Tag Archives: shop

Shop Open: French Knots Embroidered Blouses from Chiapas

Thank you everyone who supported Francisca. I’m putting in another order soon. We have ONE blouse left — this one:

Last One: Size XS/S — 10″ across bodice, 22″ armpit to armpit, 18″ sleeves. $120

Here is a selection of 8 beautiful hand-embroidered blouses from Aguacatenango, Chiapas. The village is about an hour-and-a-half from San Cristobal de Las Casas. It is situated in a fertile valley where farmers grow corn and women embroider. All the women embroider! The climate is hotter and more humid than in the highlands, so the clothing is lighter weight.

SOLD. #7 Red, Size M, A-12″ B-26″ C-28″ — $120
How to Measure for Fit — measurements in inches
#8 and #9 (TWO for sale), Size XS/S, A-10″ B-21″ C-24″ Sleeve 18″ — $120

There are no sewing machines there. The hand-sewing on these particular today garments is impeccable with finely finished seams. For me, it is important to look at workmanship from the inside out! That means examining the seams for the finish work to make certain there are no rough edges that will unravel after a few washings!

SOLD. #6 Dark Blue, Size M/L, A-12.5″ B-26″ C-27″ — $120
SOLD. #5 Beige, Size L, A-13.5″ B-27.5″ C-27.5″ — $120

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!

#3 Baby Blue, Size L, A-13.5″ B-26″ C-27″ — $120
#2 Khaki Green, Size M, A-12″ B-26″ C-27.5″ — $120

Our featured artisan today is Francisca. I met her some years ago when I brought our Chiapas textile tour to the village. Our group exited the van and gathered at the big tree in the church courtyard. Within minutes we were surrounded by twenty women offering us embroidered blouses for sale. Francisca’s were far and away the best!

SOLD. #1, Black, Size M, A-12″ B-26″ C-27.5″ — $95
(slight discoloration at bodice tucks from washing)

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!

She invited us to her home, a one-room, concrete block cabin outfitted with table, chairs, two beds, and bags of dried corn in storage. We regrouped on the patio where she gave us an embroidery demonstration and showed us her beautiful blouses. We were blown away by the French knots!

How to Measure for Fit — measurements in inches

A few weeks ago, I contacted Francisca and asked if she could make and send some blouses. This is a custom order, so I specified that I wanted solid-color bodices, all French Knots on 100% cotton cloth we call manta. So many in Mexico are struggling now, and I knew she and her family were no exception. I wanted to give her meaningful, rewarding work.

All hand finished — without a sewing machine

Care Instructions: To wash, turn inside out. Wash by hand or in machine using a delicate setting, in cold water with a mild soap like Fels Naptha. Do not use Woolite. Hang to dry. Press with a steam iron on medium heat.

Pretty amazing workmanship

Bring Mexico to Life: Shop Dresses, Tops, Aprons +

We need color in our lives right now. I dress up for Zoom and FaceTime calls. It feels good to wear something special and put on a little lipstick! When I go out to walk or to the market (always with mask and social distancing), I put on a colorful Mexican top or dress. Today, I’m meeting a friend for a picnic (six-to-eight feet distance) on a blanket at the North Carolina Museum of Art sculpture park. We then walk in the fresh air along the trails, mindful of others. I’ll wear one of my Oaxaca pieces today, too.

I have listed 23 items from my collection for sale. In addition to clothing, the selection includes napkins, woven bags, coin purses, tea towels.

To Buy: Send me an email to norma.schafer@icloud.com with your name, address, and item number. I will send you a PayPal invoice to pay with credit card. Once I receive your funds, I will mail via USPS to anywhere in the USA.  I will add on $12 for mailing to the invoice. Thank you VERY much.


