Bicolor Cempasúchil Cape

Based in: México

The Bicolor Cempasúchil Cape is a wool ruana dyed with marigold flowers. During the dyeing process, alum is used to fix the color, ensuring it remains vibrant and washable. To extend the life of this beautiful garment, it’s essential to protect it from direct sunlight. Crafted from 100% wool, this cape is hand-embroidered with traditional motifs from Hueyapan, Puebla. The embroidery reflects designs and iconography integral to the region's cultural identity, with techniques and meanings passed down through generations, preserving the artisans’ heritage in every stitch.

Durable, versatile, and breathable, this piece is designed with sustainability in mind, maximizing fabric use to reduce waste. All wool fabrics and threads are dyed using natural dyes and methods that have also been handed down through generations, producing solid, long-lasting colors that are highly resistant. Designed for everyday wear, the cape’s silhouette adapts to a range of body types. Each item is handmade in small batches to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship.

Details

• Made in: Hueyapan, Puebla
• Base Fabric Color: Yellow & Grey
• Material(s): 100% Wool
  
• Production Time: 5 weeks
• Artisanal Method: Pedal loom 
• Please note: Each design is entirely handmade, so every piece is unique and may vary slightly from the images. All items feature intricate hand embroidery, ensuring that no two pieces are alike.
• Care: Hand wash your garment in cold water with a gentle detergent, avoiding wringing or twisting. Lay flat to dry in the shade, as direct sunlight can damage the garment. Store in a cool, dry place to protect the embroidery.

About the Technique

The pedal loom technique is a traditional weaving method that blends artistry and functionality, resulting in textiles that are both beautiful and durable. This technique employs a foot-operated loom, allowing weavers to create intricate patterns with precision and efficiency.

Artisans at Entretejiendo Voces use 100% cotton and wool as primary materials, enhancing the quality and appeal of their final products. Cotton is renowned for its softness, breathability, and versatility, while wool offers warmth and resilience, making both fibers ideal choices for various textiles. When woven on a pedal loom, these natural materials create fabrics that are comfortable to wear and long-lasting.

The process begins with the careful selection of cotton and wool yarns, often dyed with natural methods to achieve rich, vibrant colors. The weaver sets up the loom, threading the yarn through the heddles and weaving shuttle. With each pedal press, the loom's mechanism lifts and lowers the warp threads, enabling the creation of unique patterns and textures.

Entretejiendo Voces is committed to working with natural products to create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect the artisans' skills and cultural heritage. Each textile tells a story, rooted in tradition and crafted with care. The use of cotton and wool not only ensures high quality but also supports sustainable practices, as these fibers are renewable resources that can be cultivated responsibly.

The pedal loom technique, using natural materials like cotton and wool, highlights the beauty of craftsmanship and sustainability. It creates textiles that are not only visually stunning but also full of the rich traditions and stories of the artisans who create them.

About Entretejiendo Voces

Entretejiendo Voces is a collective of artisans, creators, anthropologists, and artists dedicated to preserving and evolving traditional craft techniques in a modern context. The collective serves as a canvas woven with the voices of women who express their stories in Nahuatl, Spanish, and the languages of the heart.

Since 2015, Entretejiendo Voces has collaborated with the Sitaltsin Cooperative, conducting innovation workshops where participants learn and share the processes of design, assembly, and craftsmanship. With the guidance of Master Weaver Claudio Marcos, the collective produces cotton textiles on pedal looms. The talented team, including Beatriz Bello, Paula Martínez, Victoria Marcos, Francisca Martínez, Evarista Lozada, Julia Monterde, Juana Silveria, and Lila Ceballos, contributes their expertise and creativity to every piece.

The artisans embroider visions born in dreams, dye fabrics using colors from flowers and leaves, and rely on collective resilience to make life more meaningful. Each piece represents a fusion of cultures and knowledge, crafted from recycled cotton, Mexican wool, and natural dyes, all woven and embroidered by hand. Every item is proudly made in Mexico, reflecting the collective’s dedication to social and environmental well-being.

Entretejiendo Voces releases small, versatile annual collections designed to complement everyday wardrobes throughout the year. They prioritize high-quality materials, natural fibers, and recycled elements, with all wool garments dyed using natural, eco-friendly methods. As a cooperative, their focus remains on promoting the welfare of both the community and the planet.