a series of prayer feathers or songs or become the backbone of a mountain Yei figure.

About the "Spirit line"

After the year 1900, the "spirit line" became a popular element for many traditional Navajo weavers.

This occurred because traders requested weavers to place borders around their weavings. By this time, most weavers were selling their weavings through the trading post system.

The traditional weaver became very concerned about trapping their creative spirit within the weaving and not being able to weave in the future.

The "spirit line" is a small strand of yarn of contrasting color that flows from the inner design element of the weaving to the outer edge. The custom continues today in many contemporary Navajo rugs.

Controversy: The "whirling logs"

A design element that appeared in Navajo weaving from the late 19th century and continued until the late 1930s is the Navajo "whirling logs."

This design is recognized by Anglos as a swastika and caused great controversy in the late 1930s. The Navajo people chose not to include it in future weavings after this period.

This symbol comes from the Navajo origin myth and was incorporated into weavings as a good luck symbol for gifts or for sale at trading posts.

Lighting motifs reflect mythology

Lightning was the most powerful symbol in the world of the Navajo.

Not only was lightning powerful in the real world, it also carried great strength in Navajo weavings. In Navajo mythology, lightning was used to make weaving tools but it could also help to define the power of an individual blanket or rug.

Small "zigzags" in the four corners of a weaving could lend energy to the overall design. There exists no more powerful symbol in the Eyedazzler or Germantown period of Navajo weaving than the lightning bolts that streak across the face of the weaving and grab the eyes of the beholder.

Other inspirations from Navajo life

Petroglyphs, pictographs and pottery shards inspired traditional Navajo weavers.

The many canyons where Navajos lived contain ancient Anasazi ruins and historic Navajo pictographs. Beautiful pottery shards could always be found at the feet of most Navajo weavers.

Such motifs would appear in the borders or central design element of Navajo weavings.

The use of color

Colors were also important to Navajo weavers.

The variety of colors was limited in the early days to browns, blacks, whites, grays and a little indigo blue. Occasionally, red was used but was obtained with great difficulty.

These colors gave enormous energy to the early Navajo Chiefs Blankets. Later years saw the introduction of synthetic and vegetable dyes, and Germantown yarns that gave the Navjao weaver a whole new palette of creative colors.

Cultural influences

One cannot separate Navajo weavings from the culture in which they were created.

As outside influences began to penetrate the world of the traditional Navajo weaver, patterns, symbols and colors have constantly evolved and changed.

Over the three-hundred-year history of weaving, Spider Woman remains a constant reminder of traditional Navjao wisdom and her many gifts to the Navajo people.

To learn more

Medicine Man Gallery offers one of the best places to see the great weavings of traditional weavers.

The gallery has available the finest Navajo weavings from 1860 to 1960. We encourage you to visit the gallery and experience the gift of Spider Woman.

References

On the Trail of Spider Woman: Petroglyphs, Pictographs and Myths of the Southwest, Carol Patterson-Rudolph, 1997, Ancient City Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cultural Code Words of the Navajo People, Lafayette de Mente Boyé, 2005, Phoenix Books/Publishers

Sacred Land, Sacred View: Navajo Perceptions of the Four Corners, Robert McPherson, 1992, Charles Redd Center, Brigham Young University

Weaving is Life: Navajo Weavings from the Edwin L. and Ruth E. Kennedy Southwest Native American Collection, edited by Jennifer McLerran, 2006, Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio University, Athens, OH

This article was excerpted from Canyon Road Arts: The Complete Visitors Guide to Arts, Dining and Santa Fe Lifestyle, Vol 4, 2008-2009, pages 102-107. Canyon Road Arts is published by Medicine Man Gallery. All rights reserved.

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by Jerry Freund For the traditional Navajo family, the Holy People who created the Navajo were very powerful deities. They traveled on the "sun's rays" and descended into the world on "lightning bolts." It was Changing Woman who taught the Navajo how to live in "harmony," but it was Spider Woman who gave them secrets to find their way in this world.

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Art for Kids: Weaving with Paper (short version)

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If you were educated in the United States, especially in the American Southwest, you probably made Gods Eyes in school. You crossed two dowels the size of chopsticks and wove colored yarn around them to form concentric diamonds of color. You may have been told that it is a Mexican symbol of good luck or that it wards off evil spirits. Such items are sold to tourists in Mexican markets. Perhaps you have asked yourself, "Why is this the image of god's eye?" I'm excited to share with you the rich symbolic and ceremonial history of this iconic image. It isn't what you think it is.

The Huichol people of the mountains of Mexico are particularly interesting to me because they evaded colonization over and over again throughout their long history. First they evaded Chichimec marauders, then Aztec colonialists, then Spanish conquistadors. They fled their native homeland in the desert and avoided being subsumed by the Spanish by living in a mountainous region that had no natural resources the Spanish were interested in. They were able to preserve their ancient cultural heritage into modern times. The Huichol still speak the native Huichol language, practice their traditional religion, and about 1/3 to 1/2 of all Huichols are so intimately steeped in their sacred rituals that lay people (not just shamans) can perform sacred ceremonies and heal using the old ways. As such, their culture is a credible place to turn to for information about symbols that evolved in the Americas. Because of migration and diffusionism, Huichol symbology can be referenced when interpreting rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) in the North American Southwest.

What is a God's Eye? First there was a shield. Warriors wear front shields and back shields. The front shield is something most people are familiar with. It is a round disk, held on the forearm, and is used to protect the front of the body in battle.

A back shield is also to protect the torso, but is worn like an item of clothing. Modern police people wear bullet proof vests much the same way that people used to wear protective vests made of hard leather or reeds. In Huichol spirituality, the gods also carry shields. But, first, it is important to know what I mean by a "god".

Back Shields

Huichol "gods" are not so much deities as energetic essences projected from various kinds of spiritual concepts in our known universe: sun, water, corn, birth, death. (There are about 120 Huichol gods of varying degrees of importance and power.)Each "god" embodies its own kind of subtle influence over how humans think, feel, and behave. Gods are also the faces given to the energies embodied by things in the natural world: water, sun, corn, etc. This is easy to understand. You feel totally different sitting by an ice cold stream than you do sitting under the desert sun. The essence of those two different energetic experiences are embodied in the "gods" of the Huichol world.

