I’m doing my best these days from my little apartment in Durham, North Carolina, to help promote Oaxaca artisans, primarily those who work in textiles. Today, I am excited to announce that I am representing the work from the natural dye studio Taller Teñido a Mano located in downtown Oaxaca city.
See below for photos and prices:
3 beautiful designer wool rugs, tapestries for floor or wall (ONE LEFT)
10 indigo-dyed face masks, size medium (SOLD OUT)
3 canvas and leather market bags, sturdy, lined, gorgeous
SOLD. Last One: Buy it NOW for $12 plus $6 mailing. SOLD OUT!SOLD. #1: Indigo, cochineal, wild marigold, natural grey sheep wool, 23″w x 36-1/2″L, $295
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 per package for cost of mailing. Please be sure to select Send Money to Family and Friends!
The studio creates textiles using only natural dyes from local sources: indigo, wild marigold, mahogany bark, pomegranate, cochineal, and more. Color variations are also achieved using overdyes. For example, green tones come from dipping in a wild marigold dye bath and then again in an indigo dye bath. Gray tones are achieved when the dyer uses a cast iron pot which creates a ferrous oxide chemical reaction.
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 for cost of mailing. Please be sure to select Send Money to Family and Friends!
THREE CANVAS MARKET BAGS WITH LEATHER
3 Sturdy Canvas Market Bags, Lined, Natural Dyes with Leather
There are so many uses for these sturdy, beautiful canvas and leather bags: market, beach, go-anywhere tote. Even use it as an overnight bag. These are beautifully crafted with excellent finish work. The solid leather handles are attached with brass grommets. The lining has two inside pockets, one with a zipper. The outside pouch is leather and is big enough to hold a cell phone. An elegant, practical shopping bag. Double straps are 28″ long — long enough to sling over your shoulder comfortably.
The studio also dyes cotton threads and hand-spun wool yarn that they sell to knitters and weavers. All pieces are unique and one-of-a-kind. Because of their handmade quality, there is variegation in the dyes and some imperfections.
#4: Mahogany-dyed canvas, leather pocket and base. 20″ w x 19″ h. $225#5 (L) 18×20, pomegranate in iron oxide pot, with pomegranate/indigo over-dye base. #6 (R) is also 18×20, pomegranate in iron oxide pot, with wild marigold base. $195 each. Each bag is lined, with two inside pouches, one with zipper
INDIGO-DYED FACE MASKS
Indigo-dyed face masks, $15 each. 2 left. Canvas, indigo dyed, face mask, $15 each
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 for cost of mailing. Please be sure to select Send Money to Family and Friends!
Beautifully sewn face masks with solid blue lining
We have a no returns/no refunds policy. Thank you for understanding. All proceeds are sent immediately and directly to artisans.
We have curated this POP-UP, one-morning-only EXPOventa with the Best of the Best textile artisans we know plus ONE GREAT filigree silversmith who is usually hidden away in his studio in the LaNoria neighborhood of downtown Oaxaca. Please share. Tell your friends. Don’t miss it! Cash sales.
We are winding up our whirlwind Oaxaca City and Villages Folk Art Tour and scheduled this EXPOventa for our travelers. Eric and I want to open it up to the public to give these deserving artisans a chance to show off what they make. Meet the makers. Support the artisans directly. All proceeds go directly to them!
The 18th annual Feria Maestros del Arte happened last weekend at Lake Chapala, Jalisco, about 40-minutes from Guadalajara. I had never been before and I decided it was time! Plus, it gave me a chance to spend some time with friends Chris and Ben, who moved to Ajijic from North Carolina last year.
Estela Montaño with natural dyed wool pillow cover
Maria de Lourdes and son Isaac from Teotitlan del Valle
And, there was another good friend, flying shuttle loom weaver Alfredo Hernandez Orozco with his son Yaolt, who make extraordinary cotton cloth home goods and clothing. Their workshop is in El Tule.
