“So that the message continues So the promise and practices of a culture are remembered So the roots are not forgotten The word is made ideogram in the textiles” Humberto Ak’abal San Juan La Laguna is a small town...
San Juan is one of the few villages left around Guatemala that dyes its yarn naturally. The natural yarn process is fascinating. It is incredible that such vibrant colours can be achieved in a completely natural way. Once picked,...
The purpose of clothing, no matter where in the world, is to transform an organic, biological being into a social, cultural being. This social construction is the form in which each community socializes an individual, and likewise integrates the...
I have been volunteering at TRAMA for just over a month as the social media coordinator, and living in Xela for the last two months. I came to Xela primarily to improve my Spanish. I then came across TRAMA...
Katie Mae has recently spent just over a week at Trama, learning how to backstrap loom with our weavers and we quickly caught up with her! So Katie Mae, where are you from? Sacranento, California And have you ever...
As we climbed higher and higher into the Western Highlands towards the renowned Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs on the outskirts of Xela, Guatemala, we began wondering if the activity was truly for us. “Us” being Kelsey and Deirdre, Trama...
I want a better future for Carlita, I want her to be a professional woman. October is a busy month! The first of October marks ‘Children’s Day’ here in Guatemala and the 11th ‘International Girls Day’ as well as...
What is a huipil? It is a woven blouse that is traditionally worn by Mayan women. If you have visited Guatemala, you would have seen these everywhere you went. Huipiles are beautifully made requiring countless hours of intricate embellishment; when upcycled...
Having lived in Colombia for the last two years, I arrived to Guatemala two weeks ago, to come and volunteer at Trama, feeling confident enough with my ability to communicate in Spanish. However I quickly began to realise that there...
Nestled in a quiet, brightly coloured courtyard 2 blocks from the central park in Quetzaltenango, the “Escuela de Tejer” or TRAMA textiles weaving school can be found. Here you can learn to master the ancient art of backstrap weaving...