Backstrap Loom
Ixchel is known as the Mayan goddess of the moon, fertility, and weaving. The Mayans represented her as an older woman weaving on a backstrap loom tied to the sacred ceiba tree, a symbol of the cosmos, that alludes to the creation of the world. Weaving skills are ingrained in the cultural identity of Mayan women, who have preserved the techniques of weaving with natural fibers for thousands of years.
Backstrap Loom problematic¶
The backstrap loom weaving technique, once a hallmark of the Yucatán culture, is now on the brink of extinction. This decline is primarily due to the retirement and aging of the skilled artisans. Unfortunately, there are few artisans stepping forward to inherit and continue this cultural tradition. The younger generation is increasingly drawn to the opportunities and lifestyles offered by urban areas. They seek careers in modern professions, perceiving little economic benefit or future in maintaining the traditional weaving practices. The current artisans also face the difficulties that some parts of their tools might be broken or missing, and it is not easy for them to find replacement or repair themselves. This problematic is compose of multiple aspect: the business model, the design and the accessibility of the tools. We focus during this week on this accessibility problem.
The process¶
| Steps | Tools | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brush for henequén | When you purchase your fibers of henequén it's tangle and difficulte to seperate. We need to wax the fibers and comb them on a rudimental brush compose of long nails or with your hand for small quantity. When the fibers are smooth and untangle you can continue to step 2. |
| 2 | Create your warp | Chose the size of your warp. Select the numbers of fibers that you will install for your warp. It can be as small as 1 and no maximum quantity. Make a knots on one side and install them on the warping frame ( you can see the booklet for more informations) |
| 3 | Install your loom | Transfert the warp to the loom and install your heddle |
| 4 | Start weaving | While weaving you need to be carefull to have a good tension at all time. Roll your loom with work to transport it or store it. |
Mayan Backstrap Loom¶
Telar de Cintura de henequén
| LOOM PARTS | ENGLISH | SPANISH | MAYA |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Brush for henequén | Peine para henequén | Peemil ye’etel henequén |
 |
Upper and lower warp bar | Enjulio o Rodillo | Xjuche' |
 |
Shed stick | Machete chico | Jala' te' chichan |
 |
Heddle stick | Varilla de paso | Máamak |
 |
Batten / Beater | Machete Grande | Jala' te' nojoch |
 |
Backstrap | Mecapal | Táab |
 |
Bench | Faja o Mecapal | K'áan ché |
The digital Backstrap Loom¶
Under our initiative, we have developed a new loom kit and accessories designed to facilitate knowledge transfer and distributed education. This loom draws inspiration from traditional tools, ensuring the preservation of the technique's essence. The design is open-source, allowing any fablab or makerspace worldwide to print a set. Additionally, the parts are designed for easy scalability and reproducibility, this allows current artisans in the community to easily replace missing pieces of their looms by creating new parts at a fablab. We have also developed comprehensive getting-started guides, instruction manuals, and media resources to assist them in the process. This is the first version of the kit, the project is on-going with further experimentation. This first version is a 3D printable one and we are now working on a molding and cnc version too.
The Kit
This kit consists of a 6” backstrap loom (can be 3D printed), folds into a pouch (can be laser cutted with any accessible or recycled fabric material). During operation, the pouch transforms into the backtrap.
Learning to weave with a backtrap loom is not the easiest thing to do. The Ixchel Backstrap Loom Weaving Kit draws inspirations from traditional weaving tools, and is designed for use in the classroom as an accessible, affordable educational kit to facilitate the continuation of artisan craft and design techniques in a contemporary context. It aims to touch the younger generation 10 to 18 years old. First, it can be use with assistance to facilitate the process. The student need to develop the proper body position to create enought tension in the loom. We can also use cotton instend of henequén to make it easier. With enought practice we gain independance on the technique and the design process.
We tested this first version with professional weavers to collect theirs feed back and also with a group of kids around 10 years old. This rich experiences gave us alot of feedback that will be introduce in the second version.
Resources and links¶
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