Otomí embroidery, also known as Tenango embroidery, is attributed to the indigenous Otomí-Tepehua community in the mountains surrounding Tenango de Doria in the state of Hidalgo. This region is known as “the cradle of embroidery” due to the community’s dedication to the craft.
Otomí artisans draw inspiration from daily life, resulting in work that typically depicts images of local festivities, harvests, religious ceremonies, natural landscapes, plants, and animals. Many Otomí artists add mythological creatures, abstract designs, and fantastical plants to their embroideries.
In addition to its distinct and joyful imagery, Otomí embroidery is well-loved for its vibrant use of color. Otomí embroidery technique maximizes the amount of colorful thread on the fabric by tactfully using what is available and minimizing thread on the backside.
In this workshop, participants will embroider a common Otomí motif at home, while learning about the history and deep cultural significance that embroidery plays in Mexican culture.
Date
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
Time
12:00 – 2:30 pm EST
Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class
*All sessions will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all those who register following the live session. This link is live for one month after the end of the series for you to watch at your convenience.
Cost
$65 for the individual class, $350 for the series
A materials kit for this series can be purchased here. It even includes a special, hand-drawn motif on fabric created by Tenango artisans! Please note that this kit includes most but not all of the class materials suggested by each teacher. Suggested materials for this class can be found below.
Class Materials:
- Medium-weight cotton fabric in natural/white color, 10 x 10 inch square
- Embroidery needle (Size 7 or 9)
- 6-strand embroidery thread, separated into 3 strands, in an assortment of bright colors
- 6-inch embroidery hoop
Our Teacher
Maité Jiménez is a textile artist and teacher born and raised in Mexico City, where she has been surrounded by textiles all her life. As a child, Maité’s grandmother embroidered and made bobbin lace, while her mother and aunts would embroider, weave, and knit. This early exposure to textile creation led Maité to study Textile Design at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where she deepened her exploration of the textile arts. Maité went on to work in automotive textiles for 7 years with Guilford Mills in Mexico City, specializing in Jacquard weaving, but remained fascinated by her country’s rich textile traditions and began a self-guided immersive exploration of Mexican textile traditions. Maité has researched and studied traditional techniques with artisans from Oaxaca, Chiapas, Hidalgo, Puebla, and State of Mexico. Through this journey, Maité has learned how challenging it can be to find teachers of traditional Mexican textile techniques. Now, Maité makes these learnings more accessible to curious minds like herself by running an Airbnb experience in which she shares her passion for traditional Mexican textiles with textile lovers from around the world. Maité also works alongside her sister, making costume pieces for independent theater, film, and dance companies.
