A Prophet in His Own Land

Jaspeado, or ikat, is a traditional technique from states such as Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán. Tlaxcala was a land of ceñidores and sarapes, not of jaspeados.

"I am the only person using jaspeado from Contla de Juan Cuamatzi," says Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol. In their community, no one else has mastered this technique. Nobody else ties 100, 80, 1,000 knots to create designs that look like magic.

In the workshop, Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol begins with the wall-mounted warping frame, an ancient tool that never lets him down. Here the warping begins: counting threads depending on the piece: 1,500, 2,000 threads. The lease (cruceta) is sacred, without it there can be no fabric.

The thickness of the thread defines everything. From number 10 to 82, each twist creates a different texture. Size 36 is standard, sizes 62 and 82 are as fine as hair. Crescencio calculates, measures, and decides how fine each textile should be.

Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol ties groups of threads where he doesn't want the dye to run. Every knot is a decision, every tie is a design. He used to measure with his fingers, now he uses rulers. Tying 80, 100, 1,000 knots is laborious. It's art.

Washing before dyeing is essential. Excess fat prevents the color from penetrating the fibers. Crescencio carefully washes his tied threads. Clean water is key; the cotton needs to breathe to absorb the pigment.

The threads enter the dye boiling process. Crescencio controls the temperature to increase the intensity of the color. The pigment only penetrates where the threads have no ties. The magic happens in the heat.

With the lease (cruceta) intact, Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol ties thread by thread according to the final design. He combines jaspeado and plain patterns to create the overall composition. This process, called tying, requires days of pure concentration.

Then Crescencio chooses the color of the weave. If the jaspeado is pink, you can add pink to brighten it up or black to enhance the white. Every decision changes the jaspeado's design.

The tied threads are mounted on the pedal loom. Crescencio adjusts the intensity and reviews the piece. He has two looms: a small one for rebozos and quexquémitl, and a large one for huipiles. Each loom awaits its intended piece.