Jessica's Fiber Viewing Trip

Jessica is a spinner and weaver; she has had a few of Betty's English Angora pets for many years but they had passed from old age.  Recently Jessica adopted the two French Angora boys offered by Betty; the broken black is named Cassidy and the broken tort Sundance. 

Jessica spends her yearly vacation on touring areas with fiber artists.  In 2012 just prior to picking up Cassidy and Sundance, she spent two weeks in Mexico visiting local fiber artists.



I spent Christmas holidays in Oaxaca, Mexico this year. A couple days after New Year's, I went to a village located about six hours from Oaxaca city, called San Bartolo Yautepec (SBY). I'd visited the textile museum in the city of Oaxaca the year before, and heard a tour guide talk about an antique piece of weaving on display from this village. He told us they did the finest weaving in Oaxaca. When I heard this, I wanted to know more. I went to several stores in the city of Oaxaca that sold weavings. I spoke with the owners, asking if they had pieces from SBY. It took me awhile, but finally I found one. I talked to the young woman who worked there about the current weavings done in SBY. She showed me a blouse and a dress from there. I made a mental note of the store, and returned there this year. It was right before Christmas, and a man from San Bartolo Yautepec had arrived a few minutes before me. He was selling a piece his wife had finished. I talked to the man, got his name, the name of his wife, and directions to his village.

I ended up going with a private driver and a group of people (I usually take public transportation). The village is about 30-45 minutes from the main road. They have a swimming hole where they swim all year long! We saw some weaving (done on a backstrap loom), met the woman who made the weaving (Matilde Dominguez) and her daughter, and talked with a man who made baskets, and brooms, and cut hair for a living. He'd never seen a white person other than on TV before!

 The picture is of Matilde's house, made out of adobe. This is unusual as most houses are made with cinder blocks.

 

The picture is the basket maker and me.