To call upon a specific"god" is to call upon its energetic essence of something in your known universe and ask to learn something from it or for it to lend you some of its energetic essence. You could call upon a god to lend you empathy for healing, or courage for war, or intuition for a successful hunt...

A god's eye is the portal through which a god looks at the humans or through which humans can ascend, through trance, into the dimension of that god. "Gods" don't exist in the human dimension. They exist in their own dimension. They are not concerned with human life, they are having their own experience, but they can be called upon if needed. It is difficult to catch the attention of a being from another dimension, because they are busy and very far away, on a different plane of existence. Even if they are looking directly at you, they see you as if through the wrong end of a telescope, tiny and distant. If you are human seeking the attention of a god, it is important to communicate clearly which god you are trying to call upon. You must use bright colors and images that a particular god will recognize as representing him or her. The god will look at you through the center of his/her shield, and if you make proper ceremony and leave an appropriate offering of corn or a little bit of blood, the god may come to you and bless you with his/her energy.

Enter the God's Eye made of yarn or beads or paint or carving on a rock.

How do you contact an energy that exists in another dimension? Really. If you sit down in your favorite chair and think hard about it, how would you do it? If you want to contact a god that would bring you courage (for example), who exists on another dimension, how would you attract it's attention? The Huichol understand that gods, like humans, hold shields before them, to protect them from unwanted advances. They also have holes at the center of their shields where they can see the person advancing upon them. It is through this hole or portal that the human can make contact with the god itself. The center of the God's Eye represents that portal.

The God's Eye that people make in school is the most simplistic example of a Nierika/Nieli'ka - a representation of a god. More authentic examples actually depict the image of the god being sought painted or woven or beaded onto onto a circular ritual item that contains a god's eye at its center.

Ruitual Nierikas can be placed over ceremonial cupules (see below) that have been pecked into rocks to enhance the representation of a "portal" through which the god can be reflected (as if through a mirror), as well as hold a small ceremonial offerings.

As you can now see, the "god's eye" is merely the hole at the center of a god's shield through which the the god and the human can see each other. The elementary school project with yarn and sticks is a simplistic representation of the eye, authentic eyes will contain more complex imagery that doesn't just shout "hey god!", but says something more specific like, "hey god of rain!" The Nierika below is a Nierika from the 1800's (documented by Carl Lumholtz) that requests the attention of the god of rain. Lightening, clouds and sun are all represented in this Nierika, and, importantly, there is a central, circular"hole" through which the gods and the supplicants can view one another.

Nierikas can also be square, and if they are they do not represent the round front shield, they represent the square "back shield".

Round Nierikas are often made from gourds or round pottery bowls. I've been making some of this ceremonial art of my own using traditional Huichol methods of pressing beads into beeswax in a circular bowl with a representational "god's eye" circle/hole at the center. The god's eye at the center of a votive bowl can also be a mirror that reflects the god back to the supplicant (like a crystal ball) so the supplicant can absorb the energy of that god for use in this earthly life.
Art By Angeline
Now is the time for me to completely blow your mind. This God's Eye ritual item isn't only found in Mexico, it is found, exactly the same, across the world - at least the part of the world in the vicinity of the Pacific Ocean, the biggest ocean on earth. Identical God's Eyes have been found in India (Naga people), Mexico (Huichol people) and Peru.

It is also seen on petroglyph carvings in the California desert.

If your mind is not completely and totally blown by how far and wide human symbols appear identically across the Pacific, wait until you see this faces.

Above is a Huichol woman and a Chinesco statue found in a shaft tomb in Huichol land dated between the years 300 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. "Chinesco" refers to the Chinese features of the humans depicted in the funerary statues. But one doesn't need a statue to notice the "chinesco" similarity. Just look at that woman's face! She is clearly a descendant of the Denisovan race of humans who hail from the Siberian region of the world - but the Denisovans are a conversation for another day. For now just think: seafaring boats, diffusionism, global civilization and symbols that were shared throughout the world into deep antiquity.

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The Ancient Southwest | Angeline Duran

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If you were educated in the United States, especially in the American Southwest, you probably made Gods Eyes in school. Perhaps you asked yourself, "Why is this the image of god's eye?" I'm excited to share with you the rich symbolic and ceremonial history of this iconic image.

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Sol Mexico News - Mexico News Highlights

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Ojo de Dios, Tribute to Nayarit Spiritualism
Tara A. Spears

The beautiful, handmade God's Eye yarn weaving is a religious symbol of the Huichol Indians that still live in the Sierra Madre mountain range that includes the state of Nayarit. The bright colors on the geometric shapes are more than folk art. The traditional Ojo de Dios was proudly displayed by various age groups in the recent holiday parade. Although the Huichol Indians invented this art form, other groups throughout the world have popularized this craft as a symbol for a higher power.It was a stunning display to see a mass of bold colored Ojo de Dios moving down the avenidia with yarn streamers blowing in the breeze! The high school students from Conalep had a beautiful routine twirling the God's eye to music; the reverse side had the Nayarit coat of arms.
In the Huichol spiritual practice, Ojo de Dios expresses a prayer that the "Eye of God" will watch over the individual or the person that it is made for. It is a physical representation of praying for health, fortune, and a long life. Some Christians interpret the symbol to be a prayer for "May God be with you and protect you."
Significant components: The Ojo de Dios or God's eye is a ritual tool, magical object, and cultural symbol evoking the weaving motif and its spiritual associations for the both the Huichol and Tepehuan Indians of western Mexico. The Indians believe that the God's Eye is symbolic of the power of seeing and understanding that which is unknown and unknowable. The four points of the central weaving represents earth, fire, air and water- important natural elements. In the Huichol languge, they call their God's eyes Sikuli.
The center of the eye stands for the power of seeing and understanding things we normally cannot see.
Some say it represents the cross of Jesus Christ, but originally this was not so. The Huichol people focused their worship on nature and the earth rather than a specific divine being. Other Indian tribes since have adopted the practice of making and using Ojos de Dios, and it has become a more Christian-centered item. Displaying a God's eye is to invoke wishes of health, long life, and protection.

The Ojo de Dios features four, eight or 12 sides, which are symmetrical. The sides of the object are made of wood, typically thin and flexible reeds. Yarn is then wrapped around the edges and sides to create an eye-catching pattern. In the exact middle of the Ojo de Dios is a rectangular piece covered in a contrasting color. These are typically 12 inches long, though some modern day examples are much smaller or larger, some measuring two feet or longer.

