How Is A Mola Made?

Molas are

hand-made using a reverse appliqué technique

. Several layers (usually two to seven) of different-colored cloth (usually cotton) are sewn together; the design is then formed by cutting away parts of each layer. … The finest molas have extremely fine stitching, made using tiny needles.

What is a mola?

Meaning of Mola Symbols

Mola motives have their origin in body painting like they are still used by many indigenous groups of Latin America. A main concept in Molas is to leave as little unworked space as possible as the Kunas believe that

evil spirits can settle

in the free spaces.

What is the name of the technique used to create a mola?

Molas are

hand-made using a reverse appliqué technique

. Several layers (usually two to seven) of different-colored cloth (usually cotton) are sewn together; the design is then formed by cutting away parts of each layer. The edges of the layers are then turned under and sewn down.

What were Molas used for?

Molas were originally used as part

of the women’s blouses

. Molas are traditionally made and worn by the Kuna women and girls in pairs to serve as front and back panels of the blouses they wear everyday. Nowadays they are also sold to collectors and framed and exhibited.

Who makes molas in Panama?

Molas are colorful panels sewn by

the women of the Guna Indian tribe

, who reside here in Panama in the San Blas Archipelago on the Caribbean Sea. Molas are part of traditional costumes worn by Guna women. Four mola panels are formed into the front and back panels of a blouse.

What are 3 important things to know when making a mola?

The quality of a mola is determined by such factors as the number of layers,

fineness of the stitching, evenness and width of cutouts

, addition of details such as zigzag borders, lattice-work or embroidery, and general artistic merit of the design and color combination.

What are some ways to use mola panels?

Mola panels have many uses. They

can be framed as art or made into pillows, place mats or wall hangings

. Some people even make them into bedspreads or incorporate them into quilting projects. Molas are very sturdy and well sewn.

What does Mola mean in Panama?

Mola, which originally meant

bird plumage

, is the Kuna Indian word for clothing, specifically blouse, and the word mola has come to mean the elaborate embroidered panels that make up the front and back of a Kuna woman’s traditional blouse.

What is a mola quilt?

A Mola is

the decorated yoke of a traditional woman’s blouse of the Kuna people of Panama and parts of Columbia

that have been made in the last century. They were originally inspired by body paintings of local flora, fauna and images of daily life.

What does Mola mean in Kuna?

Molas are simple yoke-type blouses richly decorated by intricate needlework. Mola can mean

the blouse that is daily wear for Kuna

(sometimes spelled Cuna) women but most often refers to its front or back panel. They have been made for about a century.

What is the national dish of Panama and describe it?

Cherished across many countries in Latin America, sancocho is arguably most beloved in Panama, where it is the national dish and served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everyone loves sancocho, the national comfort food of Panama.

What is the main concept of a mola?

Mola motives have their origin in body painting like they are still used by many indigenous groups of Latin America. A main concept in Molas is

to leave as little unworked space as possible as the Kunas believe that evil spirits can settle in the free spaces

.

Where Panama is located?

Central America is the southernmost region of North America. It lies

between Mexico and South America

, and it includes the countries Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize.

What is the coldest month in Panama?

What does a Mola look like?

Sunfish, or mola, develop their

truncated, bullet-like shape

because the back fin which they are born with simply never grows. … Mola in Latin means “millstone” and describes the ocean sunfish’s somewhat circular shape. They are a silvery color and have a rough skin texture.