Mexico, Mexican Dreamweavers, Backstrap Weaving

Mexican Dreamweavers is a non-profit organization that supports the Tixinda Weaving Cooperative in Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca. The Tixinda weavers produce cotton huipiles, posohuancos and rebozos, as well as textiles for homeware–table spreads and runners, bedspreads, throw pillows, placemats and napkins. 

The Tixinda weavers use 100% cotton and natural plant and animal dyes, including one very rare and sacred colour tixinda purple dye. Tixinda purple is sustainably milked from the endangered tixinda sea snail (caracol purpura pansa), the exclusive cultural patrimony of the men of this Mixtec town.  Only 15 men on Earth still practice this ancient dyeing technique and 'tixinda' may soon disappear if conservation efforts to protect this endangered sea snail are not successful. The primary colour palette also includes blues and blacks of indigo and the red cochinilla derived from a beetle that lives on the nopal cactus. They also work with other plant dyes such as the gold pericon, the yellow sempesuchil and the barks of various trees. 

The Coastal Mixtec Oaxacan weavers are one of the last groups in Mexico to grow their own cotton, both white and native brown coyuchi, spin it on a drop spindle, dye it with natural dyes and weave it on backstrap looms. They grow the native brown and green coyuchi and white cotton. 

To follow the story of Mexican Dreamweavers, find them on social media here.