Alirio, the warper

Alirio learned to weave when he was a young boy, he was 13 when his mom bought him his first loom.

I watch his hands motion waves as they skilfully sort out the one’s & two’s of the warp he’s setting up for us ✨

The one’s go up, the two’s go down, the warp is the bone structure of this fabric.

He tells me about how nervous he was the first time he sent the shuttle through on that first loom of his “You pull on the rope & on it goes. You must step on the right pedals & pull the comb with just the right amount of force, make sure the edges don’t get wavy. Lots to mind but you get the hang of it, kind of like driving or dancing” he says.

By the time Alirio was 16 he was weaving blankets, he had enough money to buy his own pants & go to town dances. We turned to him to help us set up our very first warp🤓 which he is an expert at!

You know, I was nervous & excited that day too - so much fabric just for me seemed like a huge commitment at the time.

There are hardly any young people learning how to weave now, it is a dying art. Craftsmanship knowledge passed on from generation to generation is a key part of a society’s heritage.

It is our responsibility to support it & an honour to share it but most importantly we must understand it's in our power to give it the value it deserves💕

#artisanmadetextiles  #madeinElSalvador #artesanossalvadoreños #lavillagoods