Image: Micaela Yaj Sunú, Freedom (detail), Embroidered Story Cloth. All images courtesy of Multicolores.

Join us on Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 March 2021 for a two-day virtual workshop on The Art of Story Cloth. This workshop will be hosted by Multicolores, an association of Maya women artists who create original works of textile art through embroidery and rug-hooking. Combining stitching with needle turn appliqué, the artists create highly detailed, layered compositions that express a visual narrative through texture, pattern and drawing. Like stitched paintings, story cloths explore colourful stories inspired by the artist’s folklore, family, community, and personal experiences, displaying mastery of dozens of embroidery stitches. Each artwork is a vibrant expression of the artist’s individual imagination and creative voice.

Image: Sara Sojuel Tzina, Embroidered Portrait (detail). 

In this two-day contemporary embroidery workshop, you will explore the art of hand-stitched story cloths. Your instructors will begin by sharing some of their own work and sources of inspiration. They will invite you to consider the many sources of your own stories:  family lore, community traditions and celebrations, folktales and legends, life experiences and our own vivid imagination. The artists will lead you in a discussion about the use of symbols and other visual strategies to convey meaning and emotion in each piece.

Image: Romana Garcia Tzunun, The Storyteller (detail), story cloth. 

The artists will guide you through their design process:  sketching concepts, playing with placement, scale and composition, choosing colour combinations and transferring final designs to fabric. Artists will review a vocabulary of five stitches that can be used to create an infinite variety of textures, lines and shapes, sharing their expert stitching tips and important dos and don'ts. The workshop includes a downloadable design guide with several of the artists’ original templates. By the end of the workshop, you will have designed and begun stitching a story cloth inspired by your own personal narrative. While some embroidery experience is recommended, this workshop is suitable for experienced embroiderers and beginners alike. 

For more information, the full list of materials, and to book your place, visit the workshop page: The Art of Story Cloth, Virtual Workshop with Multicolores from Guatemala

View our other upcoming workshops here.