Guatemala – Weaving with a Women’s Cooperative in Lake Atitlan
Guatemala weaving is next level. It is not only alive and well, but is also a major source of income for families and women in particular. Before going, I wanted to do a weaving class that was hands-on and not simply informative. The problem was that both my travel partner and I could only find courses that were 8-hours or longer. Although it would be incredible to see the entire process from dyeing to weaving, we did not have that much time to commit during this trip. So, when we found Tinte Maya offering a weaving experience that was three hours, we reached out and set it up via Facebook (not my preferred method, but it’s what they have access to).
The weaving lesson turned out to be fully hands-on with explanations coming in the form of showing us, rather than telling us. We spent an afternoon with three women who gently and persistently showed us the consistency of weaving. We walked away with a greater appreciation of the art, our creations in hand.
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TinteMaya – Guatemala Weaving
I found Tinte Maya on Trip Advisor. We looked for a course in one of the small towns around Lake Atitlan because we were busy climbing volcanos in Antigua. A series of small towns dot the hillsides surrounding Lake Atitlan. Tinte Maya is in the town of San Juan La Laguna, which has a reputation of being a quiet town focused on artisans. So whether you decide to take a lesson with Tinte Maya or not, you may want to consider visiting San Juan La Laguna to do a little shopping.
Tinte Maya is a cooperative of 25 women that provides economic opportunities for women in San Juan La Laguna. The women use plant dyes, recycled materials, and sell the products they make. They also offer lessons to guests. The lessons take place in the back yard of their shop using their materials and setups. Although it might be different by the time you are reading this, I found the best way to contact TinteMaya was on their Facebook page.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would do it again in a heartbeat
- Intensity: Casual clothes
- Location: TinteMaya in San Juan La Laguna on Lake Atitlan
- Cost: $150 GTQ for a scarf (roughly $16 USD), or $200 GTQ for a wall hanging (roughly $26 USD)
- Restrooms: at Tinte Maya
- Timing: 3-hour class
Highlights:
- Visit the rtisan town of San Juan La Laguna
- Learn some of the key components of Guatemala weaving
- Be surrounded by feminine Mayan energy
- Support a female-owned and operated cooperative of artisan women
Lowlights:
- A miscommunication leads us to make something a little different than expected
The Guatemala Weaving class/Lesson
Central to the TinteMaya lesson is the backstrap loom, which is popular in Guatemala weaving. The backstrap loom wraps around your body and connected to a tree or pole. When stretched out, there are 5 – 7 dowels of various sizes horizontally in the threads. The strap around your body hugs the top of your buns, allowing you to lean back to create tension and slide the runner back and forth. Each of the dowels having a particular function. Since our lesson was only 2-3 hours, the loom was set up before we arrived.
When we arrived at TinteMaya, a woman in a yellow shirt ushered to a back patio. On the back patio, to grandmotherly women were setting up the looms and beginning to weave. The older women showed us the steps while the younger women narrated in a mix of English words and mostly Spanish. After watching for 5 or 10 minutes, the younger woman in yellow strapped us into the looms and guided through the steps. The steps I remember included:
- Pulling on one of the horizontal dowels
- Using a flat dowel to push the thread in place toward you
- Running the shuttle
- Pulling a different horizontal dowel that raises strings
- Holding that dowel in the air, while running the shuttle through the gap
- Releasing and using the flat dowel to push the thread in place
- Repeat, repeat, repeat…
This could be slightly incorrect. In essence, you are pulling one set of threads forward and running the shuttle, then pulling the other set of threads forward and running the shuttle. I had the most difficulty when holding one of the dowels in the air and running the shuttle through at the same time because I kept missing threads. The women would cluck softly and help me.
Miscommunication
Before going to Guatemala, I had communicated via Facebook that both my travel partner and I wanted to make wall-hangings. After a good half hour, it dawned on me that this was not simply an exercise before we started our wall hangings. We were mid-process of making scarves. Oh, dear! Of three women working with us, the youngest knew a little English, Spanish, and the native Mayan language. It broke my heart to tell her that we were hoping to make a wall hanging and not a scarf. Although I was enjoying learning how to use the backstrap loom, I had hoped to create something to display. After talking back and forth, the youngest suggested that we use the current setup to create a mini wall hanging weaving. We were game!
