Otomi.

When I was in Puerto Vallarta this past spring I spent a lot of time wandering around the market stalls in Old Vallarta. I was in my glory. First off, I'm a shopper and the bargains were amazing. Second, the eye candy was phenomenal.

Everywhere I turned there was something to look at - the shopkeepers sweeping their stalls, the stacks of knockoff handbags, the coloured glass, the stacks of silver platters and painted bowls and the beautiful hand embroidered textiles including stunning hand embroidered Otomi prints.

From the bit of homework I've done, the Otomi are an indigenous group of people living in the central antiplano of Mexico. One of the oldest and most complex cultures of Mesoamerica, the Otomi are known for their worship of the sun, their unique indigenous language, their farming and their beautiful weaving and textile production.

A majority of the prints feature animal and floral prints representative of the Otomi culture. I loved the vibrant colours and playful nature of the fabrics.

I fell in love with the prints instantly and am still kicking myself for not purchasing some of my faves. I kept putting off purchasing any thinking "oh, we have another day - I'll see what else I can find at the next stall." Next thing you know, I'm back in Winterpeg sans Otomi.

I've done a bit of digging to see if I can find any fabric locally and was shocked to see my 250 peso pillow covers retailing for $95.00 USD. I'm hoping to get back to Puerto Vallarta sooner than later, and in addition to the sets of blue glassware and silver trays that I intend to bring back, I also plan on filling a suitcase with Otomi in blues, reds, yellows and whatever other tones and patterns jump out at me!

Pillow covers? I think so!

Here are a couple of other cool ideas that I found online that have included Otomi.