Yaolt and his dad, Alfredo, accomplished fly shuttle loom weavers
There were other Oaxaca artisans whose work I know and respect: alebrijes makers, ceramic artists and sculptors, basket weavers, and some very fine clothing weavers from remote areas of the Oaxaca coast and Mixe regions. Many of these are included on our Oaxaca Discovery Tour coming up at the end of January 2020 (yes, a few spaces are available).
Fine, back-strap loomed cotton blusa, San Juan Cotzocon
Juan Toribio from San Juan Cotzocon, whose work I wear with pleasure
An added bonus of going to the Fair was participating in events hosted by Los Amigos del Arte Popular. This is a non-profit group that supports Mexican folk art. They are appreciators and collectors, and do a lot to underwrite this Feria and provide scholarships for artisans to travel here.
Sally, Chris, Mariann, Norma, Ellen
I also had a chance to connect with friends Mariann who moved to Ajijic from Philadelphia, friend Ellen who comes to Oaxaca every winter, her sister Sally, and locals Elizabeth and Greg who live in Chapala. I also bumped into David and Barbara from San Diego, too.
Meat lovers’ paradise, ribs at Gosha’s, Ajijic, JaliscoLake Chapala from the Fair grounds
Unlike the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe that covers the world, this Fair reunites those of us with Mexico-LOVE. While I’m most happy living in Oaxaca, coming to the shores of Lake Chapala is a refreshing change of pace and a great party all the way around. I had to come home to rest!
A collector’s nicheOtomi embroidered wall hanging adds drama to bedroomPapier-maché Virgin from developmentally challenged Chapala school for women (R) Michoacan potter Guadalupe Garcia Rios in traditional Purepecha dress
Japan Textile Study Tour, November 6 – 19, 2020, 12 nights, 13 days, start in Kyoto and end in Tokyo — SOLD OUT. Get on the waiting list.
We take you on a textile adventure of a lifetime to the land of the Rising Sun. Japanese style elevates textiles to a fine art form. We go deep into the culture of hand-weaving and indigo dyeing, high fashion and simple garment construction, venturing into old mercantile shops, contemporary design studios and temple markets to discover how cloth defines a people. Along the way, we discover historical sites, eat traditional foods that have ceremonial significance, visit museums and immerse ourselves into a modern Japan that is underpinned with ancient tradition.
Geisha life on the streets of Gion, Kyoto
Japan is an amalgam of ancient craft wisdom that is translated into art as a metaphor for life – from pottery to textiles to knife-making to humble and refined cuisine to garden landscape. We visit craftsmen who were provisioners to emperors. Throughout our travels, we touch on the philosophy that girds the culture – aesthetic sensibility, wabi-sabi (perfection in imperfection), and iki (simplicity, originality, sophistication, spontaneity, refinement).
Vintage indigo stamped cloth, Kyoto antique textile shopBolts of beautiful cloth, Nuno Works, Tokyo
You will travel with Norma Schafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC director, writer, producer and photographer. Our co-leader is Nathan Somers, textile artist, collector, indigo dyer and historian. You will visit many sites Norma and Nathan know from personal and professional experience.
Vintage indigo textile samples
This is a hands-on, slow-savor, deep cultural immersion travel experience for up to 10 active textile lovers.
Our itinerary concentrates on the textile culture
of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, and Tokyo, once known as Edo, where day-glow
neon and phantasmagorical skyscrapers cast a futuristic glow over the old
Tokugawa Shogunate.
Vintage Boro patchwork textiles using sashiko stitching
In Kyoto and Tokyo, we will navigate the city and reach our local destinations using outstanding public transportation – faster and more reliable than private services. Bus and Metro service is punctual, frequent, safe and reliable. This gives us an opportunity to travel with the locals and familiarize ourselves with neighborhoods and the ease of travel in Japan. We have engaged locals to help us navigate and translate this fascinating culture.