Purchasing an Ojo de Dios is bringing a touch of ancient spiritualism into your home. Its simple beauty is a charming addition to your art collection or it makes a unique gift.

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Ojo de Dios, Tribute to Nayarit Spiritualism - Sol Mexico News

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Ojo de Dios, Tribute to Nayarit Spiritualism Tara A. Spears The beautiful, handmade God's Eye yarn weaving is a religious symbol of the Huichol Indians that still live in the Sierra Madre mountain range that includes the state of Nayarit. The bright colors on the geometric shapes are more than folk art.

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Symbolism in Oaxacan (Mexico) weaving patterns

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Symbolism in Oaxacan (Mexico) weaving patterns

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The Oaxacan Collection is designed with traditional Oaxacan wool rugs. Handcrafted patterns and colors make each bag completely one-of-a-kind. Every Oaxacan piece holds the history of the Zapotec culture, the story of a family and their customs -- they are a celebration of the people and their artisanal traditions. We

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Jason Isbell, Tour Poster for the Tivoli Theatre

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Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Preserved 2016
Hand woven shizen, yatsuo, and gampi papers
Approximately 6.5" x 5.5" x 3"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Fleeting 2016
Hand woven yatsuo and gampi papers, hand woven thread
Approximately 11" x 10" x 2"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Weaving Study III 2015
Hand woven shizen, yatsuo, and gampi papers
Approximately 6.5" x 6" x 2.5"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Weaving Study II 2015
Hand woven shizen, yatsuo, and gampi papers
Approximately 7" x 8" x 2"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Weaving Study I 2015
Hand woven kitakata, yatsuo, and gampi papers
Approximately 28" x 27" x 6"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Dissipating Vowels 2015
Hand cut yatsuo and gampi papers
Approximately 27" x 21" x 2"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Three Phases of Rilke's Lace II 2015
Hand cut shizen and gampi papers
Approximately 40" x 48" x 3"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Three Phases of Rilke's Lace I 2015
Hand cut shizen paper
Approximately 36" x 43.5" x 4"

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

Photo by Etienne Frossard

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Photo by Etienne Frossard Photo by Etienne Frossard Photo by Etienne Frossard Photo by Etienne Frossard Preserved 2016 Hand woven shizen, yatsuo, and gampi papers Approximately 6.5" x 5.5" x 3" Photo by Etienne Frossard Fleeting 2016 Hand woven yatsuo and gampi papers, hand woven thread Approximately 11" x 10"

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Contemporary geometric abstract textural paitnings created by weaving painted canvas together into modern abstract lanscapges of monochromatic color schemes.

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Lala is a visionary artist who combines the traditional practices of weaving, photography and painting into optically immersive compositions.

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Not only does it continue to play an integral part in modern community life but in some countries it has evolved to a highly expressive contemporary art form.

African basketry is a dynamic craft, altered by social changes and shaped by both environmental and economic factors. Traditionally, shapes and weaves were determined largely by the uses for what the baskets were intended.

Nowadays, while the methods of basket making are still held in regard, the materials have significantly changed from natural fibers to include man-made creations like plastic, wire and recycled products.

Historically, baskets have been used for agricultural practices such as winnowing and sifting and the collecting and carrying of crops as well as portage of produce to markets.

Household usage included storage and serving of food and beverages and filtering beer during its production process. Spices and tobacco were stored in basket containers.

Less secular uses for traditional basket containers include money banks, jewelry boxes and divination vessels. These normally have lids and can be quite complex in design which reflect their significance. They are often decorated or have stepped lids, footed bowls and sometimes are strengthened with leather or bark to ensure longevity of use.

Rice storage stacks can form part of a bride's dowry in places like Guinea and Liberia. Woven basket fibre products include sleeping and eating mats and fish traps, hand bags and carry baskets.

Traditional fibers used in basketry reflect the local habitat. They include illala palm, sisal leaves and fiber, raffia (African bamboo), fibrous tree and plant roots such as makenge, vines, leaves (banana and fan palm), cane, bark wood and papyrus.

Two types of vegetative fiber are normally used to make a coiled basket, one for the inner coil and one for the wrapping of the coils. For example, in Uganda and Rwanda, baskets are woven from raffia or papyrus wrapped and stitched around a coil of banana leaf stems. Grass is often used for the core of the coils.

Size, shape and features of the basket are determined by the end usage.

A vessel can be circular, oval, square or conical, occasionally even multi chambered. It can have an open bowl, be a tray or a pannier, exhibit a foot, a lid, a handle or an extra appendage for hanging.

When extra strength is required the basket design can include leather or bark strips woven or sewn onto the walls or base. Sometimes, baskets have embellished rims or are adorned with shells, beads or seeds. They can be covered with clay or packed with mud or resins and fat to make them waterproof.

Before the actual weaving can take place, the fiber has to be prepared which according to the character of the twine can be an extremely lengthy process. This is especially so if it needs to be dyed as well as made pliant. A fiber such as sisal needs to be stripped, cleaned and spun by hand, a process which can take up to 16 hours for a medium size basket .

The design of the basket is created by weaving with different colours. Dyes are obtained from natural sources like roots, barks, fruit and berries, leaves, clay, dung or various combinations of the above .

Patterning can be in the form of decorative bands or geometric shapes; lozenges, triangles, diamonds, star or flower shapes, zigzags, swirls or chequerboard motifs.

The design of the pattern can be emphasized by the use of different contrasting colours or the fiber can be left in its natural state producing lovely textural effects.

Weaving an intricate design into the basket can be equally lengthy a task as preparing the fiber.

master weaver ' in the community will have acquired the highest skill in fiber preparation and dyeing as well as in weaving and will exhibit the following consistent qualities:

ghtness of weave, intricacy and smooth transition of pattern and design, good design spacing, ability to shape large bowls, create unusual forms and most of all, pull at the same pressure ensuring an even basket.

While a community will have hundreds of weavers, only a handful will acquire this status and they will be almost wholly female.

