Santa Catarina Palopo 18" Doll Outfit --- hand-woven on a back-strap loom, these huipils come in beautiful shades of blue, red, turquoise and now many other colors. The patterns you see are brocaded (woven into) in the huipil. Some include geometric designs, others figures of flowers, maize (corn), birds, and other animals. The matching skirt contains jaspe designs. The outfit also includes a colorful sash belt.
When we first visited Guatemala in 1995 the Santa Catarina "Traje" (traditional dress) were mostly beautiful blues and turquoise. You could still see some of the grandmothers wearing the more traditional red huipil. Today (2017) the younger women wear huipils with blue, pink, lavender or other monochromatic design woven into the black base Terra Experience's 18" doll outfits come in a variety of colors and styles.
Blue Brocade
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Each outfit includes:
- Handwoven doll "huipil"
- "Corte" (skirt) with "jaspe" (ikat) designs
- Colorful sash "faja" (belt)
Other accessory items such as baskets, hammocks, necklaces, hats, slippers, shawls and other fun stuff are available for sale as accessories. We also have some children's books on Guatemala and the Mayan culture available for sale (or you can find them at your local library).
About the Weavers: Martina and Catarina were two of the first weavers who I worked with to make traditional Mayan doll clothes. We worked together to figure out the size, and they came through with beautiful small huipils for 18" dolls. The first delivery arrived in the traditional tzute or carrying cloth of Santa Catarina Palopo Making the doll huipils takes many steps. First the weaver prepares the warp for weaving and then weave the huipils. Here Martina and Catarina carefully finish the neckhole and sew up the seams. By 2003 my doll Vanessa had made many friends and Catarina's daughter, Conception had grown quite a bit from the first time I met her.
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