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☼ COTTON DREAMS: THE PROCESS ☼

Cotton Dreams: The Process 

Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Its resources span from wood, to palm leaves, from cotton to solar energy. Throughout Mexico, different regions produce different reusable resources that are extremely valuable. Some of these resources include:
Wood: Which can be found in the vast forests of Oaxaca, Mexico
Palm Leaves: Which can be find in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. They come from the most versatile trees, and can be used for anything from decorating, to cosmetics, from shelter, to even food.
Cotton: The most important irrigated crop in Mexico. It also in very high demand, and is one of the harder fibers to come by. Cotton can usually be found growing in Central-Northern Mexico.
Renewable Energy: Renewable energy sources contribute to 26% of Mexico’s electricity generation. This energy comes from solar, wind, and geothermal energy. These sources are still being researched and expanded, but they are a great sustainable energy source in Mexico. A lot of these renewable energy sources are found by the Grijalva River.
Our first collection uses natural Cotton that is processed into rope form.

The Process

Cotton rope and yarn has been used for centuries because of how versatile and durable it is. Cotton even in its raw state, is extremely strong and viable. Among many of the fibers available, cotton is one of the softer ones. Others are itchy and not as comfortable when made into yarn or rope, but are sourced much easier than cotton is. In order for cotton to be made into usable rope or yarn, it must be twisted or turned. This is known as the “spinning process” where the cotton is spun on a spindle. After the spinning process, is the “weaving process”, which is either done on a machine, or a back strap loom. The loom is the framework across which threads are stretched for the weaving of cloth, this loom is attached to the weaver by a back strap, hence the name. The back strap loom is still used today by Native Americans in the southwestern part of the United States and by people in Central America and Mexico.  The beauty of the loom is that the technique is left up to the weaver themselves. The weaver is also able to wrap up anytime, and work from anywhere they choose. This is a process that has advanced technologically in many areas of the world, but in Mexico artisans and craftsman can still be found taking all different types of textiles and making them into usable resources, by hand, or through different techniques they have mastered.

Saul’s Technique

Saul’s technique is known as macrame. This is a technique where he takes his usable cotton rope, and creates various pieces using different types of knotting. Saul uses this technique when creating almost all of his pieces, whether its a market bag, tote.The way he makes the hammocks is through simple weaving. You can see through the different pieces he created how versatile the art of macrame is, and how many styles can come out of this one technique. Macrame is completely done by hand, without the need of needles. This technique has been used for centuries all over the world.