Volunteering at TRAMA
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...
30 Seconds With a Weaver
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...
Fuentes Georginas and Laguna de Chicabal
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...
An interview with Carlita
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...
The downside to upcycling huipiles…
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...
Chapinismos
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...
Escuela de Tejer- Learn to weave with TRAMA
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...
Everything you need to know about Xela!
Quetzaltenango aka Xela is an authentic Guatemala city with a small town feel. Although it may not have the colonial beauty of Antigua or the waterfront views of Lake Atitlan, Xela has an undeniable charm and livability which see...
From cotton to cushion- behind the weave at Trama.
Each product offered by TRAMA is painstakingly handmade with incredible attention to detail making for a flawless finish. The weaving process is a time consuming one, with the pattern design varying the degree of difficulty of the weave, and...
Symbols and meanings in Mayan weavings
The Mayan textile weavings of Guatemala are detailed with exquisite patterns and symbols which hold representative meanings for indigenous population. Many indigenous women continue to wear the traditional Mayan clothing of the huipil (the blouse top section of the...