The following are some of the tribes that have basket making existing as an integral part of their community for social, spiritual or functional use:

Other countries include:

Togo, Senegal, Burundi, Namibia, Mozambique, Eritrea and Mali.
There is hardly a country in Africa that does not have an indigenous group of people that exhibit some form of basket craft. What it means is that basketry is a form of employment for many African women and elevates their status and power base within their social environments. Basketry cooperatives bring income to rural areas and keep the craft traditions alive. Given this wide dispersal of product, bright, colourful commercial dyestuffs have been applied to widen their appeal and make them 'market-friendly'. One can argue that this takes away from the authenticity of the product but as it was stated in the beginning of this page, African basketry is a dynamic thing and this is just one of the ways that it has moved forward. There are many organized workshops and institutions that help these women successfully market their product.

Modern communities continue to make baskets for their own use but in a growing trend, the impressive skill involved has meant some crafters have been encouraged to produce for purely aesthetic reasons alone.

Museums all over the world purchase these beautifully designed and engineered baskets for their collections, while art galleries sell them as 'studio' items, recognizing their value as collectors' art pieces.

Different weaving fibers are now used to make contemporary baskets: Telephone wire, copper wire, beads, plastics, recycled bags, tin, recycled fabric over Ilala palm.

In South Africa men are involved with weaving the wire baskets, a tradition that started with night watchmen being bored on duty and it has now developed into a sought after art form.

Basketry is a form of employment for many African women and elevates their status and power base within their social environments. There are many organized workshops and institutions that help these women successfully market their product. Basketry cooperatives bring income to rural areas and keep the craft traditions alive.
Do visit their website to see the full breadth and depth of their collections.
Given this wide dispersal of product, bright, colourful commercial dyestuffs have been applied to widen their appeal and make them 'market-friendly'. One can argue that this takes away from the authenticity of the product but as it was stated in the beginning of this page, African basketry is a dynamic thing and this is just one of the ways that it has moved forward. It has led to some very visually stunning work which allows one to fully appreciate the consideration given to design and patterning.

Modern Basketry in Ghana

The Baba Tree has its headquaters in Bolgatanga in Ghana's Upper East region and this Co-Operative employs dozens of weavers, sometimes up to the 100's if a special order is required. They produce amazingly beautiful shapes and designs in all colours, both bright and natural.

The Baba Tree Co has a philosophy to make sure their employees are rewarded justly for their individuality and this has produced incredible results like the basket you see below.

A workshop called 'Designing the Difference' in Dec 2013 brought together NID Outreach Programmes, The New Basket Workshop and Ghana's Bolgatanga weavers to create high-end innovative products.

They replace the void left by competitive products from Vietnam taking away Ghana's traditional basket market. A hugely successful venture it is well worth reading about here:

* Basketry by contemporary African artists/artisans and designers can be viewed here

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Not only does it continue to play an integral part in modern community life but in some countries it has evolved to a highly expressive contemporary art form. African basketry is a dynamic craft, altered by social changes and shaped by both environmental and economic factors.

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African Baskets and how the made it to NC, USA

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African Baskets and how the made it to NC, USA

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Humble but beautifully crafted coiled baskets have been made in Africa for millennia and by Africans in the American South for as long as they have been on these shores. Once common agricultural tools, baskets are also containers of memory, repositories of history, symbols of identity and works of art.

More than 300 years ago, people from Africa brought an understanding of rice cultivation and skills as basket makers to plantations in North America. Their knowledge and labor transformed the landscape and economy of the province of Carolina and made rice the colony's first major export crop. Despite working under the brutal conditions of slavery, African peoples did not forget their rich cultural traditions.

The grasses and sedges that grow in the South Atlantic marshlands were ideal for making coiled baskets. The plantation system demanded huge quantities of a few kinds of work baskets, most notably winnowing trays and carrying baskets, both essential for processing rice, and as a result coiled baskets became signature forms made by Africans in America.

The coiled basket has no single place of origin in Africa: its roots are in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It represents a mingling of many diverse cultures. Today, African American baskets are both a reminder of this African heritage and a distinctive and uniquely American art.

Nathaniel Johnson, Director of Education and the Education department at the Museum for African Art, New York, New York designed this wonderful resource guide for teachers and learners to use.

Download it here (pdf, 4 mb.)

Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art is organized by the Museum for African Art, New York, in cooperation with Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina and the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival Association.

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Grass Roots African Origins of an American Art / Introduction | National Museum of African Art

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Humble but beautifully crafted coiled baskets have been made in Africa for millennia and by Africans in the American South for as long as they have been on these shores. Once common agricultural tools, baskets are also containers of memory, repositories of history, symbols of identity and works of art.

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MINNEAPOLIS -- About 27,000 years ago, an innovative group of hunters and gatherers were in the habit of setting up their summer base camps near a river along the Pavlov Hills in what is now the southeastern Czech Republic.

They mixed the fine soil with water and molded it into human and animal figurines and fired them, creating the oldest known fired ceramics.

They took the 2.5 million-year-old technology of flaking stone tools a step further by grinding them into smoothly polished pendants and rings, the earliest known examples of ground stone technology in Europe.

And now, at a meeting here last week of the Society for American Archaeology, scientists announced that this same group has left the oldest evidence of weaving in the world.

The site has yielded clay fragments bearing impressions of textiles or basketry, which according to James M. Adovasio of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., and Olga Soffer of the University of Illinois at Urbana, push back the known origin of these technologies at least 7,000 years to 27,000 years ago.

It also validates a suggestion long offered by some archaeologists that the origin of textile technology by far predates the Neolithic period of plant and animal domestication to which it had traditionally been assigned.

Archaeologists tended to believe that people did not weave until they abandoned the migratory hunting and gathering way of life and settled into permanent agricultural villages with domesticated plants and animals, a process that was getting under way in many parts of the world by about 8,000 B.C.

Because baskets and textiles are made of organic materials, they perish rapidly once deposited, Dr. Adovasio said in an interview.

Previously, the earliest known basketry dated to no earlier than about 13,000 years ago and the oldest piece of woven cloth was a 9,000-year-old specimen from Cayonu in southern Turkey.

The oldest known twisted fibers, which could have been woven into basketry or textiles, were found in Israel and date to about 19,300 years ago.

The evidence presented last week consists of four small fragments of fired clay bearing negative impressions of a textile or finely twined basket, Dr. Soffer said. Along with hundreds of thousands of other artifacts at the rich site, they were excavated in 1954 by Dr. Bohuslav Klima, a retired Moravian archaeologist.

