Backstrap Loom Woven Purses

The word "loom" (from middle English lome, "tool") is applied to any set of devices permitting a warp to be tensioned and a shed to be formed. Looms exist in great variety. Even though the backstrap loom is basic and humble, some of history's most beautiful and complex textiles have been woven on this simple arrangement of sticks.

Guatemala is one of several countries where this small, portable, and inexpensive loom is still very much a tradition and in use today. It is said that the Mayan goddess Ixchel gave the art of weaving to her people. Today's Mayan descendants still make use of that gift in generating beautiful textiles, accessories and woven bags for the local and international market.

The primary feature of the backstrap loom is that the lengthwise threads (warp) are stretched from a fixed device such as a post or tree to a belt that a person wears around the waist. By backing away from the post or tree the threads are pulled into tension.

The device that provides a method of separating the warp threads into two parts is called a "rigid heddle". It is basically two more sticks strategically placed in the middle that allow the weaver to manipulate the warps, move the heddle up or down to separate the threads vertically forming what is called a shed. The weft threads need to be packed tightly which is don with a beater which is often a comb.   

In the western highlands of Guatemala the Mayan women typically used cotton yarn for their weavings and natural plants from their area to dye the yarn various colors. They still dye yarn by hand but also buy cotton yarn that's already been dyed.

The backstrap loom can make different widths of fabric. If a textile or cloth needs to be wider than what can be woven two pieces or more are joined together with heavy embroidery stitches. An example of this would be the skirt of the Mayan women, which if hand-woven would have pieces joined with embroidered stitches.  

Visit our site for sturday backstrap loom fabric woven bags from Guatemala. A blend of indigenous weaving technique and contemporary color and design concepts.

 

The Batik Process

Batik is one of the earliest known ways to decorate fabrics. Traditional methods use wax and dyes to produce an image. Batik images or effects are achieved through the principle of wax and water repelling each other, called resist dyeing.   

African batik designs are often symbolic to the African culture, animals, village life, dancing and playing traditional instruments. The design can be as complicated or simple as the artist's desire.

Since batik is a method of painting a "negative space", the two Mozambique artists featured,  have to envision the complete design in-between shapes and figures or draw the design on the fabric before starting the actual process.

The first step is to pour or paint hot wax on selected areas of the fabric and let it dry. Then the dye is applied to the un-waxed areas. With a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps, the individual colors of the batik are applied. After the last application the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the vibrant colors and fine crinkle lines that give the batik additional character. The entire process of making a batik can take up to 2-3 days.  

No batik will ever be the same. African wax batiks are made from 100% cotton. Framed or unframed, batiks with their gorgeous colors will enhance any room in your home or office. 

African batiks are easily cared for. Simply sponge down with a damp cloth to keep them dust free. You may as well iron the reverse side on a very low temperature. 

See our batik collection on www.worldtravelart.com

 

Traditional Zulu Baskets

South Africa is famous for its tightly woven Zulu baskets and you can feel the mystery and essence of Africa in each handmade basket. Functional, beautiful, unique in size, shape and pattern, the baskets are made from indigenous raw materials. The fronds of the Ilala Palm (Hyphaene Coriacea) are used to weave the fine baskets and dyes of vegetable origin such as roots, berries, bark and leaves are used to color the palm.

Following into the footsteps of their mothers and grandmothers, girls learn to weave at early age. Passing down the craft has not only preserved it to this day but made the weaving of baskets a source of income to families living in the hills of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

The variety of traditional Zulu baskets goes from open bowls to bulb shaped watertight Zulu Beer baskets, bottle shaped watertight baskets, herb baskets or canister baskets. Each is unique and will add real African flavor to your home decor or table setting.

African Soapstone Carvings

Soapstone is a metamorphic stone (also known as soaprock or Kisii stone) similar to talc. It has been a medium for carving for thousands of years. Kenya soapstone is found in the Gusii highlands in the western part of the country, near Lake Victoria and the town of Tabaka is the heart of soapstone crafts.

