Tag Archives: blouses

Mother’s Day Tidbits + New in the Shop

Mother’s Day, started by social activist Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century to honor her own mother, has now become the second most popular holiday in the United States for gift-giving, following Christmas. Groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War were involved in the early development of the holiday.  Jarvis’ mother was a peace activist who wanted to improve the lives of other mothers. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially made Mother’s Day a national holiday. In 1918, the fledgling Florists Telegraph Delivery group (FTD) began promoting Say it With Flowers, for their Mother’s Day Campaign. They could not keep white carnations, the official Mother’s Day flower, in stock. Hallmark began creating and producing Mother’s Day cards in the early 1920’s. Gift-giving became a central part of Mother’s Day, too, since its inception.

Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May. We have clothing, home goods, jewelry, and rugs in the shop to tickle any mother’s fancy. In fact, you don’t have to be a mother to participate in this celebration. All women deserve to be recognized for our accomplishments and attributes, whether we are married, single, with or without children, or who use another pronoun to distinguish themselves!

We will get anything you choose into the mail ASAP. Just say to your favorite recipient: We are gifting you with something special from Oaxaca Cultural Navigator and it will be arriving soon! And, remember, use your credit card or PayPal — no fees to you when you purchase from the shop.

www.shop.oaxacaculture.com

Just listed, French knot blouses made by Francisca in Amatenango del Valle, Chiapas. Every stitch is impeccably made by hand — there is not one bit of machine stitching in this garment!

Below is an exceptional, rare huipil from Pueblo Mixteco de la Costa. It is difficult to find a back-strap loom woven garment in this village now. It is discontinuous weft, also known as supplementary weft or pick-up weaving. The base cloth is cotton and the intricate designs are woven with synthetic thread.

New Shipment Arrived for Shop Oaxaca Culture: Shop Mother’s Day

Three more very large shipping boxes just arrived from Oaxaca and we’ve just listed their contents on the shop! We are featuring handwoven and densely embroidered huipiles and blusas, rebozos, neck ties and bandanas, handwoven palm baskets, beaded coin purses, and more. These are from the Oaxaca Coast, Chiapas, the Mixteca Alta, and Michoacan.

There are now 81 articles of clothing, 37 items in the home goods section, 13 handwoven wool tapestry rugs, a pair of handwoven cotton draperies, and 19 lovely pieces of jewelry in the shop — over 150 items to choose from. The shop is growing and we sell out quickly, so we hope you will take a look and make your choices. We are happy to combine shipments when we can.

Please measure carefully. All purchases are non-refundable and not-returnable.

www.shop.oaxacaculture.com

Use your credit card or PayPal to purchase. No fees to you! Here are a few of the new items in the shop, many are perfect for spring and summer dressing, comfortable, lightweight linen and cotton. We hope you take a moment to browse the collection.

Shop Open! New Blusas, Baskets, More

We have just returned to the USA from Oaxaca. From January through March we traveled the Costa Chica along the Oaxaca coast, the highlands of Chiapas, Oaxaca’s Mixteca Alta, and the folk art villages around Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan, to source some of the finest clothing and craft. Each of the 123 items in the shop are personally curated by Norma Schafer. Plus, we feature naturally dyed wool tapestry woven rugs made by Oaxaca Cultural Navigator partner Eric Chavez Santiago. Norma and Eric are committed to supporting artisans to encourage them to continue to be makers rather than laborers or migrants. When you make a purchase, you know that your support is going directly to the people who create and innovate. You become a cultural appreciator when you purchase artisan made.

P.S. Mother’s Day is coming up. Gift yourself or give a gift to the favorite woman in your life.

www.shop.oaxacaculture.com

Use your credit card or PayPal to purchase. No fees to you! Here are a few of the new items in the shop, many are perfect for spring and summer dressing, comfortable, lightweight linen and cotton. We hope you take a moment to browse the collection.

Jump Start Summer Blouse Sale: Oaxaca + Chiapas

Stay cool and fresh as spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Preview sale of Oaxaca and Chiapas cotton and linen blouses before we put them in our shop. The shop won’t open back up until mid-April. Buy before March 29 and we will take these back to the USA when we return on April 4. We will mail to you by April 7, just in time to get a jump start on the hot weather.

The workmanship on these blouses is outstanding— impeccable quality, detailed embroidery, most of the pieces are hand finished. Some have extraordinary embroidery joining the seams.

How to Buy: mailto:norma.schafer@icloud.com Tell me the item you want by number. Send me your mailing address. Tell me the payment method you prefer and your phone and email address. Choose either one of two ways. Be sure to measure carefully. There are no returns or refunds. Thank you.

You can pay 1) with a Zelle transfer and no service fee; or with 2) a credit card (4% service fee). For credit card purchases we send an invoice from Square. The request will include the cost of the garment + $16 mailing. If you want more than one piece, I’m happy to combine mailing. I’ll be mailing from Taos, NM, when I return to the USA after April 8, 2024. Thank you very much.

