I am offering several rugs from my collection for sale! Why? They don’t fit into my Taos house. The sizes and colors are not adapting well to my new environment. Some are new. All are in excellent condition.
How to Buy: send an email to norma.schafer@icloud.com and tell me the rug you want to purchase by number, your email, your mailing address and which payment method you prefer: 1) Zelle bank transfer with no service fee; 2) Venmo or 3) PayPal each with a 3% service fee. I will then send you a request for funds.
Shipping cost is based on weight and destination, and is additional. I will need to know your address and determine weight to calculate mailing costs.
SOLD. #1. 6 ft x 8-1/2 ft. 100% churra sheep wool in all natural shades of gray, Caracol design.
This new, never used rug is made by a master weaver in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca who is a personal friend. It took him two months to create this masterpiece. The colors are a mix of gray on a cream background. The edges where it was cut from the loom are finished with an intricate braiding technique. No fringes to get stuck in your vacuum cleaner. The Caracol design is the most difficult to achieve because of the curves. It is symbolic of communication and the frets have deep meaning regarding the continuity of life, interpreted from nearby Mitla archeological site. Tapestry woven rugs of this size and quality are retailing for between $2,800 and $3,200. I’m selling it for $1,800 plus shipping. I calculate shipping cost to be around $60 but I will let you know if you wish to purchase this.
SOLD#2. Mitla Grecas are designs found on the archeol site temples rug measures 2.5 ft x 5 ft
This is woven at the Fe y Lola studio in Teotitlan del Valle of churra sheep wool colored with natural dyes the yellow comes from wild marigold a d it is paired with a warm natural gray wool the warp is sturdy cotton. The design is an innovative version of a traditional style. this rug usually sells for $510. You can buy it for $425.
SOLD #3. From the studio of Francisco Martinez Ruiz, This is a stunner, perfect as a wall-hanging with hand-knotted macrame fringes.
This tapestry is made with all natural dyes and measures 2-1/3 ft x 3 ft. the wool is dyed with cochineal, moss, and wild marigold. It is very fine and dense weaving using 10 warp threads per inch. Retails for $450. Will sell for $325.
SOLD #4. Runner measures 2.5 ft x 9.5 ft Gorgeous, natural dyes in wild marigold, indigo overdyes, and cochineal.Another caracol masterpiece from Fe y Lola studio. The green is achieved by dipping a wild marigold skein of wool into an indigo dye bath. Original cost $1,300. Selling for $750. #5. Hand-knotted wool pile rug in the Persian style, made in India. Measures 4’ x 6’ and in excellent condition.
This rug has no wear and will surely provide pleasure and comfort for another two or three generations. Thick wool pile. Vintage. Outstanding. Last photo is reverse side of rug. Valued at between $600-800. Will sell for $385. This rug is heavy and I estimate shipping could be $75-100.
Thank you VERY much for looking. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank
My goddaughter Janet Chavez is coming to Durham on April 26 and will drive west with me to Taos, New Mexico. I call this bringing Oaxaca to me! I’m excited because this will be her first road trip across the USA. We haven’t seen each other for over a year and there is a lot to catch up about. Janet is a linguist. She is tri-lingual and then some, speaking Spanish, Zapotec, English and a smattering of other Romance languages. She also gives presentations about preserving indigenous language and culture, helped develop an online Zapotec talking dictionary, and is affiliated with Haverford College.
Janet is also bringing rugs her family makes from hand-carded wool and natural dyes. (See feylolarugs.com) This includes medium and large sizes. Purchase now and Janet will bring your rug with her and ship from Durham, NC, next week before we hit the road. Remember, these are one-of-a-kind and all dyed with natural dyes — plants and cochineal. At Fe y Lola Rugs, they make all their own dye pots and color the churro wool yarn skein by skein. It is a slow production process. All sales go directly to the family! You are buying direct from the master makers.
