For the Roots sew-along at Elegance and Elephants, I decided to make an outfit that represented our Guatemalan roots. In Guatemala, the traditional outfit for women is composed of a huipil (a square cut blouse) and a corte (a skirt made out of hand woven fabric) which is also also accompanied by a faja (belt or sash). These outfits are only worn by the true natives or Mayan descendants of Guatemala. These outfits are usually very elaborate and embroidered with intricate and colorful designs. The Guatemalan natives weave their own fabric by hand, using a loom. The designs and colors embroidered and weaved on the fabric are not randomly selected. Usually, the colors and designs on these traditional outfits have a meaning (for example: they identify a specific town, marital status, fertility, etcetera).
I found good examples of the Guatemalan traditional outfits here: http://www.terraexperience.com/
