… One of the things she had been working on, and teaching workshops in, is the art of the si’kuli (Huichol), or ojo de dios (Spanish), or god’s eye. While I was familiar with this craft, having seen it all over Mexico on my extensive and numerous visits there, and while I had even taught it to children and parents in a multicultural playgroup I used to facilitate in one of my former roles, something about the ones Irene posted about sparked an interest and curiosity in me that I hadn’t explored before.

Rebozos, shawls, traditional and/or indigenous textiles, woven fabrics and the stories they hold have fascinated me for as long as I can recall. I remember being fascinated by my mother’s woven shawls and when I was learning to sew as a young teenager I was always drawn to the delicate handwoven fabrics, even though they weren’t always the easiest ones to manage. However, my real interest in indigenous and traditional textiles really took off back in 2000 as a young 18-year-old whilst living in Mexico on a yearlong exchange program and immersion into Mexican life and culture. In many ways, that single year changed the course of my life for it was that experience that awoke in me a deep intrigue and curiosity of other cultures and ways of life and the experience of learning a new language through total immersion was one that would lead to several other similar experiences in other parts of the world in the coming years. It was also the beginning of my love affair with Latin America generally but with Mexico…