Tag Archives: clothing

Think Spring! 13 San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca Huipiles by Brisaida for You

Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 2 comments

SOLD OUT! Thanks to all for your support.

Brisaida is one of my favorite weavers from San Juan Colorado, on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica, that stretch of land along the Pacific Coast extending from Puerto Escondido north to Acapulco. We visit her on our Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour. She contacted me last week to appeal for help. She has some amazing huipiles and blusas available for sale. I said, sure, I’ll help you! Finding buyers for extraordinary work is the biggest challenge that indigenous weavers face. Most speak only a native language and without Spanish, markets elude them and they depend on middlemen who often pay less than the value of a textile and the work women put into making them.

Whatever sells in the next 10 days, Brisaida will package up and ship to me. This takes about a week to arrive in Taos. I’ll then package up what you choose and mail to you. I’d like to receive all that sells in one bundle to minimize shipping cost. So, please make your selections by April 28. Thank you.

We have 13 amazing pieces to offer you. They are all hand-woven on the back-strap loom, created from naturally dyed cotton. Dyes include Brazilwood, mahogany bark, raw and fermented indigo, guava, iron oxide, and wild marigold. Much of the cotton threads are hand-spun on the malacate (drop spindle) from locally sourced native cotton, grown since pre-Hispanic times. What you are purchasing is a piece of art! In doing so, you support a woman from a small indigenous community who has little opportunity to sell her work. Women here struggle to support their families with cash income when the men in their families are subsistence farmers who have no commercial outlet for their produce — everyone here grows corn, beans, and squash to feed their kin — when men stay! Most have left for employment in larger Mexican cities or risk their lives to go to El Norte with a coyote ($3-4,000 USD cost) to enter the USA as undocumented labor. It’s not an easy life. We have an opportunity to help!

How to Buy: Send an email to norma.schafer@icloud.com and tell me the item(s) you want to purchase by number, your email, your mailing address, your phone number, and which payment method you prefer: 1) Zelle bank transfer with no service fee; 2) Venmo or 3) PayPal each with a 3.3% service fee. Please send me your account name or number! I will send you a request for funds and then add on a $14 mailing fee. Happy to combine shipping if you buy more than one piece. These are one-of-a-kind. Note: Thank you for understanding that all sales are final. Please measure carefully.

SOLD. #1. Mahogany and raw indigo. Raw indigo has not been fermented. The leaves are rubbed on the cotton to give us a lovely fresh green color. 42″ long x 28″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD 2. Rainbow of natural colors with indigo and wild marigold brocade* embellished with hearts. 42″ long x 31″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD #3. Mahogany bark, guava, iron oxide and Brazilwood. 38″ long x 31″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD. #4. Pinole seeds and bark with indigo. 43″ long x 30″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD. #5. Mahogany, indigo, and natural white cotton. 34″ long x 30″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD. 6. Mahogany, iron oxide, and natural white. 34″ long x 30″ wide. $345 plus mailing.

SOLD. #7 Guava, Brazilwood, and natural white. 35″ long x 28″ wide. $298 plus mailing.

SOLD. #8. Subtle rainbow base cloth with indigo, mahogany, and white brocade. 34″ long x 29″ wide. $298 plus mailing.

SOLD. #9. Raw indigo and multi-color base cloth with multi-colored bordado. 32″ long x 29″ wide. $298 plus mailing.

SOLD. #10. Wild marigold, indigo, and mahogany. 29″ long x 26″ wide. $275 plus mailing.

SOLD. 11. Brazilwood, indigo and natural white. 26″ long x 29″ wide. $255 plus mailing.

SOLD. 12. Rainbow Rayas. 26″ long x 25″ wide. $245 plus mailing.

SOLD. #13. Brazilwood. 30″ long x 25″ wide. $245 plus mailing.

Care Instructions: Hand wash with a mild soap (Fels Naptha or Zote — do not use Woolite) and hang to dry. Press with a warm iron, if desired.

*About the Cloth: The cotton threads may have been grown locally, cleaned, beaten to smooth the fibers, and then hand-spun using the malacate (drop spindle). Weavers also use top quality, fine Omega thread sourced from the last cotton mill in Puebla, Mexico, and then dyed at home with local plants. The designs and patterns embellished in the cloth are made with the brocade (bordado) technique of adding threads into the woven cloth using the supplementary weft technique. These garments are perfect for spring, summer and fall, or layer them over an insulated T-shirt for winter dressing to add color to your life during the dark days. The pieces range from medium weight to gauze weave, giving us cloth that is breathable and luxurious for warm and hot weather.