Indigo dye vats where the plant ferments
Who goes on the Textile Study Tour to Japan? Artists, makers, educators, life-long learners, writers, textile
lovers, historians, photographers and those wanting to learn more about Japan, weaving
and natural dyeing there.
Preliminary Itinerary
F-11/6: Depart your home city and travel to Kyoto, Japan
Sa-11/7: Arrive Kyoto in late afternoon. If you are up to it, join us in the hotel lobby to meet up for an optional group dinner (cost is OYO)
Su-11/8: Meet at 1 PM for a Welcome Lunch, stroll the Imperial Palace, visit a traditional miso shop and confectionary maker (B, L)
In Gion, Kyoto, naturally dyed silk, linen and cotton — persimmon and cochinealSatoshi holding court at his Tokyo izakaya
M-11/9: After breakfast, we will set out to explore the Nishiki Market, meandering the famed fish and food stalls, have lunch, then stroll Teramachi Street where we will visit vintage textile galleries, then transition to the Geisha neighborhood of Gion for more! (B, L) Dinner OYO
Street food at a temple market, KyotoTime and space for meditative moments
Tu-11/10: Shibori Workshop and Shibori Museum. Hands-on session to make your own shibori-designed textile with indigo dye. (B, L)
W-11/11: Our focus today is on the old weaving center of Kyoto with a visit to Nishijin Textile Center and several shops that dye and make indigo garments. Afternoon OYO (B, L)
Arashiyama river scene, KyotoIn the Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Th-11/12: It’s important to have choices! Take the day to create your own itinerary or come with us to visit Arashiyama where we will stroll the famed Bamboo Forest. You have the option to take a rickshaw ride and meander sacred temples in this more rural Kyoto neighborhood, with optional and traditional keiseki multi-course lunch (B)
Norma’s boro and sashiko project — in progress
F-11/13: Travel to Kawaguchi Lake and stay overnight in guest house/lodge. (B, D)
Geisha in training at the Bamboo Forest
Sa-11/14: Visit the workshop studio of an indigo dyer in a small Japanese mountain village for a demonstration, to see her collection and shop. Take afternoon train to Tokyo. Check into our hotel. (B, L)
Buddhist monk stamps a Goshuin with a calligraphy messageSilk, hemp, linen and cotton shawls with natural dyes
Su-11/15: Attend two major Temple Markets — Takahata Market and Oedo International Forum — where you will find old kimono, pieces of vintage cloth including silks, natural dyes and hand-weaving, vintage collectibles such as ceramics, carved wood, figurines, jewelry, art and much more. (B)
Temple altar with prayers and incense
M-11/16: We set you loose in Ginza — high fashion center of Japan — for Department Store Shopping and to explore the Basement Food Courts. Department stores feature unparalleled designer boutiques and food treasures. If you prefer, you might like to go to Nuno Works in Roppongi and peek into the upmarket world of Akasaka boutiques. (B)
Bolt of vintage indigo-dyed cotton cloth, once intended to become a kimono
Tu-11/17: Tsukiji Market Meander. We love markets and the most famed in Japan is Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market where we will get to early in the morning to take in splendid company of super-fresh oysters the size of fists, sushi and sashimi bites, sake sips, and crispy tempura rolls. Then we are off to Nippori Fabric Town to shop for yardage, with a stop at Kata-Kata or Gallery Kawano (B, L)
W-11/18: After breakfast, Yu Design Studio show and sale. They are a new, innovative design studio working in hand-woven cotton, silk and hemp with indigo dyes. Then, set out on your own to chart your own course. You might like to visit the Imperial Palace, the National Museum or retrace steps to go back for a treasure that passed you by. We will meet again for our grand finale dinner to say our goodbyes. Dinner (B, D)
Th-11/19 Tour ends and participants depart (B)
*Travel Note: You can arrive to Osaka Kansai International Airport which is 40 minutes from Kyoto and depart from Tokyo Narita Airport. You might also find more favorable airfares flying to/from Tokyo. Check www.skyscanner.com for schedules and airfares. If you fly to Tokyo, you will take the Shinkansen bullet train (2 hours, 15 minutes) to Kyoto to meet up with the group on November 6. Rail tickets can be purchased in advance online. We will send more detailed information to the group after our travel cohort is formed. You can choose to arrive earlier or stay later at your own expense.
