Travel hiatus seems to have passed as the pent-up wanderlust is being fulfilled this year. You may still have room in your calendar, and funds tucked away for at least one more textile travel adventure, don’t you?  (We have some recommendation below!) For years, ClothRoads has enticed you, and in some cases you’ve even traveled along with us to far-flung places. Your eyes (and pocketbooks) have been opened as you’ve met artisans in their villages, watching them weave, stitch, and/or dye while producing their heritage-based products. Recently, I met a ClothRoads-inspired traveler, Jean ..read more

There are a few people in my life whose path I’ve crossed for forty-some years. This is a good thing–especially when one of them is the remarkable Deborah Chandler, weaver and co-author of Traditional Weavers of Guatemala, Their Stories, Their Lives. Little did I know that when ClothRoads went traveling in Guatemala with Deb and Teresa Cordón, the co-author of above said book, that we were treading in footsteps of what would become fodder for her new book, A Textile Traveler’s Guide to Guatemala.  What’s Past is Not Missing On a cold winter evening, I attended my local weaver’s guild m ..read more

“To tie a cloud”. What an image this phrase conjures. In the town of Margilan, in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan, one can find many artisans who “tie clouds”–ikat weavers who, over the past 28 years since Soviet rule, have revitalized their heritage textile making. This valley is the center of silk production of the whole of Central Asia. So changed is this country, that Uzbekistan is included in the New York Times 52 places to go in 2019. (Of course, the article didn’t note ikat among the reasons to go, but it’s the main reason I went last May.) Everyday Ikat Recently, while viewing hun ..read more

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to volunteer at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe. Many of you have attended the market in past years but there wasn’t one in 2020. So this year’s was especially joyful even though many artisans weren’t able to be there in person. Nilda Callañaupa, the founder and director of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC), was able to attend. The booth was vibrant with textiles until close to the end when most textiles had gone home with textile aficionados. Nilda and I escaped the heat for a bit, ducking inside the Museum of Internat ..read more

Back in April, my blog about the loss of tourism in Peru meant the loss of income to the weavers of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC).  Now, months later, we all know so much more about loss due to COVID 19, having experienced all kinds in our daily lives. Six months ago, the virus hadn’t reached the Peruvian Highlands. In fact, it stayed away from the remote villages for all these months. New medical research was supporting the notion that people living in the high altitudes in Peru may not be prone to the virus. Sadly, this is no longer the case. This week, we hear ..read more

It is hard to believe that it was just last May when we were in Morocco on a textile tour with Dr. Susan Shaefer Davis, author of Women Artisans of Morocco: Their Stories, Their Lives, published by Thrums Books. Now we’re faced with the great unknown of when we will be able to travel again–our memories residing in the captivating photos of the women artisans, the vivid surrounds, the cultural richness, and the cheerful rugs. Yes, the rugs we brought home are definitely being enjoyed more as we pad about the house day in and day out. The few rugs we brought home last May for ClothRoads were sc ..read more

You’ve armchair traveled to Peru with ClothRoads for years through our blogs, visiting the remote community of Huacatinco, or coming along on a natural dye day in Chinchero. You’ve learned about scaffold weaving, tubular edging, bobble knitting, and spinning. Through these, you can see that everything about the lives of the weavers in the Peruvian Highland villages centers around community. Potato harvesting season begins soon, the time to dig up and divvy up the spuds that will help sustain them through the approaching winter months. The honoring of mothers, including Pachamama, in early May ..read more

Many tours offer the “off-the-beaten path” experience but the Andean Textile Arts textile tour to the Peruvian Highlands delivers. Whether you’re a textile enthusiast, an adventure traveler, or along for the journey, this one aligns with the ClothRoads mission like none other: for you to meet the artisans, hear their stories, and learn about their traditions directly from them. It’s certainly the reason I return almost yearly and why I have written so many blogs about the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. Judy Murray went on this tour a few years back. In fact, she’s gone to Peru fo ..read more

When traveling on the cloth road, chances are high you’ll be traveling with other kindred spirits. But how do you determine the right-fit textile travel tour for you? ClothRoads has always been very selective about who we note in our list, limiting it to those who offer textile-specific trips and are focused specifically on cultural and traditional techniques, meeting with artisans, and off-the-beaten-path locals. But over the years, we’ve added a few travel companies who have textile tours as one of their product offerings. Lately, ClothRoads has been receiving requests from tour companies o ..read more

ClothRoads isn’t known for selling handwoven rugs. But we were in Morocco after all on a textile tour, and had spent many days looking at rugs, learning about the various differences in designs and weaves. Dr. Susan Shaefer Davis, our guide and the author of Women Artisans of Morocco, had told us about the Timnay Association, that the women in this group were known throughout Morocco as some of the finest weavers in the whole country. I was worn down by rugs and we were nearing the end of our journey. I had room in my bags to bring home just a few rugs, didn’t I?* Our group had been waiting f ..read more