Meet Brisaida. She is in her 30’s. I’m with her in San Juan Colorado in late January. Yes, she wove what I’m wearing and of course, it’s now part of my collection! Brisaida embodies the heritage of many Mexican women along the coast whose heritage stems from indigenous Mixtec roots mixed with the Afro-Mexican slave experience and their quest for freedom beyond the mines, sugar cane fields of Veracruz, and entrapment.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged clothing, natural dyes, Oaxaca, San Juan Colorado, textiles

Coming Soon! What we are doing and thinking about.

Posted on Friday, April 14, 2023 | Comments Off

In recent weeks, I’ve been in conversation with Scott Roth, one of the early entrepreneurs who came to Oaxaca and Teotitlan del Valle in the mid-70’s as a young Californian, an unencumbered explorer of culture and artisanry. He discovered the serapes and blankets of Teotitlan and imagined them to be repurposed as floor rugs for the growing US Southwest Style home decor and design field. This was the beginning of the making and exporting of handwoven rugs to the American southwest. Scott has written a personal history of rug development, weaving culture, and what it was like in Oaxaca during those years along with photos. I’ll be publishing his writing and photographs in the next weeks.

Before leaving Oaxaca, I packed up textiles to ship back to Taos, New Mexico, where I landed about a week ago. I have a wide-ranging assortment of hand-woven goods from Chiapas and Oaxaca. These include ponchos, huipiles, blusas, rebozos, bufandas, pillow covers, jewelry, and assorted miscellaneous items. I’ll be photographing and listing these in the next week. Please keep your eyes tuned to blog posts coming to your inbox!

In exciting news, I’ve been talking with a San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, weaving family who we’ve known for several years. We visit them during our Chiapas Textile Study Tour in their remote highlands village of Chilinjoveltik, where Maruch and Micaela employ traditional back-strap loom weaving techniques to make those traditional furry Churro wool wrap around skirts and ponchos worn by women and men. They felt the wool textile with their feet, dancing on the wool, massaging it with pressure and water, until the fibers knit together and the result looks like a sheep pelt. I bought a couple of these and now use them as floor mats in the bath, bedroom and by the kitchen sink. They are making four small rugs for me in various shades of natural wool: creamy white, brown, grey and black. They will be ready in a month and I’ll be posting them for sale.

Brisaida is one of my favorite weavers from San Juan Colorado, on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica, that stretch of land along the Pacific Coast extending from Puerto Escondido north to Acapulco. We visit her on our Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour. She contacted me this week to appeal for help. She has some amazing huipiles and blusas available for sale. I said, sure, I’ll help you! Finding buyers for extraordinary work is the biggest challenge that indigenous weavers face. Most speak only a native language and without Spanish, markets elude them and they depend on middlemen who often pay less than the value of a textile and the work women put into making them . You have always been to generous with your support for these extraordinary artisans. Stay tuned for these pieces that I hope to post early next week!

Weave a Real Peace (WARP) is an international textile organization that I have belonged to for many years (we organized their 2017 international conference in Oaxaca). We admire what they do to support and promote indigenous artisans worldwide. Their annual conference is in Kent, Ohio, from July 13-16. We have been invited to make the closing presentation on July 16. Perhaps you will consider attending!

Come travel with us to explore and discover the weaving culture of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Space open in most of our 2024 tours. A $500 deposit will hold your reservation for our multi-day excursions and a 25% deposit will reserve your space on our day tours. Scroll down the right column to see what you might enjoy! Saludos.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged clothing, handmade, Oaxaca, rugs

Bargain Shopping and Cheap Eats in Oaxaca

Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | 4 comments

Is it possible to find and buy high quality textiles in Oaxaca at bargain prices? That was my question yesterday as Chris and I returned to Oaxaca city for her last day here on this visit. She loves to shop at thrift stores and on sale. I do, too, but I’m always on a quest for top quality. I don’t know thrift or consignment shops in Oaxaca (except for one listed below) where one can purchase good, gently worn handwoven Oaxaca clothing. I have favorites in Taos and Santa Fe.