In the summer of 1990, Dr. Soffer, sorting through about 3,000 clay fragments,noticed four pieces, about the size of a quarter, with markings on their concave sides.

She photographed them, with the notation "plant fibers?" and the next year showed them to her colleague, Dr. Adovasio, who, she said, went "absolutely ballistic."

Three radiocarbon dates of ashes at the site ranged from 24,870 and 26,980 years ago. Dr. Soffer said she was entirely confident of the dating because there was no evidence at the site of any human occupation at all after 24,870 years ago, so the pieces could not have come from any other layers deposited later.

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MINNEAPOLIS -- About 27,000 years ago, an innovative group of hunters and gatherers were in the habit of setting up their summer base camps near a river along the Pavlov Hills in what is now the southeastern Czech Republic.

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The Artist of Jays Mandalas are now Ojos-De-Dios: Asheville Mandala Weavers. We are the Artists: Jay Mohler, Sami Herbert, Elizabeth Tingly, and Inga Savage. Taught by Master Jay himself we now are presenting them to you as an honored craft of weaving. These Mandalas are made with yarn and dowels to a highly regarded art form.

Our vision is to give this art form visibility in the community both where we live in Asheville, North Carolina and around the world. Our goal is to keep Jay's work alive by continuing to create his most popular pieces for those who would love to have their own, as well as expressing our own individual creativity.

Our work is currently for sale on Etsy and in shops around Asheville, North Carolina.

We each have our own style and unique voice in this work. We are committed to the highest quality work and guarantee it 100%. We work meticulously to create art that will last a lifetime.

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Ojos De Dios (formerly Jays Mandalas) Woven Healing Art by OjosDeDiosShop

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You searched for: OjosDeDiosShop! Discover the unique items that OjosDeDiosShop creates. At Etsy, we pride ourselves on our global community of sellers. Each Etsy seller helps contribute to a global marketplace of creative goods. By supporting OjosDeDiosShop, you're supporting a small business, and, in turn, Etsy!

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Different yarn colors were combine to created this unique woven wall art. The fringes was placed on the design to add more character.

Details:

* Handwoven
* 12" W x 23"L Inches
* 100 % Acrylic Yarn

Learn more about this item

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Handmade Wall Hanging , Woven Wall Art, Wall Art, Handwoven, Colors, Gift, Boho Style, Bohemian, Interior Decoration,

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Different yarn colors were combine to created this unique woven wall art. The fringes was placed on the design to add more character. Details: * Handwoven * 12" W x 23"L Inches * 100 % Acrylic Yarn Learn more about this item

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https://www.etsy.com/listing/667781362/handwoven-bookmark-caminar-en-belleza?ref=shop_home_feat_4&pro=1&frs=1

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This project was born out of my need to come up with a 3 day project to do with my 3rd graders this past week (Monday was a teacher workday.. and Tuesday we ended up having off because of the 'polar vortex').
Thanks so much to the blog Miss Young's Art Room for the original idea!
At first I planned to do it just with my 3rd graders.. but decided to do it with my 5th graders as well because I thought they'd really be into it - and I was right. :)

Before beginning our discussion about Op Art, I showed my students a video clip that I found on youtube. The video shows an animated montage of art pieces created by the father of op art himself, Victor Vasarely. I'm happy I opened with this clip because it got ALL of my students REALLY excited about what we were going to be making.
After the video clip, we began discussing what Op Art (Optical Art) is (a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap). To help my students get a better understand of what optical illusions are, I showed them a PPT I put together with some of my favorite examples I found online (they LOVED this).

Then onto the project! After talking about how color choice and pattern can create pretty awesome optical illusions, we looked at a variety of examples of paper weavings that I created which mimicked the Op Art style. Then I demonstrated to students how to create a paper weaving.

To start with, I had students select 2 pieces of 4.5"x6" colored construction paper to create a practice weaving. They had the freedom to cut their warp and weft strips however they wanted to and could use whatever colors they desired. Once they showed me their practice example, they moved onto 9"x12" colored paper. Again they could cut their strips however they wanted to and could choose any colors (this time they had the option of picking more than 2 colors). On the whiteboard I hung a variety of examples and drew schematics next to it to show students how I created that particular example.
Below are the op art paper weavings my kids created! :)

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This project was born out of my need to come up with a 3 day project to do with my 3rd graders this past week (Monday was a teacher workday.. and Tuesday we ended up having off because of the 'polar vortex'). Thanks so much to the blog Miss Young's Art Room for the original idea!

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I've been busy working on setting up a project for my sons 1st grade class! It's an easy "knitting" project that is perfect for elementary age kids. With a cardboard roll, tape, and popsicle sticks, you can set up a simple loom. Then just like you would finger weave, you wrap the yarn around the tops of the sticks and you can create a fun and easy knitted snake! Make it as long or short as you'd like. A long snake would make a cute cowl!

Materials:
- Cardboard Roll (empty toilet paper or paper towel roll)
- Red Heart Super Saver variegated yarn.
- Popsicle sticks
- Masking tape

Directions:
1. Tape 5 popsicle sticks evenly around toilet paper roll. The sticks are supposed to be about a half inch or so over the tube. Make sure you loop the tape around several times in two spots so it's secure.

2. Send end of yarn through tube. Now loop the yarn around the yarn around the top of popsicle sticks. As seen in picture below.

3. To start second round, Take the yarn and just set it over the front of the first popsicle stick above the first loop you made.

4. Take the first loop and pull it over the second strand of yarn and over the top of the popsicle stick.

5. Continue just like that for as many rounds as you'd like! It should start to look like a spider web.

When finished, slip loops off of stick tops and weave yarn through the loops to secure.

A great project for the kids to work on throughout the Fall and Winter! Keep in a baggy and take it on the go for the perfect boredom buster!

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صرافی ارز دیجیتال دیدکس

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Cardboard Roll Snake Knitting - Repeat Crafter Me

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I've been busy working on setting up a project for my sons 1st grade class! It's an easy "knitting" project that is perfect for elementary age kids. With a cardboard roll, tape, and popsicle sticks, you can set up a simple loom. Then just like you would finger weave, you wrap the yarn around the tops ...

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YouTube video link

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I've been a wee bit obsessed with weaving lately, ever since May when I saw these beautiful pieces made by Rachel Denbow. After seeing cardboard looms all over Pinterest this summer, which totally fueled my fixation, I decided to make some looms myself for my little campers.

