Peruvian Textiles in a Box (PTIB) allows you to experience the traditional textiles and meet some of the peoples of Peru without having to leave the comfort of your guild or classroom meeting space! This is an all-inclusive educational program that provides an introduction to, and education about, Peruvian indigenous textiles and the skilled artisans who make them. Through the documentary video, Peruvian Weaving Revival by Janet Darrow and actual samples of the artisans’ works, you will meet the weavers, dyers, knitters, and spinners of the Peruvian Highlands who are cooperative members of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC). This self-contained program is designed for fiber guilds, educational settings, and other interested groups. It is packaged with: a 25-minute video which … Read More
Cochineal: A Simple Bug on a Cactus Pad
The indigenous Mixtec people of Mexico tell the story of two brothers, gods in the land of the “cloud men,” who raged in mortal conflict over fields of nopal cacti. Their blood fell upon the fields, splattering the pads of the nopal and giving future generations an “ink that would circulate through their very veins.” Thus, cochineal was born in the Mixtec pantheon of the gods. Used in ancient times as paint, a cosmetic, and eventually textile dye, cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a tiny scale parasitic insect that originated in the Andean regions of what is now Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. It migrated via coastal trade routes north into Mexico some 2,200 years ago. Its use as a textile dye … Read More