Within weaving, there are various tools used within the 3-step process, however arguably the most important stage is the second which uses ´urdidors’ (a tool for warping thread). After rolling their loops of thread into balls, the weavers then use the urdidor to prepare their thread for the loom. An urdidor consists of a flat table-like structure that holds a number of pegs on its surface (usually around 10). The next step then is to wind the thread which creates crosses within it, allowing the wood loom to hold and the material to be woven.
Our hardworking weavers have been relying on the same weaving equipment for the last decade and the equipment has become very worn. Using an urdidor can take hours depending on the intricacy of the design they are preparing, and all the women sharing and relying on one slows down their ability to weave freely and quickly. Thus, lack of tools is resulting in the women having to wait, wasting time that they could be better used to create and earn more money for themselves.
To help support our weavers, we are looking to raise funds to purchase new urdidors for the weavers in all areas of the cooperative. New urdidors would not only allow our weavers freedom and the ability to work faster and more reliably, being able to support their own economic independence as well as allow for creative development through personal design exploration.
New urdidors cost between 150 to 200 quetzales each, (around $26USD), and we hope to raise enough funds to buy 50 of them to allow the women to have one of their own or at least have less reliance on an overused communal one. Our goal is $1,200USD, to not only have enough funds to provide urdidors, but to also give each weaver new threads to allow them to experiment and explore new color pallets and designs. We also want to create workshops to teach these women about financial literacy so they can better price and sell their new designs, being able to understand and value their worth.
To encourage this fundraiser, each of our Pujujil weavers are creating a new textile design for our latest summer collection, to highlight the individuality of each weaver. These new textiles will be listed with the name and photo of the weaver who created it, giving further insight into the creative process of our weavers, as well as uplifting some of the unique designs our weavers imagine individually. 50% of proceeds will go directly to this fundraiser to buy the new equipment. We hope to launch this collection by July of this year!
Trama Textiles | Women's Weaving Cooperative – Trama Textiles | Women's Weaving Cooperative
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