We encourage you to purchase now since Janet may not bring all rugs shown with her, only those that sell in advance. Please purchase by Saturday, April 24.
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. We will calculate shipping to your location from Durham, NC (a big savings), and send you an invoice for the total. Please DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services at check-out. We also accept Venmo and Zelle. I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee) if you don’t use PayPal. All sales final.
Our family is a four generation lineage of weavers and natural dyers from Teotitlan del Valle, a Zapotec community in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Our rugs are one-of-a-kind, with complex designs that blend tradition with innovation, setting the standard for beauty and quality. At Fe y Lola, we tell stories through threads.
Twenty years ago, Fe y Lola took a risk and decided to focus on producing high quality wool rugs on a small scale. They invested in a sustainable weaving process that does not include toxic chemicals such as sulfuric acids and anilines, that are very dangerous for one’s health as well as for the environment. By conducting research on natural dyes, experimenting with local natural dye materials, and most importantly, rediscovering and re-learning ancient Zapotec natural dyeing techniques, they began to develop an exclusive palette of natural colors and combinations. Along the way, they had the opportunity to learn from and share knowledge with other natural dyers and weavers from all over the world, enriching their comment to their work and customers.
Norma’s Notes: I have lived with this family on their land in Teotitlan del Valle since 2005. Back then, I saw that what they were doing was extraordinary and unheralded. Over the years, they have continued to produce some of the best tapestry weaving in the village and are noted for their innovative color combinations, density of woven fiber, and rich, all natural colors. Supporting them in their efforts to become more well known has been my passion over the years because I admire their commitment, tenacity, creativity, and talent. Now, I get to watch how the children, who are now adults and the next generation of weavers, continue in the ancient traditions of their family and culture. Their rugs have added joy to my living space for all these years, without fading or discoloration.
There are 29 items in this sale today. They include earrings, necklaces and bracelets, handwoven and natural dyed wool rugs from Oaxaca, and two beautiful pieces of clothing. It’s a mixed bag! All are reduced significantly as I prepare to make my move to Taos, NM. Prices start as low as $15. I hope you find something you like. Please scroll down to be sure you see everything.
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 DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services — so we don’t pay commissions. We also accept Venmo, Zelle, and I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee).
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 DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services — so we don’t pay commissions. We also accept Venmo, Zelle, and I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee).
SOLD. #11 Vintage 12K gold filigree, pearl, glass. 1″x1-3/4″ $225 $160SOLD #12 Federico Jimenez Oaxaca signed turquoise and silver, 2-1/4″x1″ $225 $185SOLD. #13 Mexican onyx and sterling button earrings. 7/8″ x 1″ oval $25 $20 SOLD. #14 Israeli designer Ayala Bar. 3/4″x1″ $50 $20SOLD. #15 Sterling silver, India. 2″x1″ $55 $45#16 Vintage Oaxaca Virgin of Soledad Sterling and White Heart Glass Beads, 19″ $385 $325#17 India Vintage Rabari tribal necklace, adjustable. 26″ $135 $95#18 Oaxaca, black hand-polished clay beaded necklace, 21″ $75 $65#19 Vintage Morocco Bedouin Amber, Coral and Metal Necklace, 17″ $295 $195SOLD. #20 Chiapas Maya Coin Necklace, Ties to adjust length. $25 $15
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 DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services — so we don’t pay commissions. We also accept Venmo, Zelle, and I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee).
SOLD. #21 New Mexico hand-cut/inlay turquoise, onyx, spiny oyster necklace, 20″ $185 $135#22 New Mexico turquoise, coral + sterling pendant, $65 (does not include chain) $40SOLD. #23 Oaxaca Black Clay Bead Mexican Coin Necklace, 20″ $65 $35
The four rugs below can be used on floor, wall, or to adorn furniture. Woven on a treadle loom by Taller Teñido a Mano in Oaxaca, Mexico, they feature all natural dyes created in the studio. Sturdy and beautiful.
