While starched white bonnets often come to mind when thinking of Dutch traditional dress, the former island-village of Marken, twelve miles from Amsterdam, holds a lesser-known costume tradition. Vibrant printed fabrics paired with intricate, deeply personal embroidery. The women of Marken worked in cross stitch and surface embroidery on both clothing and home textiles, and different styles of wool and silk waistcoats were made for everyday wear and bridal attire alike. Today, only three women still dress traditionally on a daily basis, though many still wear their “Marker” costume for national holidays and special occasions.
In this workshop, we’ll look closely at the history, craft, and culture of this small Dutch village, and stitch a rose modeled after the pattern found on the bridal women’s waistcoats.
Date
Thursday, December 17th, 2026
Time
12:00-2:30 pm ET
Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class
Cost
$75
Recording
All World Embroidery Series sessions will be recorded. A link to each recording will be emailed to all registrants following the live session. Each link is live for three months after the live session.
Class Materials:
The waistcoats are traditionally stitched on either black wool in bright colors, or burgundy shot silk with some muted tones. You can work in a muted palette (green, off-white, pale yellow, red or burgundy, and light blue) or a bright one (red or fuchsia, yellow, white, blue, and green).
- Embroidery floss
- Stranded cotton embroidery floss is recommended, but wool or silk can also be used
- Fabric
- Cotton or linen is recommended for this class, but wool or silk can also be used
- Embroidery needle
- Choose one with an eye that is easy to thread
- Transfer tool
- White chalk pencil for dark fabrics, or Frixion heat-sensitive pen for light-colored fabrics
- Scissors
- Optional: Embroidery hoop
About the World Embroidery Series
TATTER’s World Embroidery Series is a celebration of global embroidery craft. Sewists will encounter an astonishing array of culturally specific techniques, and will have the opportunity to learn from accomplished practicing teachers who are equally purposed in preserving heritage techniques.
Bundle Discount
When four World Embroidery classes are added to your cart, a 25% off code will be automatically applied. All classes must be in a single order to qualify for the discount.
Scholarships
We have one scholarship seat available for this workshop. To be considered for a scholarship, please fill out this scholarship application form.
Our Teacher
Sarah Pedlow, the founder of ThreadWritten, is an artist working with embroidery and cultural preservation through workshops, textile travel tours, and fine art. ThreadWritten supports women artisans, traditional and contemporary textile practices, and the preservation of heritage through research, education, and the cultivation of a global community of makers.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sarah moved to Amsterdam, NL, in 2019, where she now lives and works. She has taught and lectured at the Fashion Institute of Technology, The Textile Arts Council at the de Young Museum, San Francisco School of Needlework and Design, TATTER (Brooklyn, NY), WildCraft Studio School (Portland, OR), The Embroiderers’ Guild of America, The John C. Campbell Folk School, Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, Crafts Council Nederland, and Selvedge. She holds an MFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers University (US) and her work has been featured in Uppercase, Veranda, House & Garden UK, Piecework, and Selvedge magazines.
Find her artwork at sarahpedlow.com.