Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez has gathered artisans of all ages to share their knowledge, lore, and deep skills, highlighting many of the techniques used by craftspeople in the Andes. They reveal clever highland secrets for everything from skeining yarn and knitting in reverse to weaving tubular borders and embellishing fabric with complex stitches. For many of these techniques, they provide concise step-by-step instructions accessible for North American crafters. Thoughtful, detailed descriptions of Andean cultural traditions frame each section, providing context and rare insight into what textile work means as a living heritage of the Quechua people.

Winner, Silver Medal in the Craft/Hobby Category, 2018 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Nilda Calla aupa Alvarez has gathered artisans of all ages to share their knowledge, lore, and deep skills, highlighting many of the techniques used by craftspeople in the Andes. They reveal clever highland secrets for everything from skeining yarn and knitting in reverse to weaving tubular borders and embellishing fabric with complex stitches. For many of these techniques, they provide concise step-by-step instructions accessible for North American crafters. Thoughtful, detailed descriptions of Andean cultural traditions frame each section, providing context and rare insight into what textile work means as a living heritage of the Quechua people.

A richly illustrated, bilingual book, this guide visits 20 villages in the Chiapas Highlands to showcase their stunning handwoven cloth while also providing an insider's look into their history, folklore, festivals, traditions, and daily lives. Ritual transvestites, Virgin statues draped with native blouses, tunics designed to look like howler monkey fur, and elaborately floral shawls and ponchos--these are just a few of the unforgettable images captured in the book. Also included are a pull-out map of the Chiapas Highlands and dates of special festivals and local markets.

In the world of the ancient Andes, textiles were often the most valuable commodity people possessed—far beyond gold and silver—and they were a major medium for conveying critical cultural meaning. Textiles of the Andes features a wealth of rare and exquisite pieces, many of great iconographic and technical importance, ranging in date from the Paracas to the Inca and Colonial periods, from 200 BC to the late 18th century. Examples of contemporary Andean textiles complement the early pieces and illustrate the continuity of weaving traditions in the Andes. • Detailed photos show each textile in full • Glossary of technical analysis for designers • Authoritative introduction by an expert in the field provides a context for appreciating and enjoying the superb and varied designs

This magnificently illustrated work offers a comprehensive view of the textiles and techniques of pre-Columbian Peru. An introduction discusses yarns, dyes, looms, and raw materials; the first of the two-part text examines weaves, and the second considers such nonwoven materials as braiding, felt, and embroidery.

In this revealing cultural study, dozens of ancient weavers and the landscapes that they occupy in the Cusco region of the Andes are vividly portrayed through personal stories and life experiences, bringing to life the decades of endurance, skill, fortitude, and natural pride honed from the time-honored traditions of the region and its people. Some of the storytellers featured here include Pitumarca's Timoteo Ccarita, who became so interested in the old textiles he found on his own travels that he re-created tapestry techniques from sight; Leonardo Quispe, who single-handedly rescued and revived the techniques of ikat-style tied-warp dyeing (watay) in his community of Santa Cruz de Sallac; and Cipriana Mamani, who remembers that in her town of Accha Alta, their finely woven textiles had many lives and were repurposed for use over and over again. Intimate photographs capture each of the elders, some of whom had never seen a picture of themselves or even looked in a mirror, revealing the life, strength, character, and experience of these men and women.