TEAM

When the pandemic shut down life as we knew it, we started offering online backstrap weaving classes with master weaver and mentor Doña Lidia. Together, we have been able to introduce weavers from around the world to the art of backstrap weaving. An expert weaver and teacher, Doña Lidia is the perfect gentle guide for this weaving journey. She now teaches backstrap weaving in our studio garden in Antigua, and we make it a point to spend a day with her and her family on many of our travel itineraries.

While "Eve" has been helping us with sourcing inquiries for many years, she's also been busy teaching backstrap weaving classes in our Antigua courtyard! She is a patient and dedicated teacher, and we feel lucky to have someone so special on the team. Fun facts: Eve and her family have known founder Mari since "before she was born," and she is the wonderful mama to Sucy, our studio support extraordinaire!

Our friend and master embroideress from Sumpango organizes embroidery production and teaches embroidery workshops with us. She's in charge of distributing the work among the women she works with in her community, and making sure that they each know exactly what to do - colors, designs, techniques... it's a lot of work! She visits the embroiderers regularly in their "aldea" (neighborhood outside of Sumpango) to make sure that everything is going well.

Truly a delightful addition to the team of backstrap weaving teachers! Cristina proudly shares that weaving got her through university! Nowadays, she continues to weave when not working as a social worker in Guatemala City, and teaches with us in Antigua.

We prefer calling our friend "Edwin" by his nickname, "Chato." He is a dedicated maker for all things pomopms and tassel-oriented, and also shares his secrets during the our Chajul-style pompom workshop. He is a master multitasker who keeps himself busy with our orders, two young children, managing his own stall at the artisan market, and helping out as an accountant, which is what he studied. A talented and busy man!

Over the last decade, Francisca and Kakaw have really grown together and supporting each other. As one of the founders of a local association of weavers, Francisca oversees our production with the group, often involving 15 or more women for a single order. They use natural dyes to color their yarn vibrantly, often with ikat dye-resist patterns. She always works her textile magic, providing us the best of the best. We also love to partner with this group for workshops at Lake Atitlán.

Master cotton spinner, master backstrap weaver, master indigo dyer. Doña Marta is a true honor to work with to preserve these slow-made traditions that are seldom practiced now by younger generations.

Led by Pedro, this group of talented Ixil backstrap weavers live in one of the most rural areas of Guatemala. This cooperative of weavers was first formed to support each other as widows after the internal conflict. The women are strong and talented, continuing their textile traditions full of brocaded birds, corn, and other motifs.

The weavers in around Cobán specialize in a regional, delicate gauze-like weave called "picbil" (also spelled "pikbil"), and Margarita facilitates all our custom production with the talented weavers from the surrounding rural communities. We love this exquisite traditional weave and combining it with natural dyes to add an original touch.

Betty joined our team in 2023 as we
prepared for our first participation at the International Folk Art Market. She is just the talented seamstress we needed to vamp up production. It is a pleasure to work with
her on new garment designs.

Born into a family of leathersmiths, Walfre delicately crafts our bag designs. He delivers consistently high-quality work, paying close attention to the small finishing details that really make a difference!

This trio of creative embroideresses makes evident their passion for interpreting traditional motifs and techniques from their home town. It is a pleasure to work with a team that clearly enjoys what they do! Embroidery and beadwork, sometimes combining both.

We've been working with "Charlie" since the very beginning. He makes all our drawstring bags for packaging, made out of repurposed cortes. Poco a poco, he has taught himself more complex construction, and with the funds raised in 2020/2021 through the sale of cloth masks, he was able to purchase professional equipment. We continue to work together to create new garment patterns and fulfill orders. In this image, he shows off his Aiko Jacket.

Isaac and his extended familylearned how to embroider in a temporary shelter after the Fuego Volcano eruption in 2018. During the many months after their community was evacuated, the area needed rebuilding, and the volcano continued to be observed closely. These months were hard, to say the least, and many at the shelter found embroidery to be therapeutic. The additional income obtained has also supported the family through tough times. The members have since gone back to living in their homes, and our orders are now distributed to a handful of adult members of the family.

Master silversmith and jade worker. With his workshop set up at home overlooking the valley, Santos crafts beauties out of local rough jade cuts. What a surprise to see what these stones look like once polished! Fun fact: Santos is Sucy's dad and Eve's husband :)

It has brought new perspectives to be able to translate our love of textiles into ceramic form. We work together with a local group of ceramicists for new pottery shape and surface painting designs.