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Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour with Taos Wools January 2026

Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2025 | Comments Off

This January 8-15, 2026 program is more than a tour. It includes weaving and natural dyeing Po for workshops, a visit to artisan markets, studio visits to meet makers. Immerse yourself in all that Oaxaca has to offer with travel and hands-on experiences. We are partnering with Joseph Barry and Taos Wools, located in Arroyo Seco, a charming village on the way to the Taos Ski Valley, to offer this program.

Visit artisan studios in Teotitlan del Valle, the tapestry weaving center of Mexico, including silk and wool weavers
Participate in a two-day natural dye workshop
Learn or enhance your skills in a three-day tapestry weaving workshop using a frame loom
Travel to the mountain village of Chichicapam for a one-day drop spindle (malacate) spinning demonstration, carding churro fleece
Wander the expansive Sunday Tlacolula Market, a confluence of art, craft and more
Meet a red clay potter in her famous ceramic studio
Enjoy a Oaxaca City grand finale dinner with our group and leaders

(No prior weaving or dyeing experience is necessary. This is open and valuable to all levels of fiber artists and fiber admirers.)

DAY 1 | Arrive, settle in & welcome! – January 8, 2026

Arrive, travel to Teotitlan del Valle on your own, at your own expense. We will provide directions from the airport via secure taxi. No host dinner at a local comedor. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: None.

DAY 2 | Introduction, visit weaving cooperatives, begin dye workshop —January 9, 2026

Breakfast, introduction to the textile culture of Oaxaca with a presentation including topics of community, traditions, and culture. We will meet with two cooperatives and workshops in Teotitlan del Valle that create tapestries, clothing, and handbags. We will meet at the dye studio and begin creating naturally dyed skeins of wool. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

About the Natural Dye Workshop: Participants will dye a range of colors using a variety of plants and over-dyeing techniques. This includes dyeing 15 wool skeins of 10 grams each, with enough colors and materials to weave a small sampler on our weaving day. Participants should bring a notebook and pencil to take notes of the dyeing process.

DAY 3 | Natural Dye Workshop – January 10, 2026

We’ll resume the natural dye workshop to dye skeins of wool exploring locally sourced plant materials of indigo, pomegranate, wild marigold, plus cochineal. The workshop will cover chemistry in dye preparation and techniques for over-dyeing. Box lunch at dye studio. After lunch, we will visit a studio that grows silkworms. Here they spin, dye, and weave the silk into fine garments. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 4 | Tlacolula Market Meander, Pottery Studio Visit – January 11, 2026

After breakfast, we will spend most of the day at the amazing Sunday Tlacolula market, the once-a-week tianguis that attracts farmers, artisans, household suppliers, and everything and anything you can imagine one needs to run a household in Oaxaca. We will have lunch at a local comedor, then visit a famous red pottery studio in San Marcos Tlapazola. Back in Teotitlan, we will start the weaving workshop. First, we will learn about warping frame looms. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 5 – Hand-Spinning Demonstration — January 12, 2026

Breakfast. We will then take an excursion to the mountain village of Chichicapam to meet a family of spinners who work with only the finest quality Churro sheep wool. We will have an opportunity to spin yarn using the drop-spindle (malacate) and purchase handspun yarn. Lunch will be enroute. Back in Teotitlan, we will continue with our weaving workshop. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 6 | Weaving workshop— January 13, 2026

Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop until 4:00 pm– we’ll be working on the frame loom to produce a sampler or wall hanging approximately 10” x 18” using the yarns prepared during the natural dye workshop. Lunch at the weaving studio. Afternoon on your own. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 7 | Weaving workshop and overnight in Oaxaca– January 14, 2026

Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop to continue working on and finishing projects. Box lunch at the studio. Depart for Oaxaca, but first we stop to visit an outstanding flying shuttle loom weaver in El Tule. Finale dinner at an excellent Oaxaca restaurant.

Overnight in Oaxaca City.

DAY 8 | Hasta luego! — January 15, 2026

Breakfast. Depart on flights home from Oaxaca airport. We will help arrange taxi transportation at your own expense. Stay on additional nights and join our extensions.

What Is Included

7 nights lodging
6 breakfasts
6 lunches
Grand Finale Gala Dinner in Oaxaca City
Van transportation
Complete guide and translation services
Natural dye, weaving, and spinning workshops, materials, and instruction
Artisan demonstrations
Conversations about textiles, culture, community
Authentic, locally prepared foods

The tour does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips, travel insurance, liquor or alcoholic beverages, some meals, and local transportation as specified in the itinerary. We reserve the right to substitute artisans, guides, and alter the program as needed.

