CLUB BALAM
Club Balam-Weavers
In the Tlaxcala neighborhood of San Cristobal de las Casas, extended families weave traditional indigo blue skirt material called enagua that is worn by many Maya women in Chiapas.This is also the home of Juani & Yoli. First they dye white thread with imported indigo crystals, then fix the dye with an herb called zacatintas, before hanging the thread out to dry. Once along indigo threaded warp is fixed on a traditional foot-loom of the type brought over by the 16th Century Spaniards,family members spin onto spools the thread that will be shuttled through the warp of the cloth. The finished product is then distributed to the market in San Cristobal but also diverse indigenous communitiesÊto sell to women who then often embellish the cloth with hand-stitched embroidery designs.
Meche
(Play video below)