Inspired by the Artisanry of Shipibo Embroidery

The three-day weekend forecast is rain and more rain. Sounds like “making” time to me (oh “yeah” I say silently.) I keep a whiteboard in my studio where I list DIY projects for the house, all in random order waiting for inspiration and time to collide. “Make Shipibo Pillows” has been written on it ever since ClothRoads received a pile of richly embroidered Shipibo cloths from the Amazon, knowing they would make graphically-strong pillow tops.

The Shipibo women handstitch complex linear fractal patterns onto cotton cloth using brightly-colored threads–each square a unique, imaginative design. Girls learn to embroider patterns at about age 6 or 7, learning from their mothers or grandmothers. The stitched patterns express identity and their creative style. The women also handpaint maze-like designs on cotton cloth using earthen clay slip. I was gifted with a big square of this cloth years ago and now it will become the base for the pillow covers. Some step-by-step photos are here:

#1 Shipibo mud-painted cloth

#2 Stitched Shipibo cloth selected for pillow top.

#3 Another Shipibo design for next pillow top.

#4 Shipibo pillow top placed on cloth.

#5 Pillow top being sewn on top of Shipibo painted cloth.

#6 Pillow top sewn in place; pillow sewn, ready for stuffing.

#7 Completed Shipibo pillow.

Within a few hours, one pillow is complete. With rain forecast for the rest of the weekend, I’ll finish two more and this home dec project will be checked off. Hope your weekend is filled with whatever lifts your spirit. Go make something or come shop in the ClothRoads store.

Last week I wrote about the Nepali artisans–the help needed to rebuild The Red Sari factory, and to assist them financially during this time without work. You can still donate to the crowdfunding campaign at www.gofundme.com/theredsari. ClothRoads is donating 20% of our sales through the rest of May. Pass it on.