Cost • $3,350 double room with private bath (sleeps 2) • $3895 single room with private bath (sleeps 1)

Extensions:

January 15: Oaxaca Walking Tour, ½ day: Visits to textile artisans and galleries, $145 per person (does not include meals or lodging) (2 people minimum needed to hold this)

January 16: Ocotlan Highway Tour, full day: Visits to villages, woodcarvers, ceramic artists, embroiderers. Includes lunch and transportation. (does not include breakfast or lodging). $195 per person. (2 people minimum needed to hold this)

How to Register: First, complete the Registration Form and send it to us and tell us which payment method you want to use to make your deposit: Zelle (no fee) or credit card (4% fee). See below.

To Register, Policies, Procedures & Cancellations–Please Read

Reservations and Cancellations. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required payable to Norma Schafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, to guarantee your spot. The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before August 15, 2025. The third 50% payment of the balance is due on or before November 1, 2025. We accept payment using a Zelle transfer (no fees) or a credit card (4% service fee). When you complete the registration form and send it to us, we will send you a request for deposit. After November 1, 2025, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before November 1, 2025 we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date, less the $500 non-refundable reservation deposit. After that, there are no refunds.

If we cancel for whatever reason, we will offer a 100% refund of all amounts received to date, less the non-refundable deposit.

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.

NOTE: If you have walking impediments or you rely on other travelers for personal assistance, then this is not the trip for you. Oaxaca city is close to 6,000 feet altitude. We travel to villages that are 7,000 feet altitude. For altitude or motion sickness, please consult your doctor and come prepared with adequate medications. We recommend that all travelers have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations and bring two antigen testing kits to test along the way. We also recommend RSV and Flu vaccines.

How to Register: First, complete the Registration Form and email it to us. We will then send you a request to make your reservation deposit.

Terrain, Walking and Group Courtesy: We recommend you bring a walking stick and wear sturdy shoes. Traveling with a small group has its advantages, and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedules. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged churro wool, course, hand carding, hand spinning, Mexico, natural dyeing, Oaxaca, Taos Wools, tapestry weaving, textiles, tour, travel, weaving, workshops

Photo Workshop Day 3: Luvia’s Grandmother +

Posted on Saturday, November 2, 2024 | Comments Off

We met at Luvia’s photography studio at 9:30 a.m. Before that, most of us returned to the village market to take more pictures. The early morning light here is illuminating. The light plays with shadows and texture; there is so much to capture the eye. This is a daily market in Teotitlan del Valle, one of the few remaining here in indigenous culture. During Dia de los Muertos, as families buy flowers, bread, chocolate, fruit, candles to decorate graves and home altars, the market is even more resplendent.

At the studio, we send photos to Luvia’s computer and then have a look-see with a discussion about each of our works taken the day before and this morning. We were frantically editing the ones from this morning to get these ready to send. We talked about composition, cropping, lighting, finding the details, getting closer to our subjects than many of us are comfortable with. It’s an exercise in asking permission to photograph and then stepping into a space that is tighter than usual.

We began to see our world differently and with more definition.

We especially enjoyed our visit to the home of Luvia’s grandmother. She is age 78. Many women age faster here, especially the older generation who have borne and raised many children, and did everything by hand including: shucking corn from the cob, washing laundry and dishes, carrying water, preparing meals three times a day, and feeding the farm animals — chickens, goats, turkeys, cows. Each morning they walked to the market and home again throughout their lives where the daily social contact there was so important. Many ducked into the local convenience store to sip mezcal together and catch up on gossip.

Then it was home again to do everything necessary to keep an extended-family household going.

We were so happy this workshop fit into Luvia’s schedule. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker and Vogue magazines, and she has had exhibitions in the USA and Europe. Fujifilm and Leica awarded her grants as a rising star, and she will be going to New York to participate in an arts residency in 2025. Both Luvia and I agree: we do not want to hold workshops during Day of the Dead — November 1 and November 2. We want this to be quiet time with our families to reflect on meaning, loss, life and death, and to remember our loved ones.

Here are some of the photos I took that day in the market and with Luvia’s grandmother:

And here is my Day Of the Dead Altar to remember my parents. I call it my Memory Altar. It looks very much the same year after year, which is very reassuring.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged Luvia Lazo, Luvia Lazo Gutierrez, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, Teotitlan del Valle, tour, travel, workshop

Photography Workshop Day Two: Portraits + More

Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2024 | Comments Off

On the second day of our photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle, our instructor, Luvia Lazo Gutierrez, made appointments with families to visit them in their homes. This was an incredible exercise to capture a more intimate view of village life and to understand the technical aspects of light, shadow, distance, and perspective. Luvia, whose work is featured in The New Yorker magazine, Vogue magazine, and represented in U.S. galleries, made suggestions for ways to best focus on portrait elements. In addition, we took turns photographing each other, which was very fun.

