Guatemala Textile Study Tour 2025: Cloth and Culture
Registration is now open. A $750 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space. We offered this tour first to those who expressed interest a couple of months ago, and we have filled seven out of fourteen spaces. We hope that if you want to go to Guatemala with us in February 2025, you won’t hesitate to […]
Shop Small SALE Continues to December 1
We pride ourselves on buying direct from artisan makers. We know them and the quality of their work. We believe that by supporting makers we are contributing to the well-being of their children, families and communities. Many live in remote regions of Mexico where they have little or no access to those of us who […]
Bargain Shopping and Cheap Eats in Oaxaca
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 […]
2024 Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour
Arrive on Saturday, January 13 and depart on Monday, January 22, 2024 — 9 nights, 10 days in textile heaven! We go deep, and not wide. We give you an intimate, connecting experience. We spend time to know the culture. You will meet artisans in their homes and workshops, enjoy local cuisine, dip your hands […]
On the Oaxaca Coast, It’s About the Cloth, Not the Cut
On the Oaxaca Coast, it’s about the cloth, not the cut. Why? Because lengths of cloth meticulously woven on the back strap loom are never cut. They are squares and rectangles that are joined together at right angles to create a garment. The garment construction never has darts, either. Nor is it form-fitting. Plus, the […]
What is a Oaxaca Fiberista?
My friend Carol Egan from Savannah who has wintered in Oaxaca for almost 20 years uses the term Fiberista to describe those of us who love and wear (and who demonstrate cultural appreciation for) clothing made on the back-strap loom by the very talented indigenous weavers of Oaxaca. Carol is a graduate of RISD (Rhode […]
Take Another 10% Off Leftovers (Not Talking Turkey)
Still many great pieces remain from recent sales, discounts, markdowns. Browse these links for great gifts, home decor, stylish fashion from amazing weavers of Mexico — mostly Oaxaca and Chiapas. How to Buy: Send an email to norma.schafer@icloud.comand tell me the item(s) you want to purchase by number, your email, your mailing address and which payment […]
Happy Black Friday Frenzy Sale
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, […]
Big Discount: Earrings from Pinotepa de Don Luis
All earrings below discounted from $55 and $45 . NOW $24 each plus $8 mailing via USPS priority mail. How to Buy: Send me an email, tell me which one you want by NUMBER along with your name, mailing address. I’ll send you a PayPal invoice.
Sale: Finer Pieces From My Textile Collection
Over the almost 14 years I have been living in Oaxaca, I have had the opportunity to meet many artisan weavers who make extraordinary clothing. I often made a purchase to support their work. I also selected outstanding pieces from collector Remigio Mestas at his gallery shop, Los Baules de Juana Cata in Oaxaca and […]
Post-Thanksgiving Oaxaca Jewelry + Clothing Extravaganza
I’m going to the US for an impromptu short visit before the Winter Holidays, returning to Oaxaca on December 24. Need a couple of routine exams. No worries. So, I’m offering this pre-sale. Buy it now and I’ll bring it with me and mail by December 15. 18 Items. Just-in-time unique gifts, all made by […]
Introducing Zayzelle. Dress Simply. Made in Oaxaca. Designed in North Carolina.
Zayzelle. Dress Simply. One dress. One size fits most. Many fabrics, textures. Affordable fashion. Three years ago I cut a pattern and started sewing a simple dress that would take me through the day and into the evening here in Oaxaca, in North Carolina and wherever else I traveled. I chose linen and cotton. Pure […]
Podcast: Tixinda Dreamweavers Plus Our Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour
Listen to the WEAVE Podcast from Gist Yarn & Fiber Today, Sarah Resnick from Gist Yarn & Fiber, talks with Patrice Perillie, an immigration attorney based in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, and Mixtec weaver Amada Sanchez Cruz from Pinotepa de Don Luis. She also interviews Norma Schafer at the end of the segment. Patrice started the […]
Flouncy Aprons of San Miguel del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico
Oh, gosh, how to resist these extraordinary aprons of San Miguel del Valle. The Zapotec community is nestled into a steep hillside 8 km up into the Sierra Juarez from the Tlacolula crossroads on the way to Cuajimoloyas. Remote but accessible by car. This is a small village of about 1,000 people many of whom […]
Leslie’s Regrets Sale: Clothing From Chiapas and Oaxaca
I had this crazy idea of starting an on-line e-commerce website marketplace to sell and resell new and like-new Mexico clothing AND my own dress design. (Skip the story, if you like, and scroll down to the goods.) (I’ve been making and wearing the same dress pattern in different fabrics for the last several years. […]
Video: Chinas Oaxaqueñas at the El Tule Guelaguetza 2018
The “alternative” Guelaguetza in Santa Maria del Tule started with the crowd-pleasing favorite, the Chinas Oaxaqueñas. I don’t know how the tradition of the name originated. Can anyone out there offer an answer? Perhaps it is simply Oaxaca’s version of the Chinas Poblanas of Puebla. Their beaded blouses had origins in the Philippines and were […]