Norma Schafer is director of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, writer, blogger, photographer and food aficionado. Her love of indigo has taken her to Mexico, India and Japan to explore the culture of weaving and natural dyes. On this return visit to Japan, she takes you to her favorite textile haunts to meet makers and collectors.
Vintage peasant coat, indigo with sashiko stitching, sourced in Kyoto
Nathan Somers is an educator, textile artist and vintage Japanese fabric collector who lives in Durham, NC. Nathan teaches indigo resist throughout the southeast United States, and making guest presentations at spinning an weavers’ guilds. His primary area of study is Japanese textile traditions.
Nathan Somers with a textile from his collection, found at a temple market
In 2016, Nathan was the subject of a Japanese
television show that came to Durham to film his collection. The producers then tansported
him to the Island of Amami Oshima, Japan, to study with an indigo dyer.
How did it all begin for Nathan?
In 2007, Nathan found himself rummaging through a
box of Japanese textile scraps at a Portland, Oregon, antique sale. The fabric,
with its hand spun threads, uneven selvedges, complex patterns, and deep indigo
inspired him, but at the time he didn’t understand the techniques that had been
used to make the textiles.
Hand-spun, hand-woven Japanese cloth, textural beauty
Nathan began to study all he could about how these
fabrics were produced and what their designs were meant to convey. Nathan’s
textile collection comes from Japan’s temple and shrine markets and through
contacts with dealers. The collection spans the late Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912)
periods. He focuses on Tsutsugami (freehand paste resist), Katazome (stencil
paste resist), Sashiko (mending or reinforcing stitch), Zanshi (waste thread
fabrics) and Boro, (repeatedly mended and patched textiles). These textiles
heavily inspired Nathan’s own work, which focuses on the Katazome stencil paste
resist technique.
Fresh grilled octopus — skewered for eating while strolling
In
the years since first finding that box of fabric scraps, Nathan has researched traditional
Japanese fabrics to best understand their production and design. He has traveled
to China and Japan to deepen his knowledge about dyeing and weaving. Nathan
experiments extensively, grows cotton in his home garden that he weaves and
dyes, and also works with foraged fibers like Kudzu, wisteria and hemp – all essential
parts of fabric production in Old Japan.
Nathan is an outstanding resource to guide us on this textile adventure, explaining dyeing, weaving and design processes as we travel, helping us to identify cloth origins, quality and value.
What is included?
A total of 12 nights accommodation
12 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 dinners as outlined in the
itinerary
Hands-on indigo dye workshop
Textile fabric shopping – vintage and
new
Natural dye, weaving and stitching
demonstrations
Market and gallery tours that
encompass textiles, food, culture
Visits to cultural and historic sites
Shinkansen Bullet Train tickets or
luxury van transportation from Kyoto to Tokyo
Intra-city metro and bus tickets
Entry fees to museums and galleries
as part of the itinerary
Comprehensive pre-trip planning guide
Knowledgeable tour leaders – Norma
and Nathan
Shark skin wasabi grater, of course
What Nathan says:
I am so excited to have this opportunity to
co-lead this tour. Japan is an
amazing country and regardless of where you travel you have a strong connection
to the past and to the Japanese concepts of mottainai (make the best of what you have) and wabi sabi (beauty through imperfection). I am excited to share with others my
love and appreciation of Japan and its traditional textiles. The beauty and
simplicity of the fabric is plain to see, but by learning about the complex way
in which they are made offers a greater appreciation for the intricacies and
aesthetics of this textile tradition.
We reserve the right to
substitute instructors and alter the program as needed.
