World Embroidery Series: Lavradeira Portuguese Embroidery

A Virtual Class with Sarah Pedlow

Red and blue embroidered flower on linen.

Join us for the embroidery and culture of the lavradeira, 19th century farm girl, of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. A vibrant living tradition, the embroidered clothing and textiles are still made today for festivals and special occasions. After an introduction to the Minho region of northern Portugal and an overview of its textile history, we’ll stitch a floral pattern inspired by a handkerchief with several stitches including the crivo, a drawn thread work technique. The workshop is fun and informative for both beginning and experienced embroiderers.


Date
Thursday, February 13th, 2025

Time

12pm – 2:30pm EST

Location
Zoom, a