Chris wanted to go back to Lake Chapala with a couple of Oaxaca huipiles. So, I named this day of foraging: Low Brow Shopping (more based on pocketbook limitations than taste) and set about to show her a few favorite places where I know the quality is very good and the prices much more affordable than the collectors’ galleries I know about. Often, these are the places that cater to locals, too.

The quest: How can we find a beautiful huipil or blusa for under $100 USD?

As for eating, in my humble opinion, its definitely possible to eat well in small comedors and restaurants that are not on the Andador Macedonio Alcala or adjacent streets like Garcia Virgil, Cinco de Mayo and Reforma. This is the hub of the tourist center and prices are higher here because rents are higher. To find, good cheap eats, go to the auxiliary streets and neighborhoods that are several blocks away. I still rarely, if ever, eat at food stalls on the street, mostly because of sanitation issues.

Three Favorite Oaxaca Bargain Shopping Recommendations (can you recommend others?)

Hilo de Nube. These blusas and huipiles are handmade and embroidered in San Juan Guichicovi, a town in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The style is very distinctive to the region that offered a type of dress favored by Frida Kahlo. The Oaxaca shop is located at M. Bravo #214, Oaxaca Centro. Here, blouses start at $30 USD. They combine free-form, human-guided chain stitching embroidered by machine. Prices go up based on intricacy of design, and if the garment incorporates hand-embroidered stitching, too. Base cloth is high quality cotton, linen, or sateen. My friend Susie introduced this shop to me and I’m passing it along to you as a go-to spot for bargain-hunting fashionistas.

Shop with No Name! I can’t give you a link because there is none. This shop is located just the other side of the Zocalo at Bustamante #119 about mid-block on the left between Guerrero and Colon, near musical instruments and CD shops. It is operated by Lilia Gonzales Bolaños. Telephone: 52-951-169-5965. What makes this shop great is that if you know your textiles, you can find excellent designer pieces hidden on the racks between the lesser quality goods. Perfect for the huntress in you! Look for the whimsical smocked blouses from San Pablo Tijaltepec, gauzy and finely woven cloth from San Mateo del Mar, natural dyes from Pinotepa de Don Luis.

Artesanias Que Tenga Buena Mano. Operated by Francisco Hernandez, this little shop is found on Calle de Constituccion tucked into a step-down almost basement location next to Casa Oaxaca Restaurant. Textile offerings are limited but of excellent quality at fair prices. I even saw a piece woven by Teofila Palafox from San Mateo del Mar. Francisco also designs filigree jewelry and there is a good collection of pieces here, as well as funky folk art. Don’t blink or you might miss it.

La Selva de los Gatos. The Cat Jungle! An all-vegan cat cafe & pet adoption center located at the corner of Calle Abasolo and Calle de la Republica, features a boutique of gently-worn clothing (I guess this qualifies as a thrift shop) they sell to raise funds to spay, neuter and adopt out stray cats that have been rescued. The vegan cafe serves up reasonably priced fare — eat a play with the cats, too.

Get a Oaxaca Lunch for Under $10 USD

Ok, we are not going to regurgitate the top-level $$$$ dining spots operated by award-winning chefs that show up on every travel site — the ones like Conde Nast Traveler or Travel and Leisure or Food & Wine — that recommend Casa Oaxaca, Origen, Criollo, Los Danzantes, Restaurante Catedral, Levadura de la Olla. At these spots, you can easily spend $25-45 USD per person for lunch, which is fine if you are on a limitless budget or splurge vacation. Here, a mezcal cocktail can cost you $12 USD, too.

At the humble comedors, the food is simple although it can also be complex. Wash it down with a good Mexican beer — Victoria, Negro Modelo, Tecate or Sol — or select a fruit water such as Agua de Pepino con Limon (cucumber and lime), Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus), or Agua de Sandia (watermelon). Good to give your wallet a break from time to time.

Cabuche. This has been a long-time cheap eats favorite. Restaurant is owned by Rodrigo Fuentes Moreno who carved out his niche after leaving La Biznaga some years back. Pozole and tacos reign here. Lots of vegetarian options. You can get a big or small bowl of pozole, with white, red, or green stock, with vegetarian, chicken or pork options. The hominy is plump and delicious. My dish with pork was tender and easily chewed. Take your pick of taco fillings: huitlacoche, potatoes and chorizo, tinga de pollo, calabacitas, and more. Hidalgo #1017, in the block beyond the textile museum going away from the Zocalo.

