Based in: MĂ©xico
When Camelia Ramos’ father passed away, he imparted to her a legacy: "I’m proud to leave you knowing I’ve taught you my craft, but now you have a commitment to not let this artistry die." Camelia embraced this solemn pledge with unwavering determination. Together with her husband, she tends to the flame of tradition in their artisanal workshop, El Xoxopastli, where the soulful art of rebozo making finds its sanctuary. Here, amidst the hum of meticulous craftsmanship, rebozos are not mere products of assembly lines or cold machinery. Instead, they are borne from a labor of love, each thread a testament to the enduring spirit of cultural preservation.Â
In addition to mastering the traditional rebozo, she has innovated designs that encapsulate its essence. Each creation stands as a testament to her deep devotion to the craft. These pieces invite personal interpretation and style! Yet, amidst this freedom, lies a crucial understanding: the profound significance of the narrative and heritage woven into every thread.
“I’m giving you my life made in a rebozo,” she proudly says. "My life hangs by a thread, and each thread carries my essence. Just like blood runs through my veins, so does thread. Because this is the wonder of being able to give you part of my being and my soul, captured in a rebozo."
Details
- Made in: Malinalco, México
- Dimensions:Â 8' ft long x 2.5' ft wide
- Color:Â Grey
- Elaboration time: 3 months
- Materials: 100% Cotton
- Specification: Cotton shawl, with ikat technique, reserve dye to achieve the marbled shawl. It has a unique rapacejo inlaid with glass beads forming “flowers”. The length of this shawl allows you to play with different ways of wearing it.
- Care Instructions: While not in use, your design should be carefully hung on a non-slip velvet hanger. We recommend steaming to remove any wrinkles and brushing out the ends. Because of the delicate nature of the rebozos, we recommend that you dry clean. Do not bleach. Brush the ends before each use and avoid intense sun exposure.
- Please note that sometimes you may find small imperfections due to its handmade process. This is a unique and true piece of art.
About the Technique
Ikat, a time-honored artisanal technique exemplified by the masterful craftsmanship of Camelia Ramos, represents a marriage of artistry and tradition. Rooted in the ancient practice of resist dyeing, Ikat stands as a testament to the meticulous skill and creative ingenuity of its practitioners. Unlike typical methods where patterns are either applied superficially or woven directly into the fabric's structure, Ikat weaves its magic through a series of deliberate and intricate steps. Central to the technique is the deliberate manipulation of yarns, both for the warp (longitudinal threads) and the weft (transverse threads). Before dyeing, sections of these yarns are meticulously protected with a resist material, oftentimes wax or tying, to preserve their original color. This painstaking preparatory phase lays the foundation for the distinctive allure of Ikat.
The dyeing process itself is a delicate dance of hues and gradients. Immersed in vats of natural or synthetic dyes, the unprotected portions of the yarn eagerly absorb the vibrant pigments, while the shielded segments retain their pristine hue. Through successive dye baths and meticulous adjustments, the desired pattern emerges, a testament to the artisan's vision and expertise. Once dyed, the yarns are carefully arranged on a loom, ready to be transformed into a textile masterpiece. With each pass of the shuttle, the pattern gradually takes shape, as the dyed yarns interlace with the uncolored threads. The resulting fabric is a symphony of color and design, where every thread tells a story of craftsmanship and tradition.
What sets Ikat apart is not just its visually stunning aesthetics but also its inherent sense of unpredictability and individuality. The slight imperfections and irregularities that characterize Ikat textiles serve as a reminder of its handmade origins, infusing each piece with a sense of warmth and authenticity.
In the hands of Camelia Ramos, Ikat transcends mere fabric; it becomes a canvas for artistic expression and cultural heritage. Through her skilled hands, timeless patterns come to life, weaving together generations of tradition with contemporary flair. Each piece bearing her signature reflects not just the mastery of a technique but the soulful dedication of an artisan committed to preserving the legacy of Ikat for generations to come.
About Camelia Ramos
Camelia Ramos Zamora was born on September 17, 1969, originally from Tenancingo, but as she claims, she was reborn in Malinalco, State of Mexico. She is now the fifth generation of backstrap loom weavers. From a young age, she was attracted to shawls, not knowing that her father had been a shawl craftsman since he was 13 years old but had abandoned it due to his economic situation to become a bricklayer. Enthusiastic about this art, she asked her father, the master craftsman Isaac Ramos, to teach her the artistry of rebozo making.
At first, Don Isaac was hesitant to teach her because traditionally the art of rebozo making was a man’s job and the woman would focus on refining the rebozo ends by twisting, braiding, and tying the ends. It wasn’t until Camelia’s husband, José Mancio, had a conversation with her father about also learning the art of rebozo making that her father showed up the next day to pass on his knowledge of rebozo backstrap loom weaving under the training of more than two years.
Since 1992, Camelia Ramos has overcome gender stigmas by inheriting the knowledge and work that was considered typical of men in her state. Her work meant the rescue of the making of the shawl on a backstrap loom, the use of the ikat technique with natural dyes, as well as the ancient rapacejo, following what she learned from her father. Then he decided to go one step forward: she innovated in the design of garments and accessories made with rebozos to transform into blouses or the traditional quexquemitl.
Today, Camelia and her husband José lead El Xoxopastli, an artisanal workshop that makes textile canvas on pedal and backstrap looms to keep the traditional rebozo techniques alive.
