Loom Weaving Workshop

November 21 and 22, 2026
Saturday and Sunday | 10 a.m.—1 p.m. / 2 p.m.—5 p.m.
Price — 250€ (Materials included – Each participant will take home a waist loom at the end of the workshop)
Trainers - Gabina Valentín López (artisan) and Inês Queirós (Founder of the TuYo Foundation)

Description

Over the course of two days, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the world of the Amuzgo waist loom under the guidance of Gabina Valentín López, an indigenous artisan from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero. In 2024, Gabina was honored with the Galardón Nacional de Textil, one of Mexico’s most prestigious awards for traditional textile crafts, in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the preservation of this ancestral tradition.

During this 12-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to prepare the warp, set up a belt loom, and weave your first traditional Amuzgo patterns using the taffeta and supplementary weft techniques. You’ll work with raw cotton yarns and yarns dyed with Mexican plants used in natural dyeing, creating a textile sample while discovering the close relationship between technique, material, and cultural identity.

More than just learning a weaving technique, you’ll discover a tradition that lives on in the hands of the Amuzga women. Each symbol holds a story, each gesture conveys knowledge, and each fabric preserves the memory of a community. 

The waist loom is a pre-Hispanic tool that has been used for centuries by Indigenous women throughout Mesoamerica. Lightweight, portable, and surprisingly simple, it weighs less than 500 grams and measures less than 46 cm, making it easy to carry anywhere. More than just a tool, it is a living heritage that continues to be part of daily life in many indigenous communities.

Each loom used during the workshop is handcrafted by Gabina and her family in Xochistlahuaca. At the end of the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to take your loom home, allowing you to continue practicing and deepening your understanding of this tradition long after the workshop is over.

Organized by the TuYo Foundation in collaboration with FICA, this workshop invites participants to learn directly from one of the guardians of this textile tradition, explore the richness of Amuzga culture, and discover a way of creating in which technique, identity, creativity, and memory go hand in hand.

The workshop is intended for both people with no prior experience and participants with knowledge of weaving. It will be taught in Spanish, with translation and guidance in Portuguese by Inês Queirós.

Program content

Historical and Cultural Context of the Amuzgo People
Introduction to the waist loom and its tools
Preparing the warp and setting up the loom
Taffeta Weave and Supplementary Weft Technique
Traditional Amuzga Symbols

Material

Handcrafted backstrap loom.
Fine cotton threads, unbleached and dyed with natural dyes.
Traditional weaving tools.
Exhibition of traditional Amuzgo motifs.

About the TuYo Foundation

Founded in Amsterdam in 2021, the TuYo Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
preservation, revitalization, and promotion of ancestral textile traditions, supporting indigenous communities and
locally through socially and environmentally responsible practices.
His first long-term collaboration took place in Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero (Mexico), where he worked
in close partnership with members of the Amuzga Indigenous community. Through ongoing dialogue with the
In collaboration with local weavers, the Foundation carries out projects that address the needs identified by the weavers themselves
community, promoting cultural continuity, the transmission of knowledge, and livelihoods
sustainable.
The TuYo Foundation believes in a future in which communities connected to the textile industry can thrive through
fair economic opportunities, while preserving cultural identities and knowledge—
ancestral elements that make up its heritage.

About Amuzga Culture

The Amuzgo (Ñomndaa) people of Xochistlahuaca, in the state of Guerrero, are internationally recognized
for preserving one of Mexico's most remarkable living textile traditions. For generations, weaving
It has been practiced primarily by women, who pass down techniques, symbols, and stories of
mothers and grandmothers for younger generations. It can take weeks or even months to create a single piece of fabric
or even up to a year, making each piece of fabric a unique expression of its creator. The woven patterns represent—
nature, ancestral beliefs, personal stories, and the community’s collective memory. In addition to the
Beyond their aesthetic beauty, these textiles constitute a living system of knowledge that continues to play a role
an essential role in the social, spiritual, and economic life of the Amuzgo people.

Waiting List

Cancellations may occur. If the training is sold out and you would like to receive an alert if there are any withdrawals, send an e-mail to workshop@fica-oc.pt, with the subject line 'waiting list - weaving workshopIf there is a cancellation for this specific workshop, we will let you know.
We don't take reservations for future courses. If you want to find out first-hand about the next month's courses, you can subscribe to our Newsletter.

Cancellation of Registration

IMPORTANT - Cancellation/postponement/refund of registrations (including gift voucher registrations) is only allowed if you give us at least 7 days' notice before the start of the workshop. If you cancel less than 7 days before the start of the workshop, we will do our best to fill your place, however, you can only postpone the workshop (or put the amount in a gift voucher) if your place is filled.

If a trainee fails to attend one or more training sessions, FICA is not responsible for replacing or compensating for that session.
To cancel/admit/refund, send an e-mail to workshop@fica-oc.pt
Find out more at terms and conditions from the website.

No. of trainees

Minimum number: 5pax / Maximum number: 10pax
According to our terms, the training may be canceled if the minimum number of trainees is not met - Find out more at terms and conditions from the website.
Minimum age for participation: 14 years old / Accompanied by an adult (two registrations): 10 years old

Other Workshops

We have other textile workshops in addition to the weaving workshop, such as the Crochet Workshop or the Tapestry Workshop.
It accompanies the Workshops.

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Photo and text credit: TuYo Foundation