Strap weaving is an ancient art that has been practiced for centuries in many parts of the world - Peru, Guatemala, China, Japan, Bolivia, Mexico and Native Americans. Today, many parts of Guatemala still use it every day to weave fabrics to create clothing and other household fabrics. Many women also make a living by weaving various items by selling them to tourists.
The loom is very simple, usually six sticks, usually hand-made by weavers. The harness looms are easy to carry because they can be simply rolled up and placed when not in use. The rear rod is attached to the tree or column during weaving and has a belt around the waist at the other end that can be moved back or forward to create the desired tension. Weavers usually sit on the ground but become more difficult as they age, and they may use small stools.
In Guatemala, women usually weave them with cotton yarn and dye the yarns in various colors using the natural plants in their area. They still dye the yarn by hand, but also buy cotton yarn that has been chemically dyed. Natural tones are softer than chemical dyes. These natural shades come from plants and bark, such as:
- Sacatinta - blue
- Coconut shell brown
- Carrot - orange
- Achote -soft orange / peach
- Hibiscus Flower - Pink
- Chilca - soft yellow
- Bark of avocado tree - beige
The harness looms, also known as belt looms, make fabrics of different widths depending on the width of the rod. Guatemalan craftsman weavers can be as narrow as a belt, or as wide as 24-26 inches, maybe more. If the fabric needs to be wider, the two pieces are joined together by heavy embroidery stitches. An example of this is the Maya women's leather [skirt], which, if hand-knitted, has portions of embroidery stitching.
Barbara Taber and Marilyn Anderson wrote a good book on braided harnesses in 1975 - "Tie-weaving, step-by-step technology, in the oldest, most functional weaving One of the machines." Another book with some information is the "Complete Guide to Weaving Primers, Inks, Straps and Frame Looms" by Nina Holland in 1978.
Orignal From: Strap weave - Guatemalan Maya women still use ancient crafts
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