Don Juan has been working with this Costa Rican tradition since he was eleven years old. During his adolescence, he worked in a coffee factory, a job he left after a few years when he decided to return to his hometown to work in something that made his life more exciting and fulfilling. He started spinning cabuya. Over the years, he built a career that will leave its mark and history in the heart of each person who acquires one of his pieces.
NAVIGATING THE PROCESS OF A CABUYA BAG
Sowing: The creation of our cabuya bags is born in Cartaga land, in a small town in the southwest of Costa Rica.
Don Juan cultivates the plant that gives life to our pieces in fertile soil; going through a long process for five years—expanding its leaves in the sun until reaching two meters in length.
Defibrated: Evokes strength and technique. With his own hands he shreds twelve sheets for each piece produced, using the oldest method: shredding with reeds.
Wash: The extracted fiber continues its washing process; In this way, the greenish tint of the plant fades, leaving it ready in its most natural color, drying in the open air, spread in the sun.
Dyed: The raw color of the cabuya alone is harmony. The dyed colors involve manual processes that open the possibility of creating unique pieces that last over time.
Spinning: The fiber is transformed into rope threads. “The wheelbarrow” is the traditional tool used to create each strand that makes up the fabric.
Weaving: On a pedal loom, the threads are tightened to begin weaving—creating the weft and warp with the chosen color pattern—transcending traditions, creating new significant ideas.
Weaving: With one of her feet, both hands, a wooden stick and a centimeter, she begins a work full of love and deeply rooted in the heart of the one who weaves it.
Detailing: with deep dedication, Doña Sonia embraces the details: the handles, the lining, the varnish, the brooch and the union between fabrics, are the work of her hands; needle and thread—her heart is embodied in each stitch from start to finish.