#1. Jamiltepec, Oaxaca, blouse, back-strap loom + embroidered, size M, $55
SOLD. #2. Tlacolula-style apron, M-L, $45
SOLD. #3. San Bartolome Ayautla, Oaxaca, embroidered cotton blouse by Anacleta, M, $225
#4. Chenalho, Chiapas finest cotton embroidered blouse, $75
#5. Hot Pink Fancy Apron, size M-L, $85
#6. Bag L-6 and Bag R-6, $35 each, back-strap loom, Zinacantan, Chiapas
SOLD. #7. Fancy apron, San Miguel del Valle, embroidered, M-L, $85
#7. Apron, pocket detail
#8. Cotton tea towels/napkins, set of 2, $23
SOLD. #9. Dreamweavers Tixinda, blouse, indigo, cochineal, coyuchi, L-XL $250
#10. Elaborate Oaxaca Apron, Size M-L, embroidered, San Miguel del Valle, $125
#11. Indigo shoulder bag, hand-loomed, Chiapas, $45
#12. Chenalho, Chiapas embroidered blouse, fine cotton, M-L, $75
SOLD. #13. Tenejapa, Chiapas, back-strap loomed collector piece, $285 USD
#14. Handwoven, natural dyed wild marigold bag, Chiapas, $45
#15. Pom-Pom Capelet, wool and cotton, Chiapas, $125
#16. San Andres Larrainzar Chiapas cotton blouse, backstrap loom, M-L, $75
SOLD. #17. Set/6 handwoven cotton napkins w/macrame fringe, $60
SOLD. #18. Chiapas finest gauze blouse, with 3/4 sleeves, French knots, M-L, $55
#19. Chiapas woven coin purse w/zipper, your choice, $12 each
SOLD. #20. Chiapas gauze blouse, French knots, embroidered, 3/4 sleeve, M-L, $48
#20. Bodice, French knots detail
#21. Dreamweavers Txinda, Pinotepa de Don Luis, size L-XL, fine huipil, silk dyed w/rare purple snail caracol purpura, backstrap loom finely woven, $245
#22. Birds and Flowers, best embroidery on cotton by Anacleta, $165
#22, inside needlework — amazing, outstanding
SOLD. #23. Embroidered Apron, Teotitlan del Valle style, size M, $35

15 Pieces: Mixed Mexican Jewelry For Sale

I’m getting ready to return to Oaxaca next week with a stopover in Mexico City to lead the Art History Tour focusing on the work of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, plus the other noted early 20th century Mexican muralists. (Want to hop down? One space open!)

Before I leave the USA, I usually go through my collection to review what I want to part with. The 15-piece selection is below. Look carefully!

To Buy: Send me an email to norma.schafer@icloud.com with your name, address, and item number. I will send you an invoice to pay with credit card. Once I receive your funds, I will mail via USPS to anywhere in the USA. Prices include mailing cost. Please buy and pay before Sunday, October 13, 2019. I return to Mexico on October 16. Thank you VERY much.

#1 Oaxaca Sterling Silver Yalalag Cross with Virgin of Juquila milagros

This is a one-of-a-kind completely handmade necklace, with handmade hollow silver beads and cast milagros in the image of the Virgin of Juquila, a venerated icon. You’ll never see anything like this again. When clasped, it hangs 20-inches. There are 15 milagros, including the three on the suspended cross. Two additional milagros make up the secure hook clasp. This is a collector’s piece. Price is $995. USD including mailing to anywhere in the USA. (Half the price of Federico with more silver.)

Oaxaca Filigree Dangle Earrings, left is #L-2A and right is #R-2B

These are famed Oaxaca filigree dangle earrings made by the best artisan silversmith I know. The ones on the left are called Muñecas and have a deep ruby red glass center to accent the sterling silver and pearls. The pair on the right are also an impressive statement piece, pearl and sterling with more of the filigree featured. Each pair has a 2-1/2″ drop from where the wire enters the earlobe, and is $245 each (includes mailing to anywhere in the USA).

Don’t like a price? Make me a reasonable offer!

SOLD. #3 Vintage Coral and Sterling Silver Oaxaca Milagro Necklace
Detail #3, all milagros are hand-cast sterling silver

#3 is an outstanding necklace, 22″ long, that I found at an out-of-the-way Oaxaca vintage antique shop. It was too beautiful to pass up and I added it to my collection. Now it’s time for a new home! $595 includes mailing to anywhere in USA.

Left earrings #4. Right top bangle #5. Vintage bubble bracelet #6.

