Textiles

Milagros Para Ti offers you the finest in rugs, huipiles, rebozos, blouses and purses.

Textiles are produced throughout Mexico and contemporary textiles derive their richness and variety from the combination, over many centuries, of different materials, techniques and decorative motifs. All our textile products are hand woven using only natural, colorfast dyes. White cotton is native to the New World as is the luscious toffee colored strain called coyuche. Preparation of the cotton and the dyes to color it is arduous taking from a few hours to several days. Blue comes from the anil plant, red from the cochineal bug which lives on the cactus plant, yellows from lichen, and black from Indigo.

Huipiles and Rebozos

These most delicate and lovely of wraps are themselves a miracle of Mexico. They have been used not only as clothing but have also found their way onto tables as runners and on windows as curtains! We offer them to you in cotton, wool and silk. Each rebozo is hand woven and colorfast, dyed from natural plants and animals. Shades range from white to the most brilliant of colors. The soft beige rebozos are made from coyuche, a naturally caramel colored cotton native to Mexico.

Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, high in the mountains of the Mixe region of Oaxaca, produces hand woven and naturally dyed cotton shawls in a beautiful array of earth tones. This proud region was never conquered and remains a sacred place for the Mixes who are striving to preserve their traditions and provide the village with an economic base though the sales of textiles.

Debbie also travels to Guatemala to find the best in tightly woven purses, placemats and jackets.

The Vasquez Family, Teotitlan Del Valle

From a tradition that has lasted well over eleven generations, the Vasquez family continues to practice the craft of creating textiles from 100% wool. The entire family, headed by Isaac Vasquez, lives and works in Teotitlan Del Valle amongst many other families of artisans practicing the same craft. Recognized as a proponent of tradition and for his aesthetic capabilities, Vasquez has developed into a respected artisan in his community as well as on an international level. Many of his works have been displayed in major museums throughout the world and he has been featured in numerous publications on Mexican artisans. Isaac Vasquez and his wife Guadalupe have passed down their skills to their eight children who all participate in continuing the family tradition.
The process they follow in producing their exquisite rugs is long and requires incredible skill. It begins with the collection of the sheep's wool when it reaches its longest length. After the wool is gathered it is then washed in waters of nearby rivers, carded to remove foreign material, and then hand spun into thread on a wooden spinning wheel. Next batches of wool are dyed in colors extracted from natural animal and vegetal sources. From 4 basic colors (red, black, yellow and blue) over 126 different shades of color are derived.
The artistry of weaving a rug can take up to a few months to complete depending on the size and intricacy of the patterns. The Vasquez family's rugs feature popular, traditional, and unique designs usually inspired by Zapotec culture.