Blog
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
Jan 21
A Peruvian Weaving Collaboration Produces Stunning Textiles
Two years ago, Colorado designer Bonie Shupe spent a three-month internship with the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco in the Peruvian Highlands. She had graduated from the design and apparel program at Colorado State University and interned at ClothRoads. The CTTC internship provided an opportunity to pursue her dream→ Read more
Jan 14
The Ancient Art of Natural Dye Purple
Thousands of tiny snails were sacrificed to make the royal purple of ancient times. Owning a cloth handwoven and colored with this natural dye was a symbol of high status—the power and wealth of royalty and the church.→ Read more
Jan 07
Textile Travel Wanderlust
Today’s mail arrived including a handful of travel catalogues. I do a quick flip through the pages to see if any of them include distant journeys with a remote chance of meeting textile artisans. I flag ones that may and put them aside to return to after finishing this blog.→ Read more