#4 are among the last pairs of earrings I have made Brigitte Huet, who worked in Oaxaca for 20+ years before she returned to France in 2015. They are formed using the lost wax casting technique, and are 2″ long. $145 USD includes mailing to anywhere in the USA.

#5 is a sterling silver Mexican bubble bangle is made in Taxco, Guerrero. I’m very picky about quality, and this one is the best. 6″ interior diameter opening. Measure your wrist! $165 includes mailing to anywhere in the USA.

#6 is a rare vintage sterling silver Mexican bubble bracelet with native turquoise and hook clasp made in Taxco, Guerrero. It is in very good condition and measures 7-1/4″ long. $185 USD includes mailing to anywhere in the USA.

Don’t like a price? Make me a reasonable offer.

#7 purple earrings. #8 yellow earrings. #9 hot pink earrings.

#7, #8, and #9 are jicara gourd, hand-carved and painted, made in Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca, Mexico. I hand-select each pair for design quality and workmanship excellence. 2-1/2 to 3″ long. Lightweight, versatile, easy to wear. $45 each includes mailing to anywhere in USA. Please specify color and number when ordering. Thank you.

Earrings: #10 love birds. #11 circle flowers. #12 Maya Gods Pendant. #13 cornflowers.
#12 detail, sterling silver Brigitte Huet Maya Gods Pendant, 1″w x 1-1/2″ long, $185

#12. This is a rare Brigitte Huet sterling silver pendant made in the lost wax casting technique. It is from her earliest collection. Price includes mailing to anywhere in USA.

#10 love birds, sterling silver, coral and garnet, $175 USD

#10 are made by the Mazahua silversmiths of Estado de Mexico. I bought these in Mexico City. Difficult to find now. 3″ long from where wire enters earlobe to end of coral drop. Will mail free to anywhere in USA.

Don’t like a price? Make me a reasonable offer.

#11 top and #13 bottom, Melesio Rodriquez 950 sterling earrings

These are 950 sterling silver made by fine Mexican jeweler Melesio Rodriguez. They are each 1-1/4″ long. The design is derived from vintage 1950’s Taxco silversmithing. $165 each pair. Includes mailing to anywhere in USA. Please specify which pair you want by number.

#14 sterling silver Brigitte Huet bracelet with toggle clasp, 7-1/2″ long, $395
Inside detail #14 Brigitte Huet sterling silver bracelet with her mark

#14 was purchased around 2007 from Brigitte when she was working in Oaxaca using the lost wax casting technique. Her fine work was collected by travelers and residents alike. Rare to still find a piece like this. The iconography is Maya representing the huipil woven designs of noblewomen. $435 USD includes mailing to anywhere in the USA.

SOLD. #15 vintage Lake Patzcuaro fish necklace, 17″ long

#15 was bought in Patzcuaro, Michoacan in the early 1990’s. Rare. The fish is the iconic symbol of the region. Handmade silver beads and chain add interest along with the red beans from which the fish are suspended. Whimsical, beautiful, strong and secure with a hook clasp. $295 includes mailing to anywhere in the USA.

Inside Out: Primer to Buying Mexico Handmade Clothing — Quality Tips

On Friday, I took a 40-minute trip with my friend Laurita to Magdalena Teitepac in the foothills on the other side of the Carretera Nacional Mexico 190 (aka Panamerican Highway) for the purposes of textile shopping, always my favorite past-time.

Magdalena Teitipac church next to the municipal building

The Zapotec village is beyond San Juan Guelavia, the basket-making village. A group of entrepreneurial Magdalena women who do needlework staged this First Annual Embroidery and Weaving Fair, promoted with a banner hanging from the highway overpass. Laurita spotted it coming home one day.

Can you tell if this beautiful embroidery is hand- or machine-stitched?

Spaces Open: Chiapas Textile Study Tour 

  • Study Tour 1 — February 13-22, 2018
  • Study Tour 2 — February 27-March 8, 2018

The visit got me thinking about quality variations in clothing that is sewn, embroidered, woven and crocheted here in Oaxaca and throughout Mexico.

Some of the women showing us their needlework blouses.

We are coming into Oaxaca’s peak tourist season when travelers come from all over the world, and many snowbirds plant their wings here from December through March.

