Ends of the Earth - Textile Tours

Over the years I have visited many crafts people around the world. It gives me great pleasure to develop tours where you too visit these people and have a chance to have hands experience of the craft.

I arrange comfortable accommodation with all amenities so that you can fully enjoy the day which is sometimes taken in, to us, quite primitive conditions. I also arrange a full cultural program visiting museums, archeological sites, markets, local attractions and of course tasting the traditional cuisine.

The tours are suitable for everybody and are not physically exacting. You do not need to be proficient in any craft but you do need to be really interested in textiles and willing to learn more.

COLOURS OF MEXICO

The tour begins and ends in Mexico City. After flying to Oaxaca the first week includes a 3 day dyeing workshop with cochineal, indigo and cumin in the old Zapotec centre of Teotitland del Vallee plus visits to beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca as well the pre-hispanic sites of Mitla and Monte Alban and local craft markets.

Then we take our private coach on a circular journey from Oaxaca to the Pacific coast and back. We visit many Mixtec and Amuzgo weaving villages to see colourful huipiles and enridos with a unique boat trip off the coast of Huatulco to dye murex with caracol purpura.

A fully qualified tourist guide and native of Teotitlan accompanies us throughout the tour.

The tour starts in the old Seljuk capital of Konya, traditional centre of kilim and carpet weaving and home to the Mevlani whirling dervishes. Herewe stay in Uzeyir Ozyurt's guest house. While in Konya we have hands experience of spinning, dyeing and weaving of kilims as well as felt making. You will be shown how to weave a small kilim for yourself and make a small felt item. We also study the history and meaning of carpet and kilim designs.

During our time in Turkey we will take a three day excursion into the southern Taurus mountains, staying in the high mountain village of Taskent. Here we will see the surviving nomads, their textile arts and their traditional way of life. While in Konya we have a full cultural program of visits to museums, turkish baths and archeological sites and experience traditional cuisine and watch a Sema (a whirling Dervish ceremony).

The cost of the tour is £550 (excluding arrival and departure flights) - full board and accomodation in twin bedded rooms, transport and workshops. I can arrange the flights and an extra three days sightseeing of Istanbul at the end of the tour.