TECHNIQUES OF GUATEMALAN WEAVING

by Lena Bjerregaard ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1977

For experienced weavers willing to construct a backstrap loom, this introduction to Guatemalan techniques is a how-to enhanced by anecdotes. Bjerregaard traveled from village to village, collecting patterns, listening to legends, and enjoying local bus schedules. Most women now work with synthetically dyed cotton yarns--spinning can take twice as long as weaving--and many use motifs whose symbolic meanings are unknown to them. Each village has traditional patterns and color preferences--Ixtahuacan skirts favor corn motifs, Chichicastenango weavers like burgundy hues--and some have established co-ops to market their products. Bjerregaard mentions a few personal experiences but devotes most of the text to brocading techniques (""an extra pattern weft is placed on top of a plainwoven surface"") and pickup patterns which only confident hands should undertake.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION