How the Mexican Weaving Communities Wove Their Way Into Our Hearts

Our idea of a 'holiday', or any kind of travelling, has changed over the years. We're after experiences now - we want to absorb culture and see, smell and hear new things. That's how we fell in love with the Oaxaca communities in Mexico.

I am a native Mexican who now lives in Cheltenham, and the authentic, colourful communities from my home country have long had a place in my heart. It was when I took Chris, my partner, to this area in Mexico that it had a truly significant impact on me. I had studied textiles and design in Mexico City as a young woman and on our visit I was so attracted to the many indigenous styles of my home country I just knew I had to share these wonderful sights, sounds and smells with other people. Our experience changed our life and work.

Because of my love of weaving and Mexican culture, I created a series of tours to allow others to appreciate this intense culture. Chris and I set up Weaving the World (www.weavingtheworld.co.uk). My aim is to introduce people to the traditional Mexican weaving techniques and at the same time provide direct income to the weavers themselves.

These craft-making traditions are so important to keep alive. Teotitlan, which we visited frequently, is one of several villages in the Oaxaca area where weaving forms an integral part of the livelihood of its few thousand residents. The local weavers were no match for industrialised weaving methods and cheap imports, and there was little appreciation of the time and skill that went into weaving using the time honoured methods of the region. Some local weavers moved over to using chemical dyes or less labour intensive methods of production, many simply abandoned their roots and moved to the city in search of work. There was a real danger that these age old techniques were going to disappear altogether.

All the local methods are natural and ecologically based, including the gathering of local plants to obtain dyes. Our Weaving the World tours show the entire process from start to finish and provide hands-on instruction, step by step, to produce our own projects. We go through the whole intricate process, with all students completing their own weavings and a celebration and exhibition of all of the works of art. It's traditional to toast the completion with a drink of the local mezcal - a rather strong alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the maguey plant.

Travel is about experiences, and we include as much authentic cultural experiences as we can in the tour including markets, black clay demonstrations, and local cooking. We feel passionately that travel is about much more than just seeing; it's about being part of something and understanding and absorbing the culture so that it stays with you in the future.

This is what Weaving the World is all about, and we'd love you to join us on our tours - the next one takes place in August, details of which can requested through Travel Matters.

Thanks to Palmira Serra for the guest blog piece.