Oaxaca
During the long, long winter of Vermont I decided it was time to get out into some sunshine and inspiration. I found an awesome company called Thread Caravan that has incredible group trips collaborating with artisans all over the world. I chose their group trip to Oaxaca at the end of February. “Days will be spent visiting design studios, experimenting with natural dyes, weaving reed baskets, and meeting artisans across the craft disciplines in Oaxaca, all the while eating our way around Oaxaca’s most notable restaurants and home kitchens.” Sign me up!
Here is a photo journal of my time exploring in Oaxaca with the guidance of Thread Caravan.. bringing us to artist studios and shops, beautiful landscapes and hands on workshops.
I hope you enjoy!
We stayed at the beautiful Grana BNB in the center of the city. We got to enjoy breakfast there every morning and I really enjoyed the breezy rooftop with hammocks and mountain views.
Our first day we visited different artist studios in the city and learned about their work and inspirations. That evening we had a private sunset tour of Monte Alban, a Zapotec archeological site.
Ana María at Taller Coatlicue
Monte Alban
Our second day we travelled to Teotitlán del Valle, known for its textiles and weaving, to visit with more artisans.
Vida Nueva cooperative was our first stop, where we did a natural dyeing workshop! Using pericon (plants!) to get a beautiful chartreuse color and ground up cochineal (insects!) for a rich pink. Limes were put into the cochineal to get an orange dye bath. I brought with me to dye a blush raw silk dress I had stitched up quick the day before leaving and a white vintage button down. They became the best souvenirs!
San Pascual candle workshop A beautiful beeswax candle workshop where they make ornate floral candles. We got to try our hand at using the wax molds.
Fe y Lola showroom Home to the most stunning rugs made by a beautiful family of weavers. Omar helped us try the standing loom, and then we get a close look at many of their pieces, along with a yummy dinner in this special space!
On the third day I went with a small group up to Hierve el Agua, a cold mountainside mineral springs. It was so, so stunning and so nice to dip in the water! We got there early and had the place to ourselves for a bit.
We then had an afternoon basket weaving workshop at the Texere textile studio.
Some solo exploring in Oaxaca City…