When we agreed to the mini-wall hanging, the two older women jumped into action. They took over the loom and asked us to pick through a scrap bag for colors we liked. The older women would weave a few rows, then we would hand them a color of scraps to create a design on the next row. Designs consisted of loops, lines, hanging strings, puff-balls, etc. Without a common language, we communicated through proper timing and hand signals. “Expert weavers” is nearly an insult for how amazing these women were at weaving. They flew through the rows until we made about 16 inches of wall hanging patterns.
The Result
At the end of the lesson, we had not only a mini wall-hanging but also a section of a handwoven scarf! This scarf section would be a perfect table runner. We also engaged with the women on a different level while problem-solving and communicating the designs we wanted in the wall-hanging. At the end of the lesson, we took with the three women and it came out to be adorable.
As we were checking out, the youngest woman told us that TinteMaya hires someone else to do the English communication on Facebook, so that was likely where the miscommunication happened. We over-tipped the ladies for their hard work, the extra hours, and the supplies we used. It was a little stressful on both our parts – I truly felt bad asking them to switch and I know they had to put more work into our lesson than normal. But I think we were able to find a solution that satisfied us both.
Another unexpected result of the miscommunication is that we had to RUN to catch the last boat of the day. The water taxis at Lake Atitlan only run for set hours and this delay made it a little stressful for us to get to our accommodations for the night. These things happen, so give yourself extra time and confirm a couple of times if you have your heart set on anything in particular.
San Juan La Laguna
Each of the towns around Lake Atitlan has a unique vibe and clientele. TinteMaya is in San Juan La Laguna, where you can easily find artisans and Guatemala weaving products. When you get off the dock from the water taxi, you’ll be on the main street, filled with artisan shops. Any woven souvenir that you’ve seen in Guatemala will also be here! I ended up purchasing a gorgeous woven pillowcase from a shop that featured items from another cooperative of women. My travel partner got many of her souvenirs in San Juan La Laguna on this main street. I wish I had more money and suitcase space to buy some of the stunning handmade clothing items. The shop owners are kind and will not yell at you to see their wares, which was a bit of relief for us.
While my travel partner shopped, I stopped into a coffee shop for an iced coffee and wifi. If you need a break from shopping, this little coffee shop was a lovely place to recover. They also had coffee beans for sale, which I bought as well. Not all of the towns at Lake Atitlan have as much of a focus on goods, so I am glad we got items here.
Getting to TinteMaya Weaving Class/Lesson
Unless you are already staying in San Juan La Laguna, you’ll need to take a water taxi to get to the small town. TinteMaya does come up on GoogleMaps, so make sure to download or screenshot the map before you leave a wifi area. Or, when you arrive in San Juan la Laguna, there is a coffee shop on the main street, where you can access wifi again. TinteMaya is up the hill on the main street, then at the intersection, make a right and follow the road around a curve. You’ll see a sign forTinteMaya a little past the curve in the road.
Overall Thoughts: Guatemala Weaving Class on Lake Atitlan
Overall, the TinteMaya Guatemala Weaving Class was a hands-on way to experience Mayan culture. I loved that I was supporting women who use natural fibers and dyes. With the miscommunication, I feel like we had a deeper experience trying to figure things out. Not that I’ve had an initial weaving experience, I would like to take the full 8-hour weaving lesson to learn more about dyeing the yard and setting up the backstrap loom. After the course and looking at the things we bought in town, the intricate designs are mesmerizing. The skill of backstrap weaving is so lovely and mind-boggling.
Other things we did at Lake Atitlan:
- Kayaking Lake Atitlan in Santa Cruz
- Walked from Santa Cruz to Tzununa
- Sunrise hike to San Pedro Volcano
Have you done any art or handicraft-related classes or lessons? Let me know in the comments below so I can check them out during my future travels!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