Mexico Summer Mixed Clothing–Last Sale of the Season
Thanks to alle who picked a Mexico textile treasure this week! My storage containers are lighter now! Still more to go. I missed a few dresses, wraps and blouses on the first pass — oops, another box found. So, I’m going to squeeze in one more textile sale. Then, perhaps, I’ll have time to post […]
Summer Wraps from Mexico for Sale
In my getting ready to go back to Oaxaca from Durham, NC, I’m going through the boxes of my collection to decide what I’m ready to send off from my house to yours! My departure date is June 22, so please, if you are interested in making a purchase, let me know immediately, and I’ll […]
Summer Frocks From Mexico For Sale
It’s getting steamy hot here in North Carolina. It reminds me of growing up in Southern California pre-air conditioning, when my mom would shut windows and shades tight as soon as the sun came up trying to keep the chill desert night contained for another day. We learned to hunker down in summer heat. Now, […]
Dye from Murex Snails Colors Ancient Cloth Blue and Purple
Writing from Santa Fe, NM: I’m staying at the house of my textile designer friend Norma Cross, who creates felted fiber clothing using natural dyes, wool, silk, and cotton. I brought with me a shirt made on the Oaxaca coast with threads colored purple from the caracol purpura dye. That led her to send me this […]
Mexico in Durham, North Carolina: Art & Textiles Trunk Show
INDIO owner Wendy Sease recently traveled with me to Chiapas. She bought up beautiful treasures for her shop. I’ve just returned to my apartment in Durham, North Carolina, for a couple of months with three suitcases filled with textiles and jewelry. We decided to collaborate. YOU ARE INVITED. Bring a friend. Plus, the BIG news […]
Making PomPoms in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas
Wandering around San Cristobal de Las Casas last week I discovered Punto y Trama, on Belisario Dominguez #13b, just two blocks off the Andador Real de Guadalupe walking street. What drew me in was the sign on the door that announced PomPom workshops. Then, once inside I immediately noticed the furry wool Chamula woven shawls adorned […]
Textile Flower Bouquets of San Lorenzo Zinacantan, Chiapas
Zinacantan is about thirty minutes by taxi from the center of San Cristobal de Las Casas. They grow flowers here. Large greenhouses dominate the landscape like a checkerboard rising from the valley to the hillsides. This is a prosperous community that exports this produce throughout Mexico, as far as Mexico City and Merida. Local dress […]
Traveling with Huellas Que Trascienden to Yochib, Oxchuc, Chiapas
There is no better reality check to understand quality of life for Chiapas indigenous people than to travel the back roads into remote villages, where people live clinging precariously to mountain slopes. They get to their houses by walking narrow dirt trails, climbing up and down slippery paths sheltered by coffee plants, banana palms and […]
Chiapas Textile Study Tour Snapshot: Saturday Serendipity in Aguacatenango
The idea was to drive to Aguacatenango which is about thirty minutes beyond the pottery village of Amantenango del Valle. We were a good hour or so beyond San Cristobal de Las Casas. Few tourists come in this direction. The idea was to pull up at the church, park the van, gather under the big […]
2019 Oaxaca Textile Study Tour: San Mateo del Mar and the Purple Snail
Saturday, January 5 to Thursday, January 10, 2019 — Six days, five nights immersed in the weaving and natural dyeing culture of Oaxaca’s southern coast. You can take this short-course independently or add it on to the front end of our Costa Chica study tour. Itinerary Saturday, January 5, arrive in Huatulco on Oaxaca’s mid-coast. […]
2019 Oaxaca Costa Chica Study Tour: Textile Explorers
Oaxaca Costa Chica Textile Study Tour Arrive on Friday, January 11 and depart on Monday, January 21, 2019 — 10 nights, 11 days in textile heaven! Trip is limited to 11 participants. This entire study tour is focused on exploring the textiles of Oaxaca’s Costa Chica. You arrive to and leave from Puerto Escondido, connecting […]
2019 Chiapas Textiles and Folk Art Study Tour: Deep Into the Maya World
Chiapas Textiles + Folk Art Study Tour: Deep Into the Maya World — February 26-March 7, 2019 Cost • $2,495 double room with private bath (sleeps 2) • $2,995 single room with private bath (sleeps 1) We are based in the historic Chiapas mountain town of San Cristobal de las Casas, the center of the Maya […]
Reviving Lost Textile Traditions in Tututepec, Oaxaca on the Costa Chica
Villa de Tutupec de Melchor Ocampo is a mountain town above the Pacific Ocean on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica. During our recent Oaxaca Textile Study Tour: Valley and Coast, we spent almost a complete day there immersed in the region’s cultural history. Tututepec is tucked into the fold of a mountain that overlooks the Pacific coast and […]
A Journey of Cloth: Amuzgo Weaving on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica
San Pedro Amuzgos is an Amuzgos village nestled in a mountain valley seven hours by winding road from the capital city of Oaxaca. It is closest to Tlaxiaco, but not really. You can get there following MEX 125 by private car or on a regional bus from Oaxaca (or you can come with us). The […]