Cost • $6,495 per person double room with private bath (sleeps 2) in top-rated accommodations • add $985 for a single supplement
Hand-woven ikat with indigo dye
Reservations and Cancellations. We accept payment using online e-commerce only. If for any reason, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC cancels the tour, a full-refund will be made.
We will send you an itemized
invoice when you tell us you are ready to register. If you cancel on or before August
22, 2020, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date (less the $750
non-refundable deposit). After August 22, 2020, there are no refunds.
If you register after December 22, 2019 and before March 22, 2020, you will owe 1/4 of the balance due. If you register after March 22 and before May 22, you will owe 1/2 of the balance due. If you register after May 22 and before August 22, you will owe ¾ of the balance due. If you register after August 22, you will owe 100% of the balance due.
Old Japan is still very much present and alive
How to Register: Complete the Registration Form. Email it to norma.schafer@icloud.com
Who Should Attend:
Artists, makers, educators, life-long learners, writers, photographers, textile
lovers, historians and those wanting to learn more about Japanese art,
textiles, culture and history. If you love First World Exotic
Travel and the inspiration of the best of Asia influences, this trip is for
you.
Selection of sake at a Tsukiji market tasting stand
Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance:
We require that you carry international accident/health insurance that includes
$50,000+ of emergency medical evacuation insurance. Proof of insurance must be
sent at least 45 days
before departure.
In addition, we will send you
by email a PDF of a witnessed waiver of responsibility, holding harmless Norma
Schafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We ask that you return this to us by
email 45 days before departure. Unforeseen circumstances happen!
Chef’s choice — this array of dinner selection is not unusual
Reservations and Cancellations.
We accept online e-commerce payments only. We will send you an itemized invoice
when you tell us you are ready to register. All documentation for plane
reservations, required travel insurance, and personal health issues must be
received 45 days before the program start or we reserve the right to cancel
your registration without reimbursement.
Fitness Level – Moderate Terrain, Walking and Group Courtesy: Tour participants must be able to walk two miles, board buses and trains, carry their own luggage unaided, and navigate uneven surfaces including stairs. We may walk more on some days. We recommend you bring a walking stick if you need something to lean on! If you have mobility issues or health/breathing impediments, please consider that this may not be the study tour for you.
Traveling with a small group has its advantages and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedule. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own if you wish.
Thursday parade features Mexican delegation with Teotitlan weaver Isaac Vasquez
The 2019 International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has come to an end. The three-day extravaganza is a chaotic mix of tribal, ethnic, indigenous creativity from around the world. It brings together many talented artisans who have no other paths to reach international markets.
Santa Fe is a destination for many reasons. This is where friends from all over the country converge to volunteer, too. A group of us planned a reunion around being here. We coordinated our volunteer time. We stayed at the same, small, old Route 66 motel that has been in service since the 1950’s. I imagine my dad may have stayed there as he pulled a trailer with all our family household belongings behind our 1953 Plymouth station wagon on the journey west from Detroit to resettle in Los Angeles.
Don Jose Garcia Antonio is blind, feels his way to sculpt Oaxaca life
The market officially begins on Friday night with a special opening night preview at $250 per person admission. I always volunteer, so I get to watch the passing parade of Texas and Oklahoma oil and gas heiresses and collectors dressed in their finest attire. It’s a cocktail party that goes from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. The ticket gives one first pick. I volunteered with Santa Fe de Laguna, Patzcuaro, potter Nicolas Fabian Fermin, and I packed up lots of beautiful pots that night.
Weaver Pedro Mendoza, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, at Banamex Foundation booth
The frenzy continued on Saturday morning when the Early Birders got in at 7:30 a.m. After the late night on Friday of bubble-wrapping ceramics, I just couldn’t get going to get there before 10 a.m. when the event opened to general admission. With hundreds of artisans and thousands of people, it was a crush to get through the aisles to see all that was offered at this huge bazaar.
