Oaxaca, Mexico, is known for her textile diversity. Cotton and silk threads, and wool yarn are woven into amazing fabrics that become clothing, home goods, and rugs. Many pieces are unique and tell a story of family, community, beliefs and spirituality. In the city and throughout remote mountain villages, women and men weave using ancient technologies – back strap loom, pedal loom and flying shuttle loom. Each technique yields a different type of cloth. Some threads are even dyed using natural plant materials such as wild marigold, pecan nuts and shells, tree bark and leaves, and with the nopal cactus parasitic insect that yields carminic acid. You may have heard of it: cochineal. This was the most valuable export from Mexico during the Spanish conquest next to gold and silver.