Without a doubt, blogging about living in Oaxaca has brought a myriad of fascinating, knowledgeable, and just plain fun people into my life. Thus, after meeting through my blog a couple of years ago, Kalisa Wells and I finally met in person last week at a textile talk at the Oaxaca Lending Library. Given that we both love textiles, we arranged to rendezvous a couple of days later at a Museo Textil de Oaxaca expo-venta.
While I was acquainted with the work of most of the artisans from Oaxaca on display, I was unfamiliar with the weaving of Ahuirán, Michoacán. Kalisa has a long history with traveling, living, and loving Mexico — including Michoacán.
So, with great enthusiasm, she whisked me off to the booth of Purépecha weaver Cecelia Bautista Caballero and her daughters, Ángeles Rodriguez Bautista and Araceli Rodriguez Bautista — where Kalisa was greeted like a long lost sister and I was warmly welcomed.
Among other innovations, Cecilia brought back the pre-Hispanic Purépecha tradition of using feathers in weaving. Multiple layers of individual feathers are hand sewn into the fringe of many of her beautiful backstrap woven rebozos (shawls) — providing an ethereal elegance to these staples of women’s attire in Mexico.
One of the daughters soon had us draped in these works of art, where we drew a crowd — some of whom also couldn’t resist being wrapped in the beauty of these exquisite pieces. Meeting new people almost always leads to learning new things and experiencing culture in more personal ways.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 
Wonderful post Shannon. Beautiful work. I will never get enough of this. Thanks for sharing to those of us who can’t be there to soak in all this art and culture.
Thanks, Sandi! The culture here never ceases to amaze me.
So interesting, Shannon! I was admiring those rebozos from afar, but didn’t know they came from Michoacán — a state that shines with culture and craft.
Now I SO want to visit Michoacán!
Great post! You look beautiful, Kalisa, in the black and white rebozo!😘
Yes, she does. 😉
Maravilloso! I can see why you were awed.
They were SO beautiful — pieces of art!!!
I’m impressed
Me, too!
Excellent post! Great to see Kalisa and the beautiful weavings!
Thank you! Grateful to Kalisa for introducing me to these amazing textiles.
Gorgeous ! Made me get out my Michoacán rebozos, … but I don’t have any with the feathers, and I’m afraid I covet them.
They are true works of art!
Stunning! Wish I were there to see these works up close.
I feel so lucky to see them up close and personal!
I read she died within the last few days. I wear the rebozo I bought from her this day in Oaxaca more than any other one I own. It is not a feathered one—but incredibly beautiful and unique nonetheless. There will never be another Nana Cecilia Bautista Caballero. QEPD.
Kalisa and I have been talking about a Michoacán trip for several years and we had hoped to visit her and her daughters in Ahuirán. Alas, the pandemic has gotten in the way and now it’s too late to visit with Cecilia Bautista Caballero. DEP.