We continue our weaver spotlights with a conversation with Sarah of Luz Handwoven! Luz Handwoven is one of the weavers that we partner with to make our most sought after and rare handwoven Signature Carriers.
Our partner handweavers often are women-led family businesses operating with a small devoted team. We are delighted to share their stories and showcase their textile artistry and intricate work through the Signature collection.
Luz Handwoven started in a little bedroom studio weaving for Sarah's own babies as a love for the handwoven world was sparked while on her personal babywearing journey.
Sarah is a mother of 5 children and has been babywearing for almost half of her life. Luz Handwoven was named after Sarah's grandmother, Luz. Luz means "light" in Spanish. It was only fitting to name my company Luz because Sarah felt a "light" in the community has led her on her weaving journey.
Baby Tula: What inspired you to begin weaving and start Luz Handwoven?
Sarah: A group of friends introduced me to the world of handwoven baby wraps. These wraps were unlike anything I have ever seen or touched before. I had handwoven rebozos before but these were different. I decided I wanted to create unique and special handwoven wraps for my babies. That’s where it all began.
Luz was formed and molded by the babywearing community’s love and support since the very beginning. I am so humbled and grateful for my babywearing friends.
BT: What do fans of Luz Handwoven love about your woven wraps?
S: This is a hard question! I want to believe that they love the craftsmanship, quality, and uniqueness of all my work. I put so much effort into creating the highest quality and most original pieces.
BT: Where do you draw inspiration from?
S: Everywhere! There isn’t a day I do not see a picture, or live a moment where I say, "Wow! I can make this into a reality." I visualize it in my head and make it happen!
BT: From idea to finished handwoven, how long does the process often take?
S: Well, there are three types of warps I create.
1. A solid already dyed colors.
2. Hand dyed in skeins that require spools to go on the loom
3. Chained hand dyed warps.
They all are very time-consuming. Typically on an average week, I can put on a 15m warp ( already dyed) on the loom and weave about half of it.
Hand dyed warps are a whole different process from measuring the warp to dying it takes about a full week for one warp.
BT: What do you love most about being a weaver?
S: My favorite part is imagining how the warp will look and making it happen exactly how I had it pictured. Sometimes I surprise myself and it will look even better than I could have imagined. I also love taking it off the loom seeing it all come together. It's the best feeling!
BT: How do you balance your work and your family?
S: This is something I have struggled with for years. I am a very focused person and once I have my mind on something I have to finish it at all costs. I have had to slow down and take days off. Now, after almost 6 years, I have found a nice pace that I am happy with. I work about 8 hours a day 4 times a week in the studio and work about 10-15 hours a week on my social media, emails, personal messages, ordering, planning, etc...
BT: Do you have something exciting coming that might interest the Tula community?
S: Of course! I have an amazing new crackle heart weave I just finished and it is on its way to Baby Tula! I couldn’t be more excited to see this piece called Peaches & Plums converted into the most amazing Tula!
A huge THANK YOU to Sarah of Luz Handwoven for chatting with us! If you would like to stay connected with her, you can follow Luz Handwoven on Facebook and @luzhandwoven on Instagram. You can also sign up for Luz Hanwoven's newsletter on their website: https://luzhandwoven.com/.