Mexico - Chamula Village, Chiapas

Date Visited: 6th February 2007
Local Language: Tzotzil

Presenting their work

Traditional dress for women is thick black wool skirts , with embroidered blouses, and thick shawls. Shoes are usually plastic and I saw no socks even in this chilly mountain environment.

Always Sewing

Here the group is presenting to us their work and constantly sewing whilst we discuss a possible order.

The women from this area are well known for their bright colourful embroidery. They embroider their blouses with bright bold colours.

Each woman has a specific way or pattern she likes to embroider. No two patterns are exactly the same but they are very similar.

Lucas & Son

Kids Tops
What a unique thing to get little ones to wear. Little hand embroidered tops and jackets from this village. Very cute with a pair of trousers.

Lucas & Son
Lucas is the representative for the Chamula village. His wife is the lady that presented me with Ogg. I asked their young son to model one of the kids tops and unfortunately he wasn’t best pleased and seemed a bit miffed by the situation. I still think he looks cute though.

Embroidered bag

Bags
They make bags from the same wool that they use for their skirts and tops.

These bags come with a black or grey wool base and have long over-the-shoulder straps.

There are two sizes:
1) large - which will fit all your neccessary bits and bobs in, and
2) small - which is perfect for a camera or mobile phone on a night out or at a festival.

Spinning Wool

We like to visit people's homes and workplaces. We enjoy talking with them, seeing how they live and work, and how the products are made.

Here two of the women showed us how the raw wool is brushed and separated and then spun in the traditional method.

Teaching the young to weave

Young girls grow up watching their mothers and other women from the village sew and weave. They pick it up from an early age.

Here a young girl's grandmother keeps an eye on her progress.

Ogg

Ogg
This is a gift that was presented to Happy-Hammock after we concluded our business. It was offered to bring us success. The local Tzotzil word for tortoise is ‘ogg’.