On February 16 at 4:00pm the master weavers Maria Luisa Vázquez and her husband Jacobo Mendoza Ruiz artisans from Teotitlan del Valle, will demonstrate the spinning, dying, and weaving of their awe-inspiring pieces.
Jacobo is an award-winning master weaver. His tapestries have been featured in Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Jose, California, Los Angeles, California, San Francisco, California, and San Antonio, Texas. Today it is Jacobo, his wife Maria Luisa Vasquez de Mendoza, and their two children who keep the tradition alive as the fourth generation of weavers in Jacobo’s family.
Jacobo insists on solely using natural dyes for his work. He begins by dousing skeins of fine wool (hand-spun by Maria Luisa) in calcium, sea salt, and lime juice – a step that he describes as the secret to rich, natural colors. This allows the wool to soak in the beautiful hues by discouraging color loss.
The colors you’ll find in Jacobo’s tapestries and rugs come from different plants, roots, and fruit. Shades of blue are crafted from indigo, while yellows hail from pomegranate skin and marigold. The rich reds in his work have a particularly interesting story: they are the product of the cactus-dwelling cochinilla insect. The female form of the insect releases a vibrantly red natural acid when threatened by predators. Jacobo and his family collect the bugs from local cactus plants and use this natural acid to dye the wool.
We look forward to your participation in this event and to sharing a moment
of joy, learning, and adventure. Admission is free and we only ask that you
sign up at the hotel reception desk so that we may plan an adequate space.