Great cut-work and embroidery with unfinished seams

It is particularly challenging for first-time visitors who are blown away by the quantity of blouses, huipils, rebozos and other garments sold by street vendors, in small markets, and in tourist shops throughout the city.

Beaded blouses finished with French seams on 100% cotton, the best

How do you know what to buy and how much to pay for it?

Tip #1: Shop around. Look before buying. Look at lot. Go in and out of stores. Stop and look at the clothing the vendors have for sale. Ask prices. See what you like. Take your time.

Tip #2: Turn the garment inside out. Look at the seam edges of the cloth. Are they finished with a machined zigzag stitch or serger for reinforcement? Has the cloth edge been trimmed with a pinking shears? It is rough and will it unravel after a few washings? How strong are the stitches?

Softest, finest manta cloth, great embroidery, dense pleating

Tip #3: Check out the fabric. Is it populina?  This is what locals call the commercial cloth mix of cotton/polyester blend. Locals like this cloth because it dries much faster than pure cotton. It is also less expensive. Is it manta? This is 100% cotton cloth, more expensive, and preferred by many of us for softness, wearability and comfort.

Populina has a sheen. You can feel the polyester.

Tip #4: Check out the cloth again. If it’s manta, is it a fine, lighter weight weave or it is coarse and scratchy? Is it yellow color or white? What are your preferences?

#whomademyclothes .... is a Fashion Revolution movement dedicated to sourcing textiles direct from makers, awareness for buying disposable clothing made from cheap materials, assembled by underpaid workers.

Tip #5: If the clothing is embroidered, how fine is the embroidery? Is it by hand or machined? Are the stitches dense or loose? What about the crochet edge? Is it tied off or are there loose threads? Is it shiny, synthetic thread, dense/coarse polyester thread or good quality cotton?

Amazing pleated work from the Mixteca, with coarse embroidery yarn

Tip #6: Shop first in some of the better clothing galleries like Los Baules de Juana Cata or Arte de Amusgos to compare what you see on the street. See what the best looks like. Turn these inside out. Look at the finish work. Are the edges straight? What about the stitches that join two lengths of hand-woven cloth together? How is the neckline finished? What about the hem?

Want to buy direct from artisans? Take a study tour!

Tip #7: Price is usually based on quality, but not always. I recently bought a beautiful deshillado and embroidered blusa in San Antonino Castillo Velasco. I paid 2,500 pesos, quite a lot!  The embroidery is exquisite and the crochet edges are fine. The seams are not finished well and I may need to take it under the needle of my sewing machine to reinforce it. But, I knew that when I bought it.

Locals gather for the Magdalena Teitipac Feria

What are you willing to pay? What is it worth to you? Is there a whimsical design you like and you are willing to sacrifice some of the quality issues?

Tip #8: Don’t hesitate to walk away because you notice stains on the cloth, raveling threads or holes in the seams. Work is done quickly and quality can suffer.

I’ve seen excellent work done on very poor cloth.  I’ve seen embroidered, beaded and woven pieces made by one women that are attached to cloth that doesn’t match. Needlework and sewing can often be made by two different people. The sewing can be haphazard. The corners don’t match up and the joining work isn’t good. It is up to us to educate ourselves and to also say in a gracious, caring way, that we would like a better quality product.

We can support artisans and cooperatives who take the time to work on quality improvement.

Banner advertising the event

Tip #9: When is a bargain not a bargain? When the color bleeds. When the seams unravel. When the embroidery stitching loosens. When you get it home and ask, Why did I buy that?

Tip #10: Please know that because you are in Mexico, YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BARGAIN. It is not a culture of bargaining, much to the surprise of many. The average daily wage is 150 pesos, or about $8 USD. We have a big advantage. The exchange rate is about 18-19 pesos to the U.S. dollar. It takes weeks, sometimes months, to create a handmade textile. Let’s pay people a fair wage for their labor and creativity. They will offer a discount because they need to feed their families, not because it is part of the “game.”

On the street, Magdalena Teitipac

Did I buy anything in Magdalena Teitipac? Yes, a lovely, beribboned apron for 100 pesos and some amazing artisan chocolate from Tlacolula, 20 pesos a bag.

