Happy New Year to you all!
I know I'm a little late, but I only just returned from an indulgent week-long trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where I spent all day every day swimming in the ocean, lying in the sun, and drinking mojitos. However, I did manage to drag myself away from the beach once or twice and wander around the nearby towns. As you may very well know, Mexico has a strong tradition of stunning, colorful textiles. This type of vibrant embroidery is everywhere:
But at a little hole-in-the-wall shop on the streets of San Lucas, I came across this more unusual (and glorious) patchwork quilt:
(It's huge and difficult to fit in one picture!)
I instantly knew that had to have it, and my boyfriend heroically bartered down the price for me. I'd been told that you have to barter in the marketplaces, but I'm terrible at it--the merchants can probably tell when I want something badly enough to pay whatever they ask. I was actually thrilled to find a little tear in the middle of the quilt which gave us some negotiating amo. I have no idea who made this piece or what sort of quilting tradition it comes from--perhaps none at all. I just fell in love with the bold colors and irregular patchwork design. I'm especially fond of these bits of embroidered fabric that don't quite match the rest:
Cramming this baby into my (er, my boyfriend's) suitcase was no easy feat. Still, while many others seem to leave Mexico with shot glasses, I can't think of a better souvenir to remember my trip by. Do you have any textile souvenirs from your travels? I'd love to hear about them.