Omar Chavez Santiago went back to Mexico on Saturday but he left these five beautiful hand-woven tapestry rugs (tapetes) behind for me to sell for him and his family.
Omar’s family from Galeria Fe y Lola, use 100% churro sheep wool that is hand-spun on the drop spindle (malacate) in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, high in the Sierra Madre del Sur about six hours from the city. Here, many women each raise a few sheep and twice year when the fleece is thick enough, they shear them and spin the wool by hand. They then collect the balls from among the group for the Chavez Santiago family to buy enough to work. Hand-spun wool, a rarity now, is more costly but is the strongest fiber for rug weaving.
#1, 4×6 ft, Mountains and Rain tapestry rug, $1,325
#1. Detail. Cochineal, indigo, natural sheep wool
That’s one reason why these wool rugs are collector and heirloom pieces.
The other reason is because the family uses ONLY 100% natural dyes. That means they prepare wool that they dye themselves using local plant materials and cochineal. This is a completely vertical process all done in the family home studio. They do not work in synthetic or chemical dyes at all — so everything from them is designed to be environmentally sustainable and healthy.
#2. A Thousand Stars, 4×6′, $1,325. All natural dyes.
Many in Teotitlan del Valle know how to give the cochineal dye demonstration, squeezing lime juice or baking soda on a bit of ground bugs to show visitors how the color explodes and changes. This does not always mean that the makers use natural dyes in their tapestries. Only about a dozen families actually work with natural dyes because it it more expensive and time consuming.
SOLD. #3. Relampajo, 2-1/2×5′, $550. Indigo and wild marigold
After buying the handspun balls of wool, Omar, his mom Lola (nickname for Dolores) and his dad Fe (nickname for Federico), make the skeins of wool, wash and mordent the wool, then prepare the dye baths. They will grind dried cochineal bugs, grind and ferment the Oaxaca-grown indigo, prepare other plant materials like wild marigold (pericone), pomegranate, pecan shells and leaves, zapote negro, tree moss, huizache (acacia vine seed pods), palo de aguila (alderwood) and other dye sources. They have developed formulas to get over 40 shades of red, purple, orange and pink from the cochineal insect itself.
They are weavers, chemists, herbalists and artists.
SOLD. #4. Mariposas, 2-1/2 x 5′, Cochineal and wild marigold. $550.
This is #slowfiber and #smallbatches. It can take a week to dye enough yarn for one medium-sized rug. Another week to dress the loom and attach the warp threads. The weaver creates his or her design and executes it, standing at the two-pedal loom for several months working a six-hour day, six days a week. That’s about all the back can take!
When you visit a weaver, ask to see the dye pots. Weavers who work in small volume production have small inventories and are more likely to use natural dyes.
#5. Campo Rojo. 2-1/2×5′. $550. Cochineal, marigold, natural sheep wool.
In the fiber world we ask #whomademyclothes. The #fashionrevolution brings our attention to asking if what we buy is #fastfashion and disposable or made to last with excellent quality. This is not just about clothes. It is about supporting makers who are using ethical practices, paying fair wages and selling at fair value for time and materials.
It can take 90 days to weave a rug made in this way. If it costs $500 USD, please do the math. That’s a little more that $5 USD per hour.
One of the most gratifying things for me living in Mexico is the opportunity to buy direct from the maker. I know my purchase is meaningful and valued. This is also an important reason that I organize textile study tours — to bring visitors directly to the women and men who make the clothes and home goods and jewelry, and all the beautiful artisan work that Mexico is famous for. Afterall, in the end, it’s all about the relationship, not the thing!
I hope you will consider purchasing one of these beautiful rugs from Galeria Fe y Lola. Funds go directly to the family. Then, you will know the answer to #whomademyrug
How to Buy:Send me an email with your name, the item you want to buy, and your mailing address. I will respond with availability, send you a PayPal invoice (or you can mail me a check) that includes the cost of the rug and mailing. Fixed price shipping is $35 per small piece and $60 per large piece anywhere in lower 48 states. Inquire about mailing prices to Canada.
