The Details Behind The Process
How Cotton Corte Blankets are Made
The process preserves generations of textile tradition while giving beautiful fabric a new life through skilled craftsmanship and thoughtful upcycling.
It starts at the Chichicastenango market.
01. Finding the Vintage Corte
We source vintage cortes - traditional Mayan skirts - from textile vendors in and around Chichicastenango, Guatemala choosing pieces for their colors, patterns, condition, and the beauty of the original weaving.
Many feature jaspe, the Guatemalan form of ikat in which threads are carefully tied and dyed before they are woven, creating the distinctive blurred and geometric patterns found in Maya textiles.
No two cortes are exactly alike—which means no two blankets will be either.
Next comes the sewing.
02. Preparing the Textile
After the cortes are sourced, the work is led by Tomasa, who coordinates the blanket-making with members of her family in their village outside Chichicastenango. Her husband, Ricardo, machine-sews and finishes the edges of each vintage textile and prepares the panels to be joined.
This step gives the old textile the structure it needs for its next life—without taking away from its original character.
Then Tomasa adds her eye for color.
03. Choosing the Thread Colors
Tomasa studies each textile and chooses embroidery threads that complement its colors and pattern. Those threads will become the randa—the decorative joining seam that runs through the center of the finished blanket.
It’s a small detail that helps make every blanket distinctly its own.
Then the handwork begins.
04. Hand-Embroidering the Randa
Tomasa distributes the prepared textiles among five women in her family. Each woman hand-embroiders the center randa, joining the two panels together stitch by stitch.
The randa is part construction and part decoration: a practical seam transformed into an intricate design element.
Because every woman embroiders by hand—and every vintage textile is different—the finished blankets naturally exciting variations.
The final result is something both old and new.
05. Finishing the Blanket
Once completed, the finished blankets begin their journey from the hands of artisans in Guatemala to your home.
They’re made to be lived with; the cotton is soft, durable, and machine washable. It's ready to become a favorite layer on a bed or sofa, a picnic blanket, or something you reach for on a cool evening.
Each blanket carries a story of tradition, craftsmanship, and connection — and a new chapter begins with you.
Shop Cotton Corte Blankets
More Pieces Crafted From Corte Textiles
Each piece is made from a different handwoven corte, but all share a common origin—traditional Mayan skirts thoughtfully given new life.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MAYAN TEXTILES
Huipil ~ Corte ~ Faja ~ Tzute