That didn’t give me much time to cover more than a fraction of the aisles, since I was meeting friends Jennifer and Mark Brinitzer, Ann Brinitzer and Katie and Don Laughland for an early lunch in the cafe. The women came with me on our 2019 Chiapas Textile Study Tour (a few places open for 2020) and we became fast friends.
Remigio Mestas is noted conservator of finest Oaxaca textiles, at Banamex Foundation
It was thrilling and heartfelt to see so many artisans I know from Oaxaca represented at this outstanding exposition. It takes years of making highest quality work to gain this level of recognition, plus it takes entrepreneurship and some luck to gain entry to this juried show.
Amada Sanchez, Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca, master weaver and dyer
It’s very expensive for artisans to participate, too. They must cover their own shipping, travel, lodging and food expenses and they give 20% of their sales to the IFAM organization for the opportunity to sell.
Weaver Porfirio Gutierrez Contreras and dye-master sister Juana, Teotitlan del Valle, OaxacaClient wears fuschine-dyed huipil, Dreamweavers Cooperative, Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca
If they are part of a cooperative with many makers, the profits must be divided. As with the case of Dreamweavers Cooperative from Pinotepa de Don Luis, there were three representatives at the Folk Art Market — Amada, Teofila and Patrice. Patrice did a fundraiser and collected over $4,000 USD to cover some of the expenses. And, they had excellent sales. However, the net gets divided among 30 weavers and dyers, so each person might earn only a few hundred dollars.
Selvedge Magazine Latin Issue co-editor Marcella Echeverria, Mexico City
For individual artisans and families, the profits are much better but ONLY IF there are sales. If it is a slow year, there is an opportunity to sell at a discount (the artisan names the percentage) on Sunday afternoon, the last day of the show. Brisk sales one year does not guarantee success for the next. The risk is entirely on the shoulders of the artisan.
Odilon Merino Morales shows an exquisite hand-woven San Pedro Amuzgo, Oaxaca huipil,
Odilon Merino Morales from San Pedro Amuzgo on the Costa Chica of Oaxaca, Mexico, consigns what he doesn’t sell with Sheri Brautigam who runs the online Etsy shop, Living Textiles of Mexico. If you didn’t get to the show and want one of these incredible textiles, please contact Sheri. She also has pieces from Pinotepa de Don Luis’ Dreamweavers Cooperative.
Master weaver Isaac Vasquez, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
The benefit of doing this is that the artisans do not need to pay the return shipping for unsold goods and it leaves the beautiful pieces in the USA for better access to those of you who missed the show and want to make a purchase.
Patrice Perillie, Amada Sanchez and Norma Schafer in our huipiles
I volunteered on Saturday afternoon from noon to 6:00 p.m. with the Dreamweavers Cooperative. I know these women well since I lead study tours to their remote village on Oaxaca’s Costa Chica.
The IFAM show is a destination and an adventure. Since I know many of the artisans, it is a special and heart-throbbing experience to meet them outside their humble homes and villages in the world of commerce. For some, this is their first visit to the USA. Their first flight on an airplane. Their first success at getting a visa to enter the USA and overcome the fears of border crossing and disrespect.
Hand-woven native green Oaxaca cotton, purple snail dye, indigo, cochineal
This is the moment to applaud what Oaxaca artisans have accomplished. There are so many more talented people whose work goes unrecognized and unrewarded. For those of us who love Mexico and appreciate the talent, history, culture and art, the process of bringing accomplished artisans to the world marketplace is an on-going effort.
Thanks to all who support and applaud what they do.
My pal Winn, volunteer extraordinaire, writing up a sales slip
In the vast New Mexico landscape, one can disappear, rediscover Georgia O’Keefe, experience Nuevo Mexico, land of enchantment, understand the history and artisanry of nearby Native Americans who live along the Rio Grand River. It is hot, dry, high desert with the kind of beauty that brings the romance of the Old West into one’s spirit.
