Elena de Jesús Hernández

If you’ve been to the Ajijic plaza, you’ve almost certainly passed by weaver Elena de Jesús Hernández, who sets up shop in the northeast corner of the plaza seven days a week.

Elena makes a variety of items, including bracelets, necklaces, key chains, and earrings. But what grabs your attention the most must be the traditionally-woven dresses, ponchos, and blankets.

On some days you can catch her as she weaves with her telar de cintura. Don’t hesitate to approach and observe — she’s very proud of her work, and rightly so. Her designs are intricate, her technique by now intuitive, and as her hands and fingers work expertly you begin to appreciate a lifetime of dedication to her craft.

It takes her about two months to finish a piece like the one she’s shown making with her waist loom in the pictures below. Her prices are ridiculously low considering the energy, detail, and love she puts into her work: sometimes eight months or more to complete a single dress.

Elena, who came to Ajijic 30 years ago from San Juan Copala, Oaxaca, began weaving at age eight after learning from her mother and her grandmother. She is a member of the Triqui indigenous group, which resides in the northeast part of the State of Oaxaca.