For this project, I wanted to reconstruct a pair of hand woven/dyed pants which I bought at a local market in Guatemala. I wanted to understand a deeper dimension of the process by physically going through each step of dyeing the thread, weaving the fabric, and sewing them together. Our clothing is an outer extension of ourselves, and when this cloth is hand woven with personal thoughts and memories tied into every step of the way it adds a deeper connection. Because if it is hand woven then all aspect of creating the cloth was personally intentional, with reason. In Guatemala, the woven textiles can be identified by where they are from as each community has their own style and technique. So I wanted the pants I wove to represent where I am from, an island outside of Seattle. The warp is a variety of blues to represent the ocean water surrounding the island, and the solid green weft represents the abundant mossy forest. The pattern I chose is a twill structure, creating circles and figure eights. These symbols personally resonate with me, referencing infinity and feminine power.
Pants purchased in Guatemala, using as inspiration:
Weaving specs:
Process:
My weaving in process on the loom:
Final product:
