Visit Oaxaca
9 DAY TEXTILE TOUR & WORKSHOP IN OAXACA, MEXICO
NATURAL DYES | WEAVING | SPINNING | CERAMICS | CULTURE & HISTORY
FIBER CIRCLE STUDIO + OAXACA CULTURAL NAVIGATOR
DECEMBER 6 - 14, 2024
REGISTRATION OPEN!
(scroll down for details on how to register)
Join Fiber Circle Studio and the Oaxaca Cultural Navigator on a 9 day immersive textile tour and workshop exploring the traditions of the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico.
(No prior weaving or dyeing experience is necessary. This is open and valuable to all levels of fiber artists and fiber admirers. Speaking Spanish is helpful but not required. We will have guides to help translate!)
We will work with Zapotec artisans in Teotitlan del Valle to explore natural dyes, create our own weaving using the yarns we dye, and learn how to spin wool on a drop spindle. In addition to the hands on creation of textiles, we will visit museums, historial sites and have opportunities to explore the beautiful and lively city of Oaxaca.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Visit to multiple artisan studios in Teotitlan del Valle
- 2 day natural dye workshop
- 2 day tapestry weaving workshop
- 1 day spinning workshop
- Visit key sights - Hierve el Agua, El Tule, and the city of Oaxaca
- Visit important museums and shops
- Visit a ceramics studio
- Experience Virgin of Guadalupe parades in El Centro
- Show & tell your work and experience with the group
PRICING
- $4,295 (per person/double occupancy)
- $4,995 (per person/single occupancy)
INCLUDED
- All lodging; check in December 6, check out December 14. We will be staying in Teotitlan del Valle and Oaxaca city. Participants are welcome and encouraged to come in before or stay after our trip dates at your own expense. We can provide lodging recommendations.
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners (there will be a few meals where we encourage folks to explore and will provide safe recommendations)
- All workshops & materials (this includes natural dyeing, weaving and spinning workshops)
- In country van transportation for all group travel
- Entry to Hierve el Agua
- Artisan honoraria
- Services of 3 main guides and translators
- A unique goodie bag!
- $25 per participant for a scholarship donation to Oaxaca Learning Center to support an indigenous student to attend university
NOT INCLUDED
- Air travel to Oaxaca
- Trip Insurance (strongly recommended)
- 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- Tips for service
Our Itinerary
DAY 1 | Arrive, settle in & welcome!
Arrive, travel to Teotitlan del Valle on your own, at your own expense. We will provide directions from the airport. Box supper available upon check-in at the bed and breakfast inn. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle.
DAY 2 | Introduction, visit weaving cooperatives, begin dye workshop
Breakfast, introduction to the textile culture of Oaxaca with a presentation. Morning excursion to 3 cooperatives and workshops to meet weavers in Teotitlan del Valle who create tapestries, clothing, and handbags. After lunch, we will meet at the dye studio and begin the process to create naturally dyed skeins of wool. Dinner will be at our bed and breakfast inn. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle.
About the Natural Dye Workshop: Participants will dye an assortment of colors using various plants and overdyed techniques. Participants will dye 15 wool skeins of 100 grams, with enough colors and materials to weave a small sampler on our weaving day.
DAY 3 | Natural dye workshop - 15 colors; 15 skeins of wool
Breakfast. Visit the Tlacolula market. Lunch at local comedor.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 supper at dye studio. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle.
DAY 4 | Spinning workshop, dip in the waters of Hierve el Agua
Breakfast. Excursion to 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. Visit to Hierve el Agua. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle.
DAY 5 | Weaving workshop, ceramics studio
Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop - we'll be working on a frame loom that will 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 excursion to ceramics village of San Marcos Tlapazola. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle.
DAY 6 | Weaving workshop, visit El Tule, head to la ciudad de Oaxaca, optional Mezcal tastings!
Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop to continue working on and finishing projects. Lunch at a local comedor. Excursion to El Tule to see the ancient cypress tree and visit flying shuttle loom weaver. Dinner at Oaxaca Te Amo. Overnight in Oaxaca City. We will provide suggestions for anyone who wants to do Mezcal tastings.
DAY 7 | Textile museum and shops, Virgin de Guadalupe parades
Breakfast. Morning guided walking tour of Oaxaca textile museum and important shops. Lunch on your own and opportunity to see Virgin of Guadalupe parades in El Centro. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Oaxaca City.
DAY 8 | Show & tell, wander the city, final dinner
Breakfast. Discussion of community, culture, textiles, show and tell of weaving samplers. Lunch and afternoon on your own. Gala Grand Finale Dinner. Overnight in Oaxaca City.
DAY 9 | Hasta luego!
Breakfast. Depart on flights home from Oaxaca airport. We will help arrange taxi transportation at your own expense.
* Please note that the weavings produced on this trip will be smaller than the pieces in this photo.
To learn more about the last time we travelled to Oaxaca, visit our blog! This itinerary is slightly different than the blog represents, but gives a valid overview of what to expect in general!
REGISTER
- Please download this form, complete it and return it by email to norma.schafer@icloud.com and alisha@fibercirclestudio.com.
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A $500 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space - you will receive an invoice after your registration form is received. The remaining balance will be due in 2 equal payments on the following dates: April 1, 2024 & August 1, 2024. For registrations received after July 1, payment will be due in full.
For cancellations made on or before August 1, 2024, we will honor a 50% refund. Any cancellations after August 1, 2024, will not qualify for a refund. Details of the cancellation policy can be found here.
EXTRA DETAILS
- Group Video Call - We will have a group video call once registration has closed to welcome and virtually meet all the particpants! This is a great time to ask any questions you may have, so please hold your list of any non-urgent questions!
- Whats App Group - In order to have accessible communication, we will start a whats app group chat once we have all of our participants. This will be helpful before and during the trip. It's even great to stay in touch after!
- Group size - In an effort to keep the group intimate and ability to provide a quality experience we have a maximum of 12 participants. We need a minimum of 8 in order to run the trip.
- Weather - The weather in Oaxaca during December is on the more chilly side, with chances of rain. However, weather is never predictable so we recommend packing in layers for a variety of weather conditions. We will send a more detailed packing list prior to the trip.
- Travel Insurance - It is highly recommended to get traveler's insurance for BOTH your airfare and trip to have yourself financially covered should any unexpected situations occur. We can not refund or credit due to changes of participant circumstances. Please see cancellation policy for more details.
- Food - we will do our best to accomodate any food perferences or allergies, however some meals will be in folks homes, or in small restaurants where options are limited. If you have food specifications, we recommend bringing your own snacks for instances where we aren't able to accomodate.
- Getting from and to the airport - we will provide you with information for trusted transportation to and from the airport. The small fee will be at your own expense.
- Currency - there is an ATM at the Oaxaca airport. We recommend taking out some cash as there are limited cash options available once you arrive in Teotitlan. There will be opportunities to visit ATM later in the trip.
- If you would like a partner or child to attend with you, but not participate in the workshops, please reach out to us individually prior to registering!