View from Abiquiu, New Mexico
Look at the rain over purple hills, fields of sage and lavender, the dry withered look of dehydration — plants and people, wrinkles in the earth and on weathered faces. I imagine what it would be like to be an indigenous person here, too. I know the Oaxaca story well. There are many similarities — both experienced the Conquest, the attempt at culture annihilation, and the resurgence of identity amidst the face of adversity and hardship.
Again, let’s applaud the talent of our First Peoples.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are designed as learning experiences, and as such we talk with weavers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them in their designs, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. Our interest is in creating connection and artisan economic development.
Why We Left, Expat Anthology: Norma’s Personal Essay
Norma contributes personal essay, How Oaxaca Became Home
Norma Contributes Two Chapters!
Click image to order yours!
Norma Schafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university program development experience. See my resume.
Study Toursd are personally curated and introduce you to Mexico's greatest artisans. They are off-the-beaten path, internationally recognized. We give you access to where people live and work. Yes, it is safe and secure to travel. Groups are limited in size for the most personal experience.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Designers, retailers, wholesalers, universities and other organizations come to us to develop weaving relationships, customized itineraries, study abroad programs, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Select Clients
*Selvedge Magazine-London, UK
*Esprit Travel and Tours
*Penland School of Crafts
*North Carolina State University
*WARP Weave a Real Peace
*Methodist University
*MINNA-Goods
*Smockingbird Kids
We offer textile experiences in our studio where we weave and work only in natural dyes.You can see the process during our textile tours, dye workshops or customized weaving experiences. Ask us for more information about these experiences, customized scheduling, and prices.
One-Day Custom Tours: Tell Us When You Want to Go!
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
When you visit Oaxaca immerse yourself in our textile culture: How is indigenous clothing made, what is the best value, most economical, finest available. Suitable for adults only. Set your own dates.
1-Day OaxacaCity Collectors Textile Tour.Exclusive Access! We take you into the homes and workshops of Oaxaca State's prize-winning weavers. They come from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Mixteca, Mixe, Amuzgos and Triqui areas and represent their weaving families and cooperatives here. For collectors, retailers, buyers, wholesalers, fashionistas.
February 21-March 1, 2023: Chiapas Textile Study Tour--Deep Into the Maya World Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, we travel to distant pueblos to meet extraordinary back strap loom weavers --Best of the Best! SOLD OUT
October 27, 2023: Day of the Dead Ocotlan Highway Tour. It’s Market Day! The biggest of the year. See special altar food and decor, visit artisans, explore culture, eat at a traditional open air cocina de humo (grill kitchen).
October 29, 2023: Teotitlan del Valle Altars and Studio Visits to natural dye and weaving artisans who invite you to their altar rooms to share family traditions. Meet a traditional beeswax candlemaker. Eat mole and mezcal in a local family comedor.
Go on all 3 Day of the Dead Tours -- Get a 10% Discount
2024 Tours Go Deep, Not Wide
January 13-21, 2024: Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour. Very popular! Get your deposit in to reserve. For intrepid travelers. Visit 7 back-strap loom weavers. Explore the culture of cloth and community. SIX SPACES OPEN!
Stay Healthy. Stay Safe. In Oaxaca, wear your mask. Questions? Want TO REGISTER or more info? Send an email to Norma Schafer.
Maps: Teotitlan + Tlacolula Market
We require 48-hour advance notice for map orders to be processed. We send a printable map via email PDF after your order is received. Please be sure to send your email address. Where to see natural dyed rugs in Teotitlan del Valle and layout of the Sunday Tlacolula Market, with favorite eating, shopping, ATMs. Click Here to Buy Map After you click, be sure to check PayPal to ensure your email address isn't hidden from us. We fulfill each map order personally. It is not automatic.
Dye Master Dolores Santiago Arrellanas with son Omar Chavez Santiago, weaver and dyer, Fey y Lola Rugs, Teotitlan del Valle