This week I had five girls at art camp ranging from ages five to seven (and one 14 year old helper extraordinaire). Since I had never tried weaving with young children, I wasn't sure what would happen, or if they could even handle weaving, but I decided to just give it a try.

Turns out, they LOVE WEAVING! My daughter and I did it with them so it was complete side-by-side, art-making bliss. I love that in the end, you couldn't even tell the difference between my weaving and theirs (I'm only showing you theirs in this post). In fact, I loved theirs even more than mine because they were way more free with their choices and their technique. (Isn't that true for most art making? Those little ones are so unhindered by vision and plans. They just enjoy the process.)
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Here's what you'll need to make your own looms and weavings:

~ A piece of cardboard about 6" x 8", and two strips for the top and bottom.

~ Exacto knife or scissors

~ Ruler

~ Yarn (I buy mine at Michael's, but these little guys are super cute for a project like this)

~ Plastic needle

~ Masking tape & Scotch tape

~ Pom-pom maker (optional)

~ Pony beads (optional)

~ Twigs

How to make the loom:

1. Take your ruler and put it across the top of your piece of cardboard, about 1/2" from the top. Draw a straight line with a pencil. Now measure in 1" and make a hash mark. Continue on and make 12 hash marks about 3/8" apart all across the top. Do the same at the bottom. You can space them out however you would like, but this is just what I did for my looms.

2. Using an exacto knife, or scissors, cut along each hash mark, stopping at the 1/2″ line.

3. Glue on the strips of cardboard so that the top of the strip aligns with the 1/2″ line (strips are about 1/2″ wide).

4. Cut 12 pieces of yarn and thread each notch, making sure to leave a tail of about 3" on the back. Tape these ends to the back with scotch tape. Make sure the threads are fairly tight (but not so tight that it's stretching the yarn). These vertical threads are called the warp. You have your loom!

How to weave:

1. Cut a piece of yarn about 2 feet long. Thread it through the plastic needle and then tie a knot at the top of the needle.

2. Starting with the first warp thread, slide the needle underneath and then up over the next thread, and then back under the third thread, and so on. Use this under-over pattern until you get to the last warp thread. When you get to the end of your first row, pull it through all the way, leaving about a 3" tail. You can tie this tail in a knot around the first warp thread to secure it for the little kids, but after they weave two rows it won't be in danger of coming out anymore.

3. For your next row, go back the other way by doing the opposite over-under pattern as you did for the first row. (If you go under and over in the same way as the first row you will be undoing what you just did. This mistake does happen with the littles so make sure to check on them before they begin each row in the beginning, Eventually they get the hang of it).

4. Once you have a few rows, use your fingers to push up the weft yarn so that it's snug. Be careful not to pull too hard on the weft yarns after each pass through because your weaving will start to cinch in at the middle. Of course, this did happen to all of us, but I thought I should warn you anyway! First time weaving mistakes.

5. When you are done with your first color yarn, or if you decide you want to switch colors, simply end it with about a 3" tail remaining. It might start to look sloppy with lots of tails hanging out all over, but don't worry ~ all of them will be taped to the back at the end.

6. Start the next colors in the same way you started the first, leaving a tail of about 3".

7. When you get to the end, just cut off the yarn that you are working with. Not to sound too redundant...but don't forget to leave that tail. 🙂

Taking your weaving off of the loom:

1. When you are finished, undo the scotch tape in the back and carefully pull off the warp threads. I didn't take any pictures of this process for some mysterious reason, but it's fairly straightforward...it's just that you have to be careful because the weft threads could come off easily.

2. When your entire weaving has been pulled off of the loom, tie all of the warp threads together at the ends. Tie 1 & 2 together, 3 & 4 together, and so on. You should have six knots at the top and bottom. Double knots.

3. At this point, it's time to deal with the tails coming out of the sides. The reason to leave the tails on the longish side is so that you can thread them through the needle, and then gently weave them through the back a few times before trimming them. If you don't want to take this extra step, you could just tape the tails to the back with masking tape.

4. Also use masking tape to tape down the top and bottom warp threads to the back of your weaving. (If you don't want a messy looking back, you can also weave the bits back through instead.)

Finishing your weaving:

1. Technically, you are now done with your weaving. Hooray! But if you want to embellish with pom-poms and beads, and hang it on a twig, then read on. Just a note: The kids didn't do any of the finishings, except for the pom-poms. I did all of the taping, beading (kids picked out their colors) and attaching it to the twig. They watched as I did it all, but it was too finicky for their little hands.

2. We made our pom-poms with a pom-pom maker (I highly recommend these things...they are good for life!). But you can also do it the old fashioned way: around your fingers. Here is a good tutorial for that way. Don't forget to leave a longish tail with the piece of yarn that you use to tie the pom-pom. You will thread this tail through the needle and then attach it to your weaving by going through the bottom (front to back) and then taping it on the back. You can add beads to your pom-pom before you attach it to your weaving.

3. To attach the weaving to the twig, cut a piece of yarn, about a foot long, and string it through the needle. Starting on one end, loop the threaded needle through the top of the weaving and around the twig, wrapping the twig all the way until the end. Tie knots on either end, then trim and use masking tape to tape the ends to the back.

4. Lastly, to attach the hanger, simply cut a piece of yarn about 18" long (this will be trimmed, but better too long than too short), and fold it over. Loop the folded end around one side of the twig and make a knot. If you want to add beads, now is the time. To finish off the other side just tie it around the twig in a double knot and trim.

I know there are like a million steps, but the steps for the kids are pretty simple and fun. It's the making of the loom and the finishing that involves some busy work on the part of the adult. I personally LOVE busy work...and I'm betting that if you've read this far, you do too.

Here are some other versions that we did without pom-poms and using popsicle sticks. I didn't have time to collect twigs for this group and we didn't have time for pom-poms, but they are still so cute!!

One thing I forgot to mention is that this project is a great way to introduce some new vocabulary for the kids. They learned warp & weft, and they learned about woven fabric vs. knit. We talked about how so many things in their world are woven: the shorts they are wearing, their sheets and pillows, towels, tablecloths. It was such an eye opener and so fun to see all of this new knowledge sink in.

