work scarves

Woven by hand, this beautiful scarf features a diamond motif that evokes steep mountains. It is a hallmark of Miguel Hernandez's personal style. He works with a cotton blend in espresso brown with white accents. "This design represents who I am," the artisan says with pride. "It uses my favorite materials. I've woven the motifs that are a symbol of my family and it was created on a loom I built myself."

Woven by hand, this beautiful scarf features a diamond motif that evokes steep mountains. It is a hallmark of Miguel Hernandez's personal style. He works with a cotton blend in rosewood with black accents. "This design represents who I am," the artisan says with pride. "It uses my favorite materials. I've woven the motifs that are a symbol of my family and it was created on a loom I built myself."

Indulge in pure luxury as you cocoon yourself in the enchantment of this scarf that comes alive with fabulous embroidery work and the mesmerizing dance of golden zari thread accents that sparkle and dazzle. Presented by India’s Sandeep Malhotra, it is woven from viscose and boasts an array of elegant eggshell, gunmetal, poppy, mint, light blue, mauve and black shades. Tying it all together are delicate fringes that gracefully adorn the ends, creating a symphony of style.

Woven by hand, three strips of traditional West African kente cloth become a colorful scarf. Deborah Osei Boakye continues her grandfather's craft with this extraordinary design. Each strip of kente cloth requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Each color has its own meanings in Ashanti culture, and the patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names. This design is named Nsatsia, meaning "fingers" in the Akan language. Its motifs suggest interlocking fingers from both hands.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of three fabric strips.

The Fiazikpui motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of two fabric strips.

The "Fiazikpui" motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of one single fabric strip.

The "Fiazikpui" motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern.

The intricate texture in this handsome kente cloth shawl is inspired by beach pebbles. Designed by a fisherman around 1898, its name means "pebbles of the shore are hard to crack." The tiny blocks of pattern represent the thoughts of that ancestral craftsman. Handcrafted by the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family, this extraordinary double weave textile is one of the most difficult patterns to achieve. These expert weavers use traditional looms and a cotton blend.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern. The simplest use mostly vertical, or warp patterns, and an experienced weaver can make several of those in one day. But patterns with nearly all weft (horizontal thread) patterns, where the warp design is hardly visible, can take up to four days to complete an individual strip. Each color has its own meanings in Asante culture. Green is fertility and new harvest, gold is royalty, black is strength, aging, and spirituality, while white is purity. The patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names, often to honor people, historical events, or proverbs.

In all the colors of a fiesta, cotton yarns are handwoven together on a traditional backstrap loom. They create the intricate stripes and X patterns of this shawl from Guatemala. Elena Ixtamer creates this artisanal shawl, which is sure to turn heads wherever it goes. Hand-knotted fringe work accents the ends of this marvelous accessory.