The beautiful tapete (rug) is almost finished. I will pick it up from Odilon when I am in Teotitlan. Odilon told me he is using 20 colors. Both naturally colored wool yarn and yarns dyed with natural dyes he has foraged.
Departure is just two weeks away! One suitcase is packed and one more to go. Both workshops are full, and I am super excited to meet the participants. Committee members will again host me in their homes for my evening meal. Odilon, my friend, translator, and assistant, will accompany me. Last year, thanks to Odilon, I had interesting and in-depth conversations about dyeing, weaving, local dye plants, and more. Having these sorts of conversations is so valuable. I feel honored to be welcomed into people's homes. Counting the days!
Exciting News
Registration for the January workshop, Making Maya Blue, went live this morning. This is thanks to you! Your support made this happen!
Handouts for the Making Maya Blue Workshop! All the prep work for creating the workshop handouts is complete! It all starts with setting up my studio to be as close to the conditions in Teotitlan as possible. Then, a run-thru of each technique for feasibility, timing, tools, materials, etc. I make copious notes and then use those notes to create written instructions. Finally, the instructions get entered into DeepL (a translation tool). Not done yet - I need to check that DeepL's translation from English to Spanish is correct. Once I was satisfied, I printed out the instruction sheets.
Campaign ends soon!
Clouds It has been a little while since my last update. The campaign has raised $3687.00 from 19 donations! The campaign is winding down - with just 23 days to go. All the testing of the techniques has been completed. Instructions are written, triple-checked, and translated into Spanish. Supplies have been purchased, and I will soon start to fill my suitcases. My departure date has been moved up a day - I will now fly out on Dec 31st. I am looking forward to welcoming the New Year in Oaxaca.
Thank you for helping to make this trip possible!! I cannot do this work without your generosity!
Odilon is about to begin weaving the very special tapete (rug) that is a reward for donating to Making Maya Blue. I hope you enjoy the short video and the pictures! Wouldn't you like to have such a special piece in your home??
A new reward added!
Palo de Brasil flower bandana.jpeg102.87 KB 100% Cotton Bandana silkscreened with Palo de Brasil. Palo de Brasil is a tree that is native to Mexico. It has been used as a dyestuff in the villages of Oaxaca for centuries. Today the heartwood is sustainably harvested.
Odilon Lorenzo Gonzalez is a weaver, dyer, music teacher, and friend.
I first met Odilon in 2022 at my indigo workshop in Teotitlan. We stayed in touch after the workshop.
When it was confirmed that I’d be returning to Teotitlan in 2023, I asked Odilon if he would like to be my assistant and interpreter. He immediately said yes!
Odilon did an outstanding job. At the end of my stay Odilon invited me to his home for a meal and to meet his beautiful wife and charming young daughters. Our friendship has only strengthened and Odilon will again assist me in 2025.
I have commissioned Odilon to weave a tapete (small rug) as a reward for this campaign. It is one-of-a-kind, woven with wool yarns dyed from plants foraged locally - the colors are from pericón, zapote fruit, nut shells, nut leaves, palo de águila, and huizache.
When Odilon asked me what pattern/design I would like, I replied that he should “weave what makes you happy”, and that made him very happy.
Odilon will begin weaving the tapete at the beginning of October and I will carry it back after the workshop. That is why there is no picture of the tapete. But once he begins to weave Odilon will send photos of the piece in progress on the loom, and I will post them in the updates section. The small rug will be approximately 80cm X 150cm (30” x 60”). The two photos below labeled Traditional Design and Tree of Life are woven in the same color palette as the Tapete being offered as a reward.
I have attached photos of four of Odilon’s tapetes. As you can see his work is very detailed and absolutely stunning!
One of the best parts about what I do is meeting new people.
Eduardo Santiago @manosuciaediciones is a papermaker and artist from Oaxaca, he took my workshop last year at Calpulli, and we have stayed in touch. I asked Eduardo to make paper for my upcoming workshops at CCCdeTV. He will make small vessels (godetes) to hold the participants’ watercolor paint. Eduardo makes watercolor paints and cares very much about the environment.
I can’t wait for the participants to try their ink, watercolor, and printing paste on Eduardo’s beautiful, handmade paper!
Your donation to my campaign, Making Maya Blue, really goes beyond the workshops. Your donation allows me to work with/collaborate/support local artisans. And I Thank You!
