The Art of Ikat, Guatemala

Meet Don Pedro of San Juan; the skilled craftsman behind many of our beautiful woven pieces. Don Pedro's role in the timely weaving process, is to prepare the cotton yarn for dying, by marking out the required pattern. After many years of experience, no measuring device is required, impressively it is all done by eye. He draws up the pattern first, a series of designs sketched in his weathered notebook, something that to the untrained eye resembles hieroglyphics. He then patiently wraps yarn tightly around the cotton, matching it to the sketched design. This marks out the part of the pattern that will not be dyed, as the tightly tied yarn protects the cotton from the dye.

He has now turned this into a family business, passing on the craft to his son. Father and son work quietly in the backyard of their open-plan house, as the radio plays the latest pop tunes and children play in close proximity, often watching over their shoulders inquisitively.

We instantly fell in love; not only with his charismatic and warm presence but also his craftsmanship and the pride he took in his work.