Omar Chavez Santiago is a fifth generation weaver from Teotitlan del Valle who works in natural dyes. His family operates Galeria Fe y Lola in Oaxaca city. I asked my Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) to alert the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City that Omar was coming on March 1, 2018, for his visa interview. Few are successful. Omar received a 10-year visitor visa. He is here and we are excited.
Omar Chavez Santiago explains natural dyes in Oaxaca, Mexico
Wendy Sease, owner of INDIO Durham, will host Omar this weekend for a Mexico Art & Textile Trunk Show. Thank you, Wendy. Please come!
FIRST TRUNK SHOW — INDIO DURHAM
SECOND TRUNK SHOW — ECHOVIEW FIBER MILL, WEAVERVILLE
Thanks to Judi Jetson from Local Cloth and Grace Casey-Gouin from Echoview Fiber Mill, for hosting us in the Asheville area. Please let your NC mountain friends know!
Preparing the cochineal dye bath, Teotitlan del Valle
Getting the most intense red possible! Straining the bugs.
Bamboo bobbins with natural dyed wool, ready to weave
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 Tours + Study Abroad 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 customized itineraries, study abroad programs, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Our Clients Include
*Penland School of Crafts
*North Carolina State University
*WARP Weave a Real Peace
*Methodist University
*MINNA-Goods
*Selvedge Magazine
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.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
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.
1-Day Oaxaca Textile Walking Tour 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.
2022 Going Deep, Not Wide--Extended Tours
October 28-November 4, 2022: Women’s Creative Writing Retreat in Teotitlan del Valle — Memory and Tradition. Click this link to read about it. SOLD OUT
October 29-November 4, 2022:Day of the Dead Culture Tour. We meet locals and visit 4 villages to experience this mystical pre-Hispanic observance, awesome and reverent. Still space for a few more!
February 5-13, 2023: Bucket List Tour: Monarch Butterflies + Michoacan. Spiritual, mystical connection to nature. Go deep into weaving, pottery, mask-making and more! We haven't offered this tour since 2019 and we anticipate it will sell out quickly. SOLD OUT
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
Stay Healthy. Stay Safe. In Oaxaca, wear your mask. Questions? Want more info or to register? 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 order 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
North Carolina Hosts Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Weaver with Two Trunk Shows
Omar Chavez Santiago is a fifth generation weaver from Teotitlan del Valle who works in natural dyes. His family operates Galeria Fe y Lola in Oaxaca city. I asked my Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) to alert the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City that Omar was coming on March 1, 2018, for his visa interview. Few are successful. Omar received a 10-year visitor visa. He is here and we are excited.
Omar Chavez Santiago explains natural dyes in Oaxaca, Mexico
Wendy Sease, owner of INDIO Durham, will host Omar this weekend for a Mexico Art & Textile Trunk Show. Thank you, Wendy. Please come!
FIRST TRUNK SHOW — INDIO DURHAM
SECOND TRUNK SHOW — ECHOVIEW FIBER MILL, WEAVERVILLE
Thanks to Judi Jetson from Local Cloth and Grace Casey-Gouin from Echoview Fiber Mill, for hosting us in the Asheville area. Please let your NC mountain friends know!
Preparing the cochineal dye bath, Teotitlan del Valle
Getting the most intense red possible! Straining the bugs.
Bamboo bobbins with natural dyed wool, ready to weave
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Folk Art, Teotitlan del Valle, Textiles, Tapestries & Weaving
Tagged carpets, Durham, Echoview Fiber Mill, exhibition, INDIO Durham, natural dyes, North Carolina, Oaxaca, rugs, sale, tapetes, trunk show, Weaverville, weaving