We visited two weaving families and a practice session for the new Dance of the Feathers group. Luvia asked us to look at subjects differently — to move close up with our feet rather than using the zoom feature, to focus on elements such as hands and feet or a particular section of the body. We challenged ourselves to be more conceptual rather than literal. It was an excellent learning experience.

Since it’s Halloween today, I want to make an important distinction between this tradition rooted in Catholicism, and Day of the Dead which is rooted in pre-Hispanic indigenous tradition. Day of the Dead is NOT Halloween. It is an important ritual to remember, respect, and honor those we love who have passed before us. It is quiet, reflective, introspective, and reverent. We sit at gravesites cleaned and decorated with fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables, drinks that loved ones preferred, talk to them, and feel their presence even though they are gone from us.

Visitors have brought the film Coco to Oaxaca, with face painting, revelry, and little understanding of indigenous culture. Day of the Dead is NOT this.

Here are some of the photos I took on Day Two:

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged class, culture, day of the dead, Luvia Lazo, Oaxaca, photography, portraits, Teotitlan del Valle, tour, workshop

Wabi-Sabi. Making Beauty from Broken Pottery

Posted on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | Comments Off

Annie, my friend from Taos and traveling companion, spent the afternoon in a kintsugi workshop in the Aoyama neighborhood of Tokyo.
Kintsugi is the process of mending broken pottery and lining the cracks with a combination of a special glue and filling them with 24k gold powder.

Wabi-Sabi is the philosophy of making something whole from imperfection. Imperfection is honored here. It recognizes that nothing in life is perfect. things can be repaired and made whole again is a practice that applies to everything in life, including all things in life — people, nature.

“Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold or silver. This method embodies the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and the natural aging process. The beauty of imperfection is not about hiding flaws such as cracks or chips; instead, it is about emphasizing them through kintsugi, creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a distinctive form of beauty.”

The lacquer used in Kintsugi is a sap collected from the lacquer tree, which is purified to remove impurities. The types of lacquer commonly used include raw lacquer (kurushi), clear lacquer (sukiurushi), wheat lacquer (mugiurushi), rust lacquer (sabiurushi), engraved lacquer (kokusourushi), black lacquer (kuroroiurushi), and picture lacquer (eiurushi).

Lacquer rash is an allergic reaction caused by a component in lacquer called urushiol, which can cause symptoms such as redness, eczema, swelling, and itching. In severe cases, it can even cause difficulty breathing, so caution is needed when handling it. However, products coated with fully dried lacquer typically do not cause rashes, and lacquerware craftsmen often develop immunity to lacquer, making them less prone to rashes.

The drying time for lacquer depends greatly on humidity and temperature. Generally, a humidity of 70% to 85% and a temperature of 20* C to 30° C are required for drying lacquer, and craftsmen use a controlled environment called a “lacquer bath” for this process. The drying time varies depending on the type of lacquer used, the season, and the conditions of the lacquer bath, usually taking half a day to a day.

Our finished pieces were carefully put into a container. We were told to keep it there for two weeks, then carefully remove them to let them air cure for another two weeks —a month total.

It was an amazing experience. If you are interested in coming with us to Japan in October 2025, please send me an email. I can’t guarantee we will do this workshop. Perhaps it is something you could do on your own before or after the tour.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged Japan, Kintsugi, Tokyo, tour, wabi-sabi

Sashiko in Takayama

Posted on Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 15 comments

I spent the morning with Keiko-San at her home gallery twenty steps away from the Red Bridge. There is a green bridge, white bridge, and red bridge here. Landmarks to navigate location. Japanese are very organized and clean. Hisa, a local translator, met me at the red bridge along with Keiko-San to take me to her house. As we entered i was asked to take off my shoes before climbing the steep stairs to where she lives.

Keiko-San is a master Sashiko embroiderer. She does not have a shop. One must know about her and arrange a meeting through her son who lives in the US. I was grateful to have Hisa with me to make the communication easier.

Upon arriving upstairs, I was surrounded by this Japanese artwork of making little embroidery stitches on hand dyed indigo cloth. I was there for two hours. We even worked together to make two beautiful berets a bit smaller to fit. Fun is not enough to describe the experience.

Of course I bought something and if I never bought another piece of clothing in my life, this would be enough. My friend Svetlana Suggested I visit Keiko and also referred me to Hisa. Going into an artisan’s home is what I treasure most. I hope to return someday. Perhaps in 2025!

if you want to go to Japan with us in late 2025, please send me an email to get on the interested list.