Alpaca wool forms intricate geometric patterns in natural colors. The undyed yarn showcases the soft beige, cream, brown and black tones of this Andean animal. Faustino Maldonado and his family weave a cloak of extraordinary beauty.
The piece takes its name from the artisan town of Hualhuas.
Made in Peru
100% alpaca
Dry clean only
Textile softness: Coarse -- this item is made with natural fibers that have not been softened in order to preserve the material's natural state
"I will never let go of either my grandfather or my grandson's hands, for what I have learned from the elders, I will teach to the young."
Update (July, 2019) Faustino Maldonado's parents were artisans, a tradition that has been maintained since time...Update (July, 2019)
Faustino Maldonado's parents were artisans, a tradition that has been maintained since time immemorial. When Faustino met Agripina Lazo, who is now his wife, he did not know that her parents would also keep the weaving tradition alive. Love didn't take long to arrive and, over time, their union became stronger. Today they have been married for more than 45 years, and together they formed a beautiful family with four children and eleven grandchildren.
Life certainly wasn't simple and, in the early years, Faustino's parents worked very hard to support the family. His mother was hearing impaired and his father illiterate, but this didn't mean that they could not develop their art to feed their children. Despite these difficulties, the Maldonados managed to make their weavings unique, and their work was soon highly valued. It became the livelihood of the family.
From the time he was 12, Faustino could create beautiful weavings such as area rugs. When school ended, he spent almost a year working in a mine as a drilling assistant. But because of the dangers of the area he was forced to retire.
When he was 20, he met the love of his life who would accompany him on this long road through the years. They met at a party, and were soon inseparable.
Their beginning was complicated, however. With an infant daughter to care for, they had to ask neighbors to help by lending them money for food. Both Faustino and his wife dedicated their time to weaving on a loom that they had inherited from their parents. Soon they ran a small workshop in his hometown with just a manual machine and little room to work.
Despite the difficulties, Faustino knew he had to move his family forward and, together with his wife, he worked very hard. There was no rest — day and night were spent weaving. Times were hard, and the work had to be finished and finished well. Patience and concentration were very important and still are.
"We are a family that works based on the values of honesty, respect and responsibility as fundamental pillars of life. Little by little, we won more clients and, with our first formal loan, we were able to buy a larger property where we could work. We were able to buy a lot of material for alpaca fabrics and obtain the floor looms we needed to weave larger pieces.
"I'm proud to have been able to overcome the economic challenges. When the situation became difficult, we knew how to face it despite robberies and scams. We get up and keep working. The work and the loading of packages affected my health and caused a hernia that required surgery. Shortly afterwards, doctors detected my diabetes, and it is a daily struggle to stay healthy in order to continue working on what I love most. But it inspires me to continue doing what I do until life no longer allows me.
"Thank God, our children have grown up and each one has formed his own family. Today, we support each other and continue to grow in the great family workshop that we have. Every effort has its reward, and we have received awards and decorations from our Huahuas people and from the Huancayo region. Their high officials have valued our work and our ancestral art.
"We provide training to all who wish to learn, from dyeing using natural plants to weaving on traditional looms."
Original Artisan Story
Faustino Maldonado's artistry has been featured in Sunset magazine.
Faustino Maldonado was born in Hualhuas. Because his parents and grandparents were artisans, he learned at an early age to weave on rustic looms, to prepare the warp using the pushca, and spin on the rueca.
Since he first started weaving, Maldonado has mastered the art and has immensely improved the quality of his textiles. His work is a representation of the art that has been passed down from generation to generation in his family. The family motto has been, "I will never let go of either my grandfather or grandson's hands, for what I have learned from the elders, I will teach to the young."
Based on this family philosophy, Maldonado and his relatives have been making large bedspreads in high relief without any stitching. They also proudly craft wool and alpaca tapestries, purses, backpacks, cushions, and vests.
The Maldonado family's work has become increasingly popular.
Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.
This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
BUST
35 - 36
37 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
WAIST
27 - 28
29 - 30
31 - 33
34 - 36
38 - 40
HIPS
37 - 38
39 - 40
42 - 43
45 - 46
49 - 50
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
CHEST
36 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
50 - 52
WAIST
30 - 32
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 41
43 - 45
NECK
14 - 14.5
15 - 15.5
16 - 16.5
17 - 17.5
18 - 18.5
SLEEVE
32.5
33.5
34.5
35.5
36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.
BUST / CHEST
Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.
WAIST
Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.
LOW WAIST
Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.
HIPS
Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.
NECK
Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
SLEEVE
Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.
INSEAM
Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.
Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.
For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.
For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.
See buckle/tie belt size standards below.
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
inches
26 - 30
28 - 32
31 - 35
34 - 38
38 - 42
cm
76 - 86
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
inches
30 - 34
32 - 36
35 - 39
39 - 43
43 - 47
cm
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
109 - 119
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
Sash tie length
Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.
Belt with buckle
Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.
Belt without buckle
Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
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