CCCdeTV Teotitlan del Valle, Mexico Maya Blue Workshop I am planning on holding 2-day workshops at the Centro Cultural Comunitario Teotitlán del Valle (CCCdeTV) in January 2025. The CCCdeTV is a volunteer organization. The committee serves for two years. They do a tremendous amount for the community. Over the two days, the participants will learn to make Maya Blue Powder, an ancient color much loved by the Aztecs and Mayans. They will learn a simple process to make a screen for printing their design. We will then make a botanical printing paste for printing on both cloth and paper. The powder will also be used to make botanical ink and watercolor paint. We will be using handmade paper from a local papermaker. This will be a very hands-on workshop. I am so excited to share the making of this beautiful color with the participants.
For the workshop, I volunteer my time and supply all materials at no cost to the participants.
Why is this workshop important? • Reintroducing Maya Blue, a color with strong connections to Mesoamerica, is an important step culturally.
• Teaching techniques that can help economically is important.
• Providing the tools that will aid in the creation of new products is important.
How will the money be used? Airfare, food, lodging, my translator, and transportation in Oaxaca All materials for the workshop. This workshop requires specific materials, some I will pack in my suitcase, and others I will purchase in Oaxaca.
Many of you already know about my work over the past 17 years traveling and teaching free workshops to local artisans around the world. I am so grateful that I can continue to do this work. But it can only happen with your kind generosity!!
All donations made on Fundraising by Fractured Atlas will be processed by Fractured Atlas. Fractured Atlas is a 501(c)(3) public charity; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Fractured Atlas will issue tax receipts for all donations made through a campaign.
Rewards
Featured
Maya Blue Printed Bandana - Flowers on White Background
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $25.00 is tax-deductible.
Cotton Bandana handprinted with Maya Blue printing paste Size: Approximately 22" X 24"
cards.jpeg166.33 KB This set of 3 handmade cards utilizes flowers from my dye garden - Dyer's Chamomile, Purple Pincushion, and Calendula. The leaves and stems are drawn using a blend of my botanical inks (Maya Blue & Weld). Each set may vary from what is shown here. The cards are one-of-a-kind! Envelopes are supplied and the cards are blank inside.
Surprise Gift from Oaxaca
Donate $30.00 or more
Amount over $10.00 is tax-deductible.
I always have so much fun walking through the marketplaces in search of that perfect surprise gift! Oaxaca has many places where one can find handcrafted items. Each town has market stallsPapel picado from the Mercado.
Maya Blue Printed Bandana - Spirals on White Background
Cotton Bandana handprinted with Maya Blue printing paste Size: Approximately 22" X 24"
Bundle-dyed Organic Cotton Bandana
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $25.00 is tax-deductible.
bundle dyed bandana.jpeg180.94 KB This organic cotton bandana was made using flowers from my dye garden! There could be - Sulfur Cosmos, Marigold Petals, Purple Pincushion, Goldenrod, and/or Dyer's Coreopsis. Each bandana will be one-of-a-kind, made just for you!
The Maya Blue Ink is handcrafted in my studio. Maya Blue Ink is made right here in my studio in Roanoke VA. This ancient color was much prized by the Aztecs and Mayans. It was used to decorate codexes, paint bodies, color pottery, used in murals, it represented water (especially rain), and was the color of sacrifice
Maya Blue Ink is perfect to use with a brush on paper. The color is very light-fast. These inks are designed for use with brushes, quill pens, and dip pens, NOT fountain pens. The inks can clog/corrode a fountain pen, damaging the pen. Made from all-natural ingredients, packaged in a 30ml stopper bottle. This is not a dye, not for use on fabric.
Palo de Brasil printed Cotton Bandana
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $25.00 is tax-deductible.
Palo de Brasil flower bandana 100% cotton bandana screen printed with Palo de Brasil, sustainably harvested in Mexico. Approximate size - 23" x 24"
Handcrafted Cotton Top
Donate $225.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
Spiral Cotton Top Cotton top hand-dyed and handprinted in my studio. The cotton fabric is hand-dyed with Thyme Extract and screen-printed with a botanical printing paste made from Palo de Brasil. Available in S, M, L, XL, .XXL Care instructions included.
Fully Claimed!
One-of-a-kind handwoven, hand-dyed Tapete (rug) from Teotitlan
Odilon's Hand-dyed Yarns are all dyed with local, natural plant dyes I have asked my friend Odilon to weave a special, small rug for the campaign. When he asked me what pattern, I replied - weave what makes you happy! He will begin weaving in about 2 weeks (around Oct 1st) - that is why there is no picture of the actual tapete. But once on the loom, I will post photos of the tapete in progress in the updates. The size is approximately 80cm X 150cm. The yarns above will be used in the tapete and are dyed with traditional Zapotec dye materials that are locally foraged. The colors are from pericón, zapote fruit, nut shells, nut leaves, palo de águila, and huizache. This is a very special, one-of-a-kind tapete woven especially for the campaign. I will be carrying it back from Oaxaca in January.
