~ product info ~

At ixöq, we pride ourselves on selling high quality well-made products. Our products are fun, whimsical, colorful, ethically made and useful, all while honoring the customs and traditions of the artisan communities of Guatemala. ixöq designs the products but also often give the women artistic license to create & contribute new ideas using the patterns, colors and designs of their choosing. This is why we sometimes have items that are the same but not quite exactly the same. And we love this about our inventory! There are occasionally one of a kind items but everything is made with the same high quality care that is important to us. We try our hardest to keep all of the photos updated with the exact inventory that we have at the time. And we work with the artisans to standardize size, colors & of course quality.

CESTA TOTE SIZES

We sell three sizes of cesta totes: medium, large & extra large. The dimensions are below & the photos are a helpful reference. In the first photo Maggie (on the left) is holding a medium cesta with short handles & Amalia (on the right) is carrying an extra-large with long handles. In the second photo Maggie is carrying a medium cesta with long handles. In photo #3 she is carrying a large cesta.  

Dimensions:

EX-LARGE 14.25" l x 8.25" w x 14.25" h. Handle height: 14.25".

LARGE 13"w x 7"d x 12.5"h. Handle height: 12.5". 

MEDIUM 12"w x 5.5"d x 10.25"h. Handle height: 5" (short) or 9.5" (long). 

LOCALLY SOURCED RECYCLED PLASTIC CORD

Our cesta & boxi products are woven using locally sourced cord made from recycled plastic. We have a color catalog that we use but on occasion the color may slightly vary from that shown in the catalog. This again is the nature of small batch production and part of it's charm. Each of these items is also woven by hand using a wooden frame. This helps maintain a standard size but the artisans must work hard to make sure their weaving tension is the same as others so that the product sizes are consistent.

UPCYCLED JASPE FABRIC

Some of our products are made from an upcycled material referred to as jaspe ("haspeh") using the name of the hand-dyed colorful thread used in the weaving. This style of fabric is a traditional textile that is woven on a peddle-loom. It includes intricate patterns of different colors centered around a primary color and design. The results are a variety of unique combinations and patterns. ixöq sells kitchen items & market bags made from jaspe fabric and the cesta totes and storage baskets are lined using jaspe fabrics, chosen to complement the colors of the tote/basket.

To make shopping for jaspe products a little easier, ixöq's jaspe colors are divided into 4 primary classes: brown; blue; turquoise/green; and pink/orange. And for those fabrics that are full of many exciting colors we've added a multi-color class. Below are some samples of different combinations that you may receive when ordering a specific color. Each are quite beautiful and the variety always makes for a pleasant surprise.   

NATURAL FIBERS & PLANT-BASED DYES

Many of our products are handwoven on several different types of looms, including back strap and peddle looms, and are made from natural fibers and dyes. The dyes are made from different plants and trees from the lake area (see photos below) and each plant creates a beautiful, natural and unique color. Once dyed and treated for preservation the natural threads are woven to create beautiful products such as our cosmetic bags and stunning kitchen and hand towels. The colors may vary slightly due to seasonal variations in the plants used for dying but that said if you select more than one of an item of the same color we guarantee that those items will match. The resulting products are all color set and will not bleed or fade.