I hope you try weaving, it really is so cool.

xo, Bar

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Did you like this post? Here are some more weaving ideas to try:

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I've been a wee bit obsessed with weaving lately, ever since May when I saw these beautiful pieces made by Rachel Denbow. After seeing cardboard looms all over Pinterest this summer, which totally fueled my fixation, I decided to make some looms myself for my little campers.

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DIY: Make Japanese Star Mandala in Beautiful Flowery Colors * K4 Craft

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Handmade Mandala are both fashionable and also act as a talisman against evil if you believe it. In this tutorial, [...]

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Here's a link to the history: https://www.okhistory.org/kids/printables/godseye.pdf

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Yarn is having a moment in home decor. Rather than making yet another yarn wall hanging, give those diamond-shaped weavings you used to make at summer camp a more complex design fit for decorating your space. Beautiful god's eyes, first created by Mexico's indigenous Huichol people, look complicated, but with a little practice, a few wooden dowels and some colorful yarn, you'll be sharing their positive, protective vibes with everyone who enters your home.

Watch the video tutorial

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Yarn is having a moment in home decor. Rather than making yet another yarn wall hanging, give those diamond-shaped weavings you used to make at summer camp a more complex design fit for decorating your space.

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When it comes to art lessons, I'm not much of a repeat offender. Since I like to change up the cultural theme of my art room every year, my lessons usually follow suit. However, I always have my 2nd grade create a circle loom weaving for a coupla reasons:

* It's excellent for building fine motor skillz and pumpin' up those wee hand muscles. And what kid doesn't want super strong man-hands?

* It's chock full o math connections: measuring, pattern making, long division (okay, maybe not that last one but you get the idea.)

* It reaches those kids that might otherwise slip through the art cracks ( dude! what if there were such a thing as "art crack"?! Would that be like the equivalent of huffing a sharpie and drinking the paint water?!) Particularly my boy students. They absolutely thrive on weaving, being the tactile learners that they are. In fact, I overheard one little guy tell a buddy whilst weaving, "this is the best day of my life, I love this!" Daawwww.

All that being said, I've not been in love with how I've taught circle loom weaving in the past. Usually when we wove on a plate, we simply started with a blank Chinet plate, created our weaving and used markers to color the rim of the plate ( go here and scroll down to 2nd grade art to see). Last year, in an effort to change things up a bit, we did the whole weaving on a CD thang which was cool and all but I still wasn't in love with the end result.

This year, in an effort to try something totes different but still make sure the kids got in their much needed weaving time, I opted to have them paint their plates before attaching them with woven greatness.

Wait, you wanna make a Painted Plate Circle Loom Weaving too?! Okay, kids, russell up the following:

Chinet Plates. Ya'll don't use anything less. These bad boys are as good as a canvas as far as plate-painting-surfaces go.

Tempra Paint. I only use Crayola's Washable Paint. The colors are about as good as it's gonna get in an elementary classroom.

A Loom Template. You'll thank me later, ya'll.

Over the course of 2-ish art classes, we painted these plates. On our first day, we chatted about Kandinsky's concentric circle paintings and created our own. The following art class was spent using the World's Smallest Paint Brushes to craft those patterns that you see. By the way, if these look a pinch familiar to you, I shared these plates in a recent post about (attempting) to teach good craftsmanship.

Once the plates are painted and patterned, I give the kids a loom template with exactly 19 notches (not nachos) cut into it. The kids are to trace these notches onto the rim of their plate, count to check that they only have 19 lines to cut (because there will be the rando kid that has 55 lines drawn everywheres) and then cut the lines on the rim of the plate. I encourage them not to cut beyond the rim as this will make for a saggy weaving. Which sounds about as ugly as it is.

Once the kids have their plates (which we now call our looms) cut, they are to grab a small skein of warping string and meet me on the floor. For the correct amount of warping string, I wrap the yarn from my hand to my elbow five times. These small bundles are available in a variety of colors for the kids to choose from.

Now. Let's talk about teaching the kids to warp their looms. Which can either be like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion or a piece of cake. Lemme show you the cake route cuz, well, everybody loves cake.

First of all, when we are all seated on the floor, with our looms and warp string in front of us, ain't nobody allowed to touch nuthin until I say "go". You even think about touching that loom and yarn and Ima gonna snatch it up. Because, you know wuz about to happen. They'll think they've got it, fiddle around and not catch a bit of direction and the next thing you know, you've got a class of 20 all train-wreckin-it-up. So. Watch me and wait for the "go".

First step: Put the tail end of the yarn in any notch. There should be a short tail about the length of your finger in the back while the rest of the yarn hangs loose and free in the front. Go. (I tell the kids that their "go" signal to me for the next step is to put their weavings on the floor in front of them. When I see that, I can proceed.)

Next: Bring the length of yarn down dividing the plate in half (see above photo). But, there's a catch. Be sure that there are 8 empty notches on the left side and 9 on the right. That's muy importante, ya'll. Go.

Now: (see left photo) Take the long length of string and have it "go to the right neighbor's house" meaning have your string go in the next notch on the right hand side. Now, this neighbor is super rude and it shouts, "get outta my house!" so the string runs all the way across the plate (see right photo) and makes the World's Smallest X.

Next: Rotate the plate so that the length of string is at the bottom (left picture). That story I just told about the string getting kicked out of the neighbor's house? It's a pattern. Which means it's gonna repeat. So, let's do it again! Go to the right neighbors house. Get kicked out. Go across the street and make the World's Smallest X. Rotate the plate.

After watching this routine, the kids walk me through completing my plate warping by repeating this as I go:

Go the neighbor. Get kicked out. Make World's Smallest X. Rotate the Plate.

Neighbor. Out. X. Rotate.

You'll know you're finished when your little string has no home to go to. And that will be your weft or weaving string!

The following art class, we start to weave with that wee string.

The first day of actual weaving is usually the toughest. I tell 'em over and under until I'm blue in the face...and they get it. That is until they pull the string tightly to the middle and it looks like this:

And then they're all "whuh, huh? whuh just happened to my string?"

At this point, I tell them that they might have to loosen their weaving a bit to see just what they did previously. This will put them back on over-and-under track. When their weft is as long as their hand, they are to double knot tie a new string to the end. It can be a tough first day...but I repeat over and again: Your first day of weaving is the hardest. But you'll get this. And you'll love it.

