Cotton ikat bedspread in Ixcaco and Indigo

What a treasure this piece is! Full of handspun local organic heirloom cotton, ixcaco. The brown that you see is all ixcaco (pronounced <ish-ka-ko> and the hue is natural from the fiber, it is not dyed. Because the fibers for this cotton variety are shorter than the industrial white cotton variety, spinning with a drop spindle it is reserved for master spinners like Doña Marta. 

The fibers were woven on a backstrap loom, with five panels combined to create one bedspread. The patterns seen in natural indigo are the result of hand-tying knots before dyeing, a resist-dye technique called ikat. All threads used here are cotton, both warp and weft. 

This is a true one-of-a-kind treasure that comfortably fits both full and queen-sized beds. The pictures here were taken on a full-size bed.

All five handwoven panels are joined with gentle randa embroidery in zigzag form.  This is a stunning example of textile artistry from start to finish.

Please note that some industrially-spun threads are used for this piece. All of the brown cotton has been handspun.

Measurements: 

Width: 80 inches

Length: 88 inches plus 3 inches of twisted fringes on both ends