Mind by hand from surface mines, large stones are pulled by a team of workers and cleaved into smaller pieces for carving. The stone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone. The stone color ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. The carvers used to make mostly wild animal figurines, but have started creating contemporary abstracts, candle holders, bookends, domestic figurines like cats and dogs to name a few for export. The entire process is done with simple hand tools and no machinery is ever used.

Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched designs that showcase modern African creativity.

Click here for World Travel Art Soapstone Carvings

Fair Trade Purses - Our Winners!

Women love to accessorize! Purses are the No. 1 item we sell on crafts markets. We like to share with you our favorite Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly purses. They are fashionable, colorful, functional and make excellent conversation pieces.

Tatami-Style Seagrass Purses (Baskets of Cambodia).
These colorful, functional purses are made from natural seagrass that grows as high as 8' tall. All have a light colored interior with zippers and compartments. They come in various shapes, many colors and features that suit any preference.

Pop Top Purses (Mexico).
Made from 864 pieces of pop tops, this purse shows how the principles of "reduce, reuse and recycle" can be applied to make a fashionable and functional piece of accessory.

Recycled Tire Purses (India).
What a message these fashionable, "upcycled" purses carry! Rather than throwing it on the landfill, tires and inner tubes are recycled and transformed into gorgeous looking purses that are the talk of the town.

Check out our entire selection of Fair Trade Purses and Bags at www.worldtravelart.com

Conserve - Fashionable Upcycled Bags

Born of a desire to reduce India's mountain of waste and to help some of Delhi's poorest living in the City's slums, Conserve India was founded as an NGO by Anita and Shalabh Ahuja.

Conserve started as a recycling project and was quickly confronted with the fact that especially thousands of plastic bags could not be composted or recycled locally. The founders combined expertise in engineering and creative talent lead to the solution. Conserve started "upcycling" the bags by washing, drying, and pressing them into sheets of plastic that could be reinvented as fashion accessories. The principle of handmade recycled plastic (HRP) was born.

Other examples of materials used by Conserve to reduce, reuse, upcycle and add value to waste, create income and jobs are:

Rubber tube.

The inner tubes of old truck tyres are soft and durable and a great alternative to leather. Once the inner tube is washed, it is cut into shape or patterns in a way that allows total flexibility in designing fashionable, functional and fun bags.

Seat belts.
Rolls of un-used seat belt material from manufacturers that would go to the landfill are used and woven together into fabulous bags.

Today, Conserve India employs and trains hundreds of people from Dehli's most disadvantaged communities. The generated income from selling the products is spent on social welfare projects and education in those same communities.

The products are a great fit with current eco-chic trends in the United States and Europe. They are functional, dramatic and make excellent conversation pieces.

Calypso Chile

Founded in 1994, Calypso Chile is a family crafts workshop based in the neighborhood of La Reina, Santiago de Chile. Through perseverance, the family successfully built a sustainable business that supports not only this family, but as well the families of others. Calypso Chile creates, produces, sells and exports their fused glass pieces national and international to several countries worldwide.

As a member of the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization), Calypso is operated under the principles of Fair Trade, ensuring that all of the artisans and crafts people are paid a fair price for their work.

Fused glass is a term used to describe glass that has been fired (heat-processed) in a "kiln" at a range of high temperatures.

The process of fused glass requires sheets of glass to first be cut into the desired shape. Next, the glass design is put into the kiln. As the kiln heats up, the glass contracts, expands, and adheres together. When the piece is melted to the artist's satisfaction, the kiln temperature is slowly lowered to allow the glass to cool down and avoid cracking.

Thera are three main distinctions for temperature application and the resulting effect on the glass. Firing the glass at the highest temperatures is a "full fues". The techniques can be applied to one glass work in separate firings to add depth, relief and shape.

All kinds of items can be made with fused glass. Wall hangings and jewelry are some of today's most popular pieces.