Blog
Jun 02
The Men Who Support Women Artisans Behind the Scenes
In this world of global textiles, ClothRoads works with male artisans but we also meet many men who support their wives and daughters behind the scenes. They are proud of what these women have achieved and they are humble, generally preferring to stay on the other side of the camera.→ Read more
May 11
Maguey, Ancient Wonder Plant
Let’s follow our ancient plant path and explore the wonders of the fiber maguey. Its fascinating history rivals that of hemp fiber. → Read more
May 05
Maya Color Explodes in Hooked Rugs
This is a rags to riches story. A story of Guatemalan women weavers learning the folk art of hooking rugs from an American woman. A story of how used clothing is transformed into one-of-a-kind rugs, each expressing the artist’s vision of Mayan culture. A story of how artistic and economic→ Read more
Apr 21
ProTeje, For The Weavers of Guatemala
Born from a desire to preserve the Guatemalan history of the backstrap weaving culture of indigenous women, five women volunteers of the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress launched ProTeje (for the weavers) in 1994. Starting with only two women weavers, this project has grown immensely over twenty-three years, now supporting 300→ Read more
Apr 14
Natural Dye 101: Indigo
Would you like to explore the world of the natural dye indigo right now? What about events right here in the U.S.? ClothRoads brings all this to you and more.→ Read more
Apr 07
Jaspe: A Guatemalan Resist-Dyed Handwoven Cloth
Guatemalan resist-dyed fabric called jaspe should never be taken for granted. Yet I undervalued this handwoven cloth for many years until a recent visit to the homeland of jaspe in Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.→ Read more
Mar 24
Hemp: An Ancient Fiber for a Sustainable Future
Hemp is an ancient plant that protects the environment and provides fiber for soft durable fabric. A fiber from the Cannibis plant, it is believed to be one of the oldest domesticated crops. It builds soil, resists insects and requires a minimum of water. Anthropologists maintain that throughout history, hemp→ Read more
Mar 10
The Colors of Guatemalan Textiles
ClothRoads just returned from our first textile travel to the Guatemalan Highlands. Deborah Chandler and Teresa Cordón, authors of Traditional Weavers of Guatemala, crafted this colorful journey for us. They opened up their world of weaving (both foot-pedal and backstrap), spinning, jaspe dyeing, embroidery, and basketry, as well as translated the→ Read more
Feb 18
A Wax-Resist, Indigo Hemp Cloth: A Tradition in Laos
When I first spotted Ms. Mai Suxiong, the oldest practicing Blue Hmong batik artist in Luang Prabang, Laos, she was dressed in a simple sarong and carried a roll of handwoven hemp cloth. She gently stepped down the stone-covered path toward a covered hut along the Mekong River, ready to→ Read more
Feb 11
Sea Island Indigo: Creating an American Indigo Culture
Donna Hardy has big plans–she’s in the midst of building a new North American indigo culture based on the same natural dye indigo plants that grew in the Southeastern United States Lowcountry area more than 250 years ago.→ Read more
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