I’d like to introduce you to Odilon Lorenzo González, a talented artisan from Teotitlán del Valle who will be assisting me during the upcoming Shibori in Oaxaca, Mexico, 2026 workshop.

The beautiful tapete (rug) you see here was handwoven by Odilon, and it’s available as a special donor reward on my campaign page.

🎥 Odilon also created a short video showing his process — from preparing the wool to the final weaving.

I love sharing the work of the incredible artisans I collaborate with, and Odilon’s dedication to his craft truly shines through.

Your support helps make this workshop possible — providing materials, covering travel, and ensuring artisans in Teotitlán del Valle can take part in this creative exchange.

Thank you,
Linda

I have been keeping very busy preparing for the workshop in Teotitlán del Valle.

Everything is in good shape. Samples made & instructions written (both English and Spanish)

Workshop materials have been purchased. This is a great time of the year for this. Lots of back-to-school specials and coupons help me save money. I will still do a little shopping in Oaxaca for items I cannot carry with me.

What am I working on now?? I decided to dye fabric and make tops to wear, one for each day of the workshop, to show different Shibori techniques. Taking my time and enjoying the process!

Also, October 7th is my birthday! At 10:56 am on Tuesday, October 7th, I’ll turn 75. Yes, seventy-five! I’ve been on this planet for three-quarters of a century, and that feels like something worth honoring.
To mark this special birthday, I’ve created a limited edition collection of indigo-dyed cotton scarves as a reward. The fabric, soft and beautiful, comes from Japan, and each piece is dyed by me, making every scarf truly one of a kind.

One of the more important things I have been doing is diving deeper into the research of tie-dye in Mexico. While there is not a lot of published material, what I am finding is fascinating. Very little fabric has survived, so we need to look at the Codices from that time.

Here is an important reference from Tehuacán, Puebla, about 3.5 hours northwest of Teotitlán del Valle.

Of course, different scholars have their own theories about the technique used for the pattern on the cape.

1 – tie-dye

2 – a combination of tie-dye and a paste resist.

3 - turquoise stones cut and stitched onto the fabric

Here is a reproduction of the fabric:

I am excited to return this "tie and stitch resist" to Teotitlán del Valle. Thank you for helping to make this happen!

I’ve been keeping busy since my last update!

With all the dyed samples complete, I shifted my focus to writing detailed instructions for each technique.
Thanks to the help of DeepL and ChatGPT, I was able to translate everything into Spanish, making the workshop accessible to everyone.
I even finished writing and translating the instructions for the Iron Vat, a key part of our process.

This week wasn’t just about writing — there was plenty of cutting and sawing too!
I cut PVC pipes for Arashi Shibori and sawed square dowels, which will be used to hang the pieces in the dye pot.

While it’s a lot of work, it’s also exciting and allows me to visualize the workshop coming to life.
And through it all, I’ve been thinking about you — the donors whose generosity makes this project possible.

Thank you for your continued support!
 You’re helping to bring this dream to life for the community.

It has been a busy time creating the samples for the upcoming workshop!
The process has been both fun and, at times, a little challenging—but always rewarding.
Although the workshop is still several months away, I wanted to get an early start on creating samples that showcase the techniques participants will learn. Now that the sampling is complete, I’ll decipher my notes and write out the instructions.
Here’s a glimpse of the variety of Shibori techniques I’ll be teaching—each one full of possibility and beauty!

 I want to share with you what will happen in the afternoon of the first day of the Shibori workshop I will be leading in Teotitlán.

On the first day of the workshop, after we prepare our indigo vats, I will introduce participants to the history and practice of Shibori, exploring its connections to tie-dye traditions from around the world.

Creating a resist on fabric and then dyeing it is thousands of years old. It has been done the world over since ancient times. There are date discrepancies, and I have tried to choose the most accurate. Here are just a few dates:

Ancient Egypt – 1000 B.C.
 

India - 4000 years ago

Peru - 1500 years ago

Japan - as far back as the 6th century, but probably further back.

China – 206 BCE

West Africa – 1800s

Mexico – during the time of the Mayans

I am fortunate enough to have four samples, 1 each from China, West Africa, India, and Japan. Each piece has meaning for me. I also have photos of Wari Fabric from Peru.

The Zha Ran from China is a pair of pants. I picked them up at a tiny shop off the beaten path on one of the small islands near Hong Kong in 1998 or 1999. The indigo was so deep the pants looked almost black, and the butterflies were almost invisible. The shop owner told me to soak the pants in salt water before I wore them. Of course, I couldn’t wait and wore them the next day – that night I had blue legs. But the indigo washed right off my legs as it had already oxidized.

The Fulani is made up of narrow strips of handspun, handwoven cotton fabric stitched together and then tied and dyed in natural indigo. It was about 20 years ago. There was a fabric expo at the Javitts Center in NYC. Within the exposition was a showplace that featured World Textiles. I spotted this fabric immediately. The fabrics were not for sale, only for exhibition. I asked the woman minding the booth if I could buy one of the fabrics. She nodded yes, and in a whisper told me to meet her behind the wall at a certain time. So, I waited until it was time to meet and was able to buy this beautiful piece of fabric.

The Bhandani is from Rajasthan. I visited a small village in the Thar Desert. The women in the village were all wearing beautiful Bhandani Saris and head coverings, but I couldn’t find any shops selling the fabrics. It was beginning to get dark, and time to return to my hotel, when I passed a shop and thought I spotted Bhandani. Sure enough, they had shelves of inexpensive cotton Bhandani. Though my sample is not dyed with natural dyes, I will always cherish it for the memory of being in that tiny shop in that small village as the sun was setting.

The Arimatsu Shibori from Japan is a new piece for me. I purchased it from a US dealer, especially for the workshop. I am not sure how old it is; it is a scrap, probably originally a kimono fabric, and it is handwoven silk, tied and then dyed in indigo.

Finally, the photos of the Wari cloth from Peru. This cloth is what gave me the idea for this workshop. I could relate that what was done in Peru long ago could reach Mexico and be an influence on the Oaxacan textiles. 

This is especially true for the famous Rebozos (shawls). While not the same technique as we can see in the above photos, this technique is Jaspe (ikat). The process involves tying and dyeing sections of the warp (lengthwise) and/or weft (widthwise) threads before weaving, creating distinctive patterns. 
I picked up this Rebozo in the Sunday Market in Tlacolula, Mexico, in 2009!

The two photos below: a sample of Japse, from my Rebozo, the second photo is a small sample of vintage Japanese Kasuri (Ikat) silk fabric, probably from a Kimono.

I hope you enjoyed going on this textile journey with me!