maya hand

Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, grey cotton trims a chic women's shoulder bag. Diamonds adorn the bag's sky blue body. Members of the Weaving Heart Women's Group create this beautiful handbag, which is lined in grey.

Precise geometric motifs in cool blue-grey are accentuated with navy and yellow in an exquisite design. From talented members of Women United for Artisan Development, the cushion cover is woven by hand on a backstrap loom. Cording defines the borders, and the back is solid white. "This was inspired by the ceiba tree, the national tree of Guatemala," the artisans confide. "We learned this motif from our grandmothers.

Should one of the threads snag, they suggest you pull it back into place from the back of the fabric with a fine crochet hook.

Precise geometric motifs are accentuated with purple in an exquisite design. From talented members of Women United for Artisan Development, the cushion cover is woven by hand on a backstrap loom. Cording defines the borders, and the back is solid grey. "We were inspired by the moon and stars," the artisans confide.

Should one of the threads snag, they suggest you pull it back into place from the back of the fabric with a fine crochet hook.

Evoking clouds above the Maya highlands, this white cotton cushion cover reveals blue-grey geometric motifs. The highlands of Chiapas are well-known for their artisans, particularly its talented weavers. This design is handwoven on the traditional backstrap loom with a subtle brocade to light up any modern home. It comes from the Aid to Artisans organization, which works to help the indigenous people of this state maintain their traditional lifestyles.

The reverse side is the same fabric without the motifs. An opening at the back permits insertion of the cushions.

Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, this generous cotton shawl combines wide bands of pewter grey and burnt sienna on pristine ivory cotton. Lorenza Perez is a master of this ancestral Maya weaving technique, and a rebozo like this one can take anywhere from 28 to 40 hours to complete. Textured geometric borders at each end are embroidered by hand, and the fabric alternates woven areas with unwoven warp threads, to achieve a textile that drapes beautifully.