#1. Hand-guided, machine embroidered on cotton, this lovely rose and red blouse is from Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where hot, humid weather means women dress to stay cool, cool, cool. This blouse measures 19″ wide across the front and 21″ long. This is equal to a size Small-Extra Small, but the label is mismarked and indicates a size Medium. The embroidery designs are drawn by hand and the machine embroidery needle is hand-guided, making this a handmade process. Machine wash gentle, hang to dry. Press lightly. Price: $165

#2. Hand embroidered on white window pane linen from the village of Chenalho, about two hours beyond San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. This easy flowing crop top is perfect for summer heat, drapes beautiful and the embroidery is impeccable. Wear with a skirt or slacks and transition from day-time to evening wear. Elegant. Size Large. Measures 29″ wide and 24″ long. Price: $185

#3. Linen blouse with finely detailed embroidery made in the village of Huixtan, Chiapas, is a punch of color with blue, gray, white, and wine colored embroidered flowers on hot red. Notice the detail of the stitching around the neckline, sleeves and down the front. Size Medium. Measures: 25″ wide x 26″ long. Price: $195

#4. Chambray blue and white linen fabric embroidered with detailed cross-stitch makes a perfect pairing with jeans or a denim skirt. The embroidery on the back is equal in detail to the embroidery on the front. Made in Zinacantan, Chiapas. Size Small. Measures: 21″ wide x 25″ long. Price: $295

#5. Snow white linen embellished with finely honed cross-stitches, all made by hand! A subtle, yet impressive blusa for spring and summer wearing. Embroidered in Zinacantan, Chiapas. Stay cool and comfortable in this wash and hang-to-dry beauty. Size Medium. Measures 25″ wide x 26″ long. Price: $295

#6. From Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec where hot, humid weather demands comfortable, light weight cotton, this rust colored blouse is just what you need to get a jump start on spring and summer. It is hand-guided machine embroidered, meaning that it is truly a made-by-hand garment. Size Small-Extra Small. Measures 19″ wide x 21″ long. $165

#7. Coral colored linen with embroidered red and white flowers accent this beautifully made blouse from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. It is a size Medium and measures 24″ wide x 26″ long. This riot of color will lift your summer spirits as the weather turns from mild to hot. Wear it in style and comfort. Price: $185

Life Update and All Things Mexico Spring Clearance

Here in Northern New Mexico the winds are gusting. While some of the early spring wildfires are contained, more are igniting, mostly from lightening strikes. Near Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu a new fire erupted in El Rito, a small mountain community about 30 miles from where I live. Scary stuff. Smoke obliterated the mountains and I had to wear a face mask in the car. The air smelled like a campfire. We are in severe drought conditions and global warming is taking its toll. A couple of weeks ago, an unusual early spring hurricane hit the Oaxaca coast hard. My friends reported lots of devastation. Climate change is wrecking havoc.

Meanwhile, I’m waiting for my small house to be completed on the Rio Grande Gorge. everything is delayed and costs have soared. It was supposed to be May, then amended to the end of June. I’m hoping for this so I can close, get my mortgage and return to Oaxaca in time for the Summer Textile Mountain Tour. Hoping this will happen, though not sure. (We can still register you — there are a few open spaces — register by June 20 and get 10% off!)

Celebrate summer with a colorful hand-embroidered shoulder bag. 9×10” with 42” strap, lined with zipper. Specify by color. Was $56 each. Discounted to $29 each.

I’m still culling my collection and will continue to do so as I prepare for another move. Here are some wonderful pieces to offer to you today.

To Buy: Please send me an email with your name, email address, mailing address and include the Item Number you wish to purchase. We add $14 flat rate to mail and we are happy to combine orders in one shipment. Tell me if you want to pay with a Zelle transfer (no service fee) or use PayPal or Venmo (with a 3% service fee). For PayPal or Venmo, I will send you a request for funds. Thanks very much. -Norma

#1 Las Sanjuaneras blusa. natural dyes, indigo and banana bark. 30” wide x 23” long. $225
SOLD #2 Las Sanjuaneras blusa. Índigo and mahogany. 30” wide x 27” long. $225.
SOLD #3 Tote/weekend bag, indigo and leather, lined, zipper, interior pockets. Wool tapestry hand-woven. $155.
SOLD #4 Coyuchi cotton huipil from Zacoalpan, Guerrero. 28” wide x 37” long. Deeply discounted $295.
#5 From Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca, gorgeous fuchsine huipil, handspun cotton. 31” wide x 46” long. sturdy fabric. $325
#6 Pinotepa de Don Luis blusa dye with gourd and rare purple snail. 29” wide x 29” long $290.
#7 from Cancuc, Chiapas, huipil, dyed with nanche fruit and cochineal. 20” wide x 35” long. $250.
SOLD #8 Xochistlahuaca backstrap loomed shoulder bag Bargain! $65
SOLD #9 Collector’s Huipil from Xochistlahuaca. 30” wide x 45” long Was $875 NOW $475.
#10 Size XL french knot embroidered blouse from Chiapas, spectacular workmanship. Was $145 Now $110.
#11. San Andres Larrainzar blusa. Backstrap loomed. 22-1/2” wide x 25” long. $68
SOLD #13. From the famous Palafox family of San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca Size XL 35” wide x 33” long. cochineal, wild marigold, indigo. sea creature motifs woven into finest handwoven gauze cotton. You get this for what was paid for it. $375
#14. from Chiapas designer Alberto Lopez Gomez, the best quality huipil from the region. Size Medium. You get this for cost! $375
#15. And this one from Alberto Lopez Gomez. size Medium Also at cost $375

COMING UP — JEWELRY!