The shawls and scarves that Maria Navarra produces in her New Braunfels studio are
striking for their intricate colorful designs executed with a skill gained from over 45 years of
pursuing her craft. She uses only the finest fibers such as tencel, tussah silk, and West Texas
organic cotton in her products.
Maria began her training on a simple loom, but when she graduated to weaving more
complex patterns on a four harness loom, she knew she’d found her home. After some years
she progressed to eight and sixteen harness block twill, and she became captivated by the
mathematical formulas and number sequences that rendered more interesting color patterns.
In 2000, while living in Southern New Mexico, Maria was able to share her love of weaving with women living in low-income communities along the US-Mexican border. She helped launch a program called “Tres Manos” and for ten years she taught weaving skills that enabled these women to sell their handwoven products, which empowered them financially and emotionally.
Maria’s mastery of the technical and mathematical complexity of her process has earned her the respect of other weavers and the admiration of patrons throughout the Southwest who get to experience her “wearable art”.