Casa Taviche. Go another block further on the left to find this hidden gem that many of us find to be among the best comedors in the city. The Comida Corrida, the three-course fixed price lunch offered by many places, comes with appetizer, entree, dessert and a glass of fruit water for under $10 USD here. Order a la carte and it can be more. Hidalgo #1111.

Casa Bestia. I had a delicious brunch here a couple of weeks ago with Carol, Dean, Kay and Winn. It’s billed as an art gallery and co-working space, but it features a lovely outdoor dining area under some amazing shade trees. You can also find hand-made clothing in the gallery. They offer workshops and cooking classes, too. The kitchen serves up delicious gluten-free oatmeal pancakes and excellent lunch fare at moderate prices. Very relaxing. Located in the Conzatti Park neighborhood of Oaxaca. Gomez Farias #114.

Got recommendations for Cheap Eats and Bargain Shopping? Write us here!

What to look for when Bargain Shopping? Tips for discerning quality!

What is the quality of the cloth? Is it 100% cotton or is it mixed with polyester?
Do know for certain that the textile isn’t made in China? So much of what is sold on the street are Chinese knock-offs. Buyer beware!
Turn the garment inside out. How are the seams finished? Will the threads unravel? Are the seams machine stitched or finished by hand? Are the stitches tight and even? A French seam with no exposed selvedge will hold up the longest.
Are the threads naturally dyed or are these commercial threads? Are the dyes prone to bleeding or running (commercial or synthetic dyes will run if they haven’t been pre-washed)
If the garment is back-strap loomed, are there any snags or imperfections? Do the patterns line up or are they mismatched?
If there is embroidery, turn it inside out and look at the embroidered threads to discern whether they will hold up after several wearings.
Can you wash this garment by hand and hang to dry or does it need to be dry-cleaned?
Can the vendor tell you who made it and where it was made?
Do you love it or are you buying it because of price?

Want to buy directly from the maker? Want access to Oaxaca state’s most important weavers who are renowned for their finest workmanship? Come with us on The Collector’s Tour!

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Posted in Clothing Design, Shop

Tagged cheap eats, clothing, dining, discount shopping, eating, Oaxaca, shopping, tacos

Happy Black Friday Frenzy Sale

Posted on Friday, November 25, 2022 | Comments Off

We are jumping into the Black Friday holiday sale fray and offering you a few choice pieces from our collection with deep discounts. Scroll all the way down–16 pieces today. I don’t know about you, but I gained three pounds after our Thanksgiving food extravaganza. Maybe online shopping will burn calories!

See these recent listings, too!

**SOLD.** #1. Tenejapa, Chiapas short poncho, open sides. 27″w x 25″ long. Hand-woven, backstrap loom. ~~$175~~ **Now $135**

How to Buy: Send an email to norma.schafer@icloud.com and tell me the item(s) you want to purchase by number, your email, your mailing address and which payment method you prefer: 1) Zelle bank transfer with no service fee; 2) Venmo or 3) PayPal each with a 3% service fee. I will send you a request for funds and then add on a flat rate $14 mailing fee. Happy to combine shipping if you buy more than one piece. These are one-of-a-kind. Note: Thank you for understanding that all sales are final. Please measure carefully.

**SOLD**#2. Poinsettias for Christmas. Embroidered cross-stitch. Chatino, Oaxaca. 26″w x 30 long. ~~$225~~ **Now $145**.

#3. Chakira Blouse, Puebla state, drawstring neck, crochet edging. Cotton. Was ~~$385~~. **Now $145**

Cecelia Bautista Caballero shawl, Michoacan

**SOLD.** #6. Cancuc, Chiapas, cochineal + alderwood dyes. 21″x36″ Was ~~$225.~~ **Now $155**

#7. Indigo + coyuchi cotton. 31″w x 34″ long. San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca. Was ~~$225.~~ **Now $185**

**SOLD** #9. Rare caracol purpura purple snail dye with jicara gourd dye. 29″ wide x 29″ wide. Was ~~$295~~. **Now $235**

#11. Signed Francisca Palafox Heran. 24″ w x 38″ long. Was ~~$395~~ **Now $285**

**SOLD.** #12. Coconut shell + coffee bean necklace. Adjustable. Was ~~$39.~~ **Now $19**

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Posted in Clothing Design, Home Goods, Mexico

Tagged Black Friday, Chiapas, clothing, discounts, jewelry, Mexico, Oaxaca, sale

Deals Continued From Oaxaca, Chiapas + More

Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 | 1 comment

We are committed to supporting Mexican artisans, especially women who work so hard to support their families to give them schooling, health care and nutritious food. Food insecurity is a big deal in remote villages. Access to local medical clinics is severely limited. There are extra costs for school books, tuition and required uniforms. It’s the women who, through their weaving, are able to earn extra income to supplement the basics that the men can provide through subsistence farming. That’s why your support is so important. Big thanks as we approach Thanksgiving, for all you have done and continue to do to enable Oaxaca Cultural Navigator to buy direct and outright from the makers, and not on consignment.