Why didn’t I buy a blusa? Because indigenous women here in Oaxaca like their blouses tight across the chest and snug under the arms. Sizes are deceiving and it’s best to try something on first, otherwise you can get it home and find out it doesn’t fit. Nothing fit me!

Basket weavers outside the Magdalena Teitipac market

Cooperatives working with NGOs on product improvement are receiving education about quality control, making finished seams,and patterns to fit women from the U.S.A. and Canada.

If you have any tips you’d like to share, please add them.

Of course, the final caveat is always — if you love it, buy it. You’ll never see the same thing again!

 

 

Mexico Textile Marketplace: Women’s Clothing Sale

I’m Mexico bound next Thursday, November 16, 2017, and this is the last of my collection I will offer for sale now. Stay tuned for when I return in March 2018. These are all one-of-a-kind pieces I’ve collected over the years, most of them new. I buy to support the artisans I visit and send these lovelies on to you.

Scroll down. 4 SOLD. 3 Available.

How to Purchase? Send an email to me, Norma Schafer. Tell me the piece — by number — that you want to buy. Also include your mailing address. I will send you a link to make a PayPal payment that will include the cost of mailing via USPS. If you are in Canada, it will be sent international First Class. Thank you.

Please order by Monday, November 13. That will give me time to package and get to the post office before I leave!

1. San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca Wedding Dress, Size L-XL

1. This is a full-length Oaxaca Wedding Dress, $260 USD. Even in Oaxaca, embroidery and crochet of this quality can sell for $400 USD or more. Examine the detail of the little dolls at the neckline that serve as bodice gathers. Look at the intricacy of the crochet work and embroidery. This is a very fine piece! Fabric is a cotton-poly blend. Size Large-XL.

1. Sleeve detail, Oaxaca wedding dress.

1. Bodice detail, Oaxaca wedding dress

2. This hand embroidered floral motif dress is from the remote village San Miguel Soyaltepec — an island in the Miguel Aleman Reservoir, State of Oaxaca. I bought this piece there and never wore it. $235 USD. The stitches are teeny-weeny, dense and beautiful. Size L-XL.

2. Exquisite embroidered dress, fine stitches, Size L-XL

3. SOLD. Birds, flowers and vines are beaded onto the bodice of this beautiful China Poblana blouse from the mountains of Puebla, about 6 hours from Mexico City. The neckline and sleeves have a drawstring to loosen or tighten. The background is entirely filled with translucent clear beads. $135 USD. Size L-XL.

3. Densely beaded China Poblana blouse from Cuetzalan, Puebla State

3. Sleeve detail, Puebla China Poblana blusa

3. Bodice detail, China Poblana blouse

4. SOLD. This 100% wool shawl measures 76″ long and 20″ wide, and is hand-woven on a pedal loom in Teotitlan del Valle by Juan Carlos, an very accomplished artisan. It is dyed with pericone/wild marigold with an indigo over-dye. $125 USD.

4. Green Shawl, hand-woven with natural dyes — indigo/wild marigold

Detail, green wool shawl.

5. The blusa with Pizzaz, this beautiful soft cotton textile woven on a back-strap loom is embellished with traditional designs and some silver floss from the Maya village of Oxchuc, near San Cristobal de las Casas. $125 USD. Super fine workmanship! Can be a blouse or tunic. Size L-XL

5. Oxchuc village, Chiapas blouse, back-strap loomed with embroidered bodice

5. Oxchuc blouse bodice detail

6. SOLD. Lavender blue blouse with rainbow neckline and sleeve embroidery. $65 USD. Textile is hand-loomed and hand-embroidered, very soft and sturdy. Size L-XL.

6. Daily wear in Chiapas is a hand-loomed blouse with neck and sleeve embroidery

6. Bodice detail, Chiapas blouse

7.  SOLD. This simple blouse has an attention-grabber neckline, with little embroidered details on the shoulder and down the front. Hand-embroidered on commercial cloth. $35 USD. Size L-XL.

7. Natural cotton with embroidered bodice blouse

7. Detail of simple cotton blouse