Our sale continues through December 1. Use Discount Code thankful2023. Everything on our shop is handmade and sourced from outstanding artisans we know personally in Oaxaca and Chiapas. Today, we are featuring four beautifully embroidered cotton shoulder bags with a floral motif. Each is a different color. These are perfect for around town or for evening dressing. They make great gifts, too. The bags are made by our friend Rosario, whose nickname is Chela, in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, where I live part of the year. They feature a lining with inside pocket and are big enough to hold a wallet, cell phone, and other necessary accessories. Chela is an excellent seamstress so these are well-made. I’ve worn mine for years!
Posted onMonday, August 30, 2021|Comments Off on Rosario’s Bolsas: Embroidered Oaxaca Shoulder Bags
Rosario is my Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, friend who is an excellent embroiderer. I asked her to make more shoulder bags to send to me to offer to you. The dimensions are similar for all of them:
The bag is 8″x10″ (Because they are handmade, there is some variance.)
The shoulder strap is 43″ long. Use as a shoulder or cross-body bag.
They are lined and have an inside pocket.
The zipper is sturdy and easy to use.
The floral motif is carried over from front to back.
The embroidery is dense and detailed.
Each bag costs $58 plus $12 mailing. Total is $70. We can combine orders.
To Buy: Please email me norma.schafer@icloud.com with your name, mailing address, item number and your payment preference. I will mark it SOLD. You can purchase using Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal. I will send you account information when you tell me you are ready to purchase.
#1 Bag Front
#1 Bag Back
SOLD. #2 Bag Front
#2 Bag Back
SOLD. #3 Bag Front
#3 Bag Back
SOLD. #4 Bag Front
#4 Bag Back
SOLD. #5 Bag Front
#5 Bag Back
SOLD. #6 Bag Front
#6 Bag Back
SOLD. #7 Bag Front
#7 Bag Back
#8 Bag Front
#8 Bag Back
SOLD. #9 Bag Front
#9 Back Back
I’ve known Rosario for years. She comes from a humble family that works hard to make ends meet. I have encouraged her to develop her sewing and needlework skills, and give her a new sewing machine a couple of year ago to help her sew dresses and blouses and to make these bags.
Thank you for supporting this handwork. It’s not too early, either, to start thinking about the season of gift giving and how special a handmade gift from Oaxaca would be!
I love this bag style. I’ve been using one like these for walks, hikes, and just everyday wear for the last year-and-a-half. It’s functional and versatile and colorful and cheerful. Just about everything fits — a coin purse, credit cards, lipstick, pen and notebook, hand sanitizer and alcohol spray, lipstick and moisturizer, kleenex, and even pepper spray — just in case!
So, before I moved from Durham to Taos, I designed and commissioned my Teotitlan del Valle friend and sewist/embroiderer Rosario to make 10 bags that Janet brought with her from Oaxaca. They got packed away for the move and now, I’ve unearthed them and they are for sale here.
Each bag is durable and one-of-a-kind. They are cotton, lined, have an inside pocked, a zipper closure, a 41″ cross-body shoulder strap. They can be washed inside-out in the washing machine on gentle cycle. Each bag body is approximately 9″x 9-1/4″ in size. Priced at $45 each. Buy 2 for $80.
Remember, these are hand-made and there may be slight imperfections. All sales are final. No exchanges or refunds.
How to Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. Tell me if you want to purchase with PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Square. I will mark your choice(s) SOLD, send you a payment link and add $12 for cost of mailing.
We know the culture! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago is Zapotec, born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.
Norma Schafer has been living in Oaxaca for almost 20 years.
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What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, 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. We create connection.
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