I’m returning to Oaxaca at the end of December and want to clear my inventory of many beautiful pieces before then. What better time than NOW to add some splash to your holiday dressing with these Pre- and Post-Thanksgiving Specials. We have some home goods, too. Many pieces deeply discounted. I’m listing 12 things here, with more to come.

See our Deeply Discounted Designer Baskets, too.

#1. Steel Grey Floral Blouse from Zinacantan, Chiapas, land of the flower greenhouses! This is a village in the highlands just beyond San Cristobal de Las Casas where elaborate floral embroidery decorates everything. Machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle. Hang to dry. 23″ wide x 29″ long. Wear out or tuck into pants or a skirt. Shimmering beauty. Was ~~$85~~. Now $65.

SOLD. #2. Gunmetal Grey Floral Blouse from Zinacantan, Chiapas, land of the flower greenhouses! Great contrast between blouse fabric and embroidery. Elegant and casual comfort, too. Machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle. Hand to dry. 25″ wide x 29″ long. Was ~~$85~~. Now $65.

#3, #4 and #5. Three beautiful pillow covers, 100% cotton and hand-woven on the back-strap loom in Chiapas. Reduced from ~~$95 each~~ to $45 each. The brown stripey is beautifully embroidered. The creamy one has traditional design motifs woven into the cloth using the supplementary weft technique.

#6. Embroidered Blouse, 100% cotton, From Tzintzuntzan, the ceremonial center of the pre-Hispanic Purepecha capital along the shores of Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Here, the most astounding embroidery decorates blouses, shirts, and other wearable, telling stories of village life, including weddings and engagements. This blouse is from the most famous embroiderer of them all, Teofila Servin Barriga. Her work commands hundreds, even thousands of dollars! Blouse measures 22-1/2″ wide x 26″ long. $175.

#7. Embroidered Jacket, 100% cotton, from Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, from Teofila Servin Barriga. Jacket measures 22″ wide x 26″ long and the sleeves are 24-1/2″ long from shoulder seam. Too long? Roll them up! $275.

SOLD. #8. From Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, a handwoven black blouse with amazing brilliant supplementary weft design woven into the cloth. Wear a Heat-Tech T-shirt underneath for winter warmth and transition into spring and summer with this beautiful, lightweight cotton blouse. Measures 27″ wide x 25″ long. Was ~~$95.~~ Now $55.

SOLD #9. Adorn yourself with a handwoven accent scarf from Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas. A statement in holiday elegance. Was ~~$85.~~ Now $45.

#10. The Francisca Blouse, Purple Haze — all French Knots, intricate and completely made by hand, even the seams and hem! This one is a size LARGE, measuring 17″ wide from shoulder seam to shoulder seam and 28″ long. Sleeves are 3/4 length. Was ~~$145~~. Now $95.

#11. The Francisca Blouse, Purple Haze — size EXTRA LARGE, measuring 19″ wide from shoulder seam to shoulder seam and 30″ long, with 3/4 length sleeves. Was ~~$145.~~ Now $95.

#12. Tlahuitoltepec black linen shirt jacket with cotton machine stitched embroidery. This embroidery is considered handmade because the seamstress guides the machine free-form! Measures 22″ wide x 26″ long in the front. The back panel of the jacket is 29″ long, designed to cover the tush. Sleeves are 23″ long from the shoulder seam. Was ~~$175.~~ Now $85.

#13. Chakira beaded bodice and fine smocking make this long-sleeved 100% cotton blouse from the mountains of Puebla state a knock-out. Measures 24″ wide x 27″ long. Sleeve length is 18″. Notice the chakira beading at the cuff. Neckline is adjustable with a delicate, handmade drawstring. Embroidered lace accents the bodice and the cuffs. These blouses sold in Santa Fe on the Plaza for $425. Now yours for $165.