And when they do, without sounding like some sappy art teacher, it's pure magic.

During our weaving sessions, some kids sit on the floor with me and we chat and get to know each other. We've taken weavings outside on sunny days and sat under trees. We lay on the floor or relocate to tables where our buddies sit. It makes for such a fun and relaxing environment.

Since the kids really caught on fast to weaving this year, I thought I'd throw out the option of adding pony beads. Some kids took to it right away, complimenting their designs with a beaded pattern.

And others opted out, content to just weave until they reached their limit of a 4" diameter. Once weavings were complete, the last of the weft strings was double knot tied to a warp spoke.

The weaving portion of this project only took us 2-ish 30 minute art classes. Since I limited the diameter to 4" (because I hated the thought of their beautiful paintings being hidden AND because the kids will seriously weave For.Eve.Rrr. if not limited), the project ended up being rather quick. By my weeks-long-art-project standards.

I think I can happily say, I'm thrilled with these circle loom weavings. I will definitely be sticking with this painted plate loom lesson. It's become a new weaving fave. To finish these guys off, the kids will tie a "hanger" of yarn at the top so these can be displayed for our upcoming art show!

By the way, I've shared a couple of weaving posts on this here blog. Some of my faves are the following:

What are your fave weaving projects? I'd love to hear!

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In the Art Room: Circle Loom Weaving with Second Grade

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An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.

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OK, who would have thought you could use straws to weave!? Seriously, straw weaving is such a cool concept! The straws make it quick and easy to weave a fun bracelet, necklace or hairband. And all you need is yarn, straws and tape!

This is such a great craft for older kids and tweens. My 7 and 9 year old daughters really enjoy it... although, they're still a little young to do it completely on their own. They need a little bit of my help to get things set up and to tie off the ends. But with such a simple over, under, over, under pattern, they do a really great job with the weaving part!

When you've mastered the basic technique using three straws, you can try the exact same method making wider bracelets using 4, 5 or even 6 straws. You can keep on weaving to make your creation as long (or as short) as you like!

I really love the yarn we used for these bracelets! Most multi-coloured yarns have longer sections of colour, so you'd only get 2 or maybe 3 colour changes in your bracelet. But with this yarn, the colours changed every few inches, so it really made an awesome looking rainbow bracelet!

I used Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Yarn in the colour "Psychedelic". I bought mine at Michaels, but here's an affiliate link to the same yarn on Amazon: Bernat Psychedelic

Check out our video for straw weaving instructions:

Watch our video for how to finger knit as well. It's even easier than straw weaving because all you need are your hands!

How to Finger Knit | Finger Knitting Instructions

Straw Weaving Instructions

Here's a list of what you'll need. The affiliate links below will take you to products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used for straw weaving:

I used regular plastic drinking straws that I bought at the grocery store once upon a time, but you could also use paper straws. These are just regular sized drinking straws. Exactly the same size as you'd get at a fast food restaurant. Just try to avoid using the type of straws that bend.

I used cotton yarn by Bernat, mostly because that was the only brand I could find with awesome rainbow colours (the link to the exact yarn I used is in the list above). You can definitely use any type of yarn, as long as it fits through your straws.

Tape the ends of 3 straws together so that they are side by side, just like in the photo below.

Cut three pieces of yarn, about 3 times the length of your straws. Then thread one piece of yarn through each of the straws.

Helpful Tip: Having trouble threading the yarn through the straws? Use a wooden skewer or knitting needle to push the yarn through each straw. If you don't have skewers, you can place the tip of the yarn at one end of the straw, and suck (carefully!) on the other end of the straw to pull it through.

Tie the ends of the three pieces of yarn into a knot. Leave a little extra yarn after your knot - about 2 to 3 inches - so you can tie them into a bracelet at the end. (Leave MORE yarn at the knotted end than what I show in the photo.)

Tape the straws to the table using masking tape or painters tape. The painters tape wasn't as secure as I would have liked, so I'll use masking tape next time. But either works.

Using another piece of yarn (from the ball of yarn), tie a knot around the top straw.

Then you can start weaving!

Take your yarn under the middle straw, then over the bottom straw.

Then go under the bottom straw, over the middle straw, then under the top straw.

Then repeat the pattern: Go over the top straw, under the middle straw, then over the bottom straw.

Keep weaving following this pattern:

Under and around the bottom straw, over the middle straw, under the top straw.

Over and around the top straw, under the middle straw, over the bottom straw.

Repeat.

Every 3 to 4 lines, push your yarn towards the tape and pull the yarn to make sure all the loops are snug.

Keep following the over, under, over, under weaving pattern until you're happy with the length of your bracelet.

Cut the yarn, then tie it in a single knot around whichever straw you finished weaving on. Don't double knot it yet. You just want it to stay in place while you pull it off the straws.

Remove the tape holding the straws to the table. Then remove the tape holding the straws together.

Then carefully slide the woven loops off the straw. Push them off towards the end of the three pieces of yarn that were knotted together before you started weaving.

Find the end of the yarn where you finished weaving, and tie it in another knot around the yarn it was woven around. This time you can tighten the double knot to keep it in place.

You should have 4 pieces of yarn at the end where you finished. Tie them into a knot, as close to the woven bracelet as you can.

If your weaving got a little messy while you were sliding it off the straws, lay it flat on the table, and reshape any areas that might need it.

Tie the ends together and slide the bracelet onto your wrist and you're done! Isn't the rainbow pattern awesome!?

There's just something so relaxing and rewarding about weaving, and slowly watching your creation grow and turn into something!

Straw weaving is such a fun craft idea! It's a great summer craft for camps and an awesome craft for kids or tweens. You can weave bracelets, necklaces, headbands and even belts. Wouldn't they make awesome friendship bracelets!? This method of weaving is easy to learn and it's lots of fun!

For an even easier method of weaving, check out our instructions for finger knitting. It's super easy since all you need are your hands!

Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!

You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books- A- Million | Indiebound | Indigo | Amazon Canada

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Straw Weaving Instructions | How to Weave with Drinking Straws and Yarn

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OK, who would have thought you could use straws to weave!? Seriously, straw weaving is such a cool concept! The straws make it quick and easy to weave a fun bracelet, necklace or hairband. And all you need is yarn, straws and tape! This is such a great craft for older kids and tweens.