Weaving Techniques

Belt Loom

The belt loom is the most common traditional Mayan way of weaving cloth. The vertical threads of the warp are held taunt between two wooden end rods. The top rod is fastened at each end by a cord which is tied to a tree. The bottom rod is attached to a belt. The kneeling weaver wears the belt to control the looms tension.

The heddle, or warp rod, is used to control the even and odd numbered threads. The saber is a wooden rod which compresses the weft. The shuttle passes the horizontal threads between the layers. A thin reed rod called a pin spreader ensures that the width of the cloth is consistent.

Weaving Techniques

The most commonly used official weaving techniques are plain weave, twill weave, open weave, mottled ikat weave and the additional weft, which creates a single or double sided brocade effect.

The ikat technique uses threads arranged in bundles. The threads are knotted at various points before dipping them into dye so that only the exposed sections are dyed. The operation is repeated for each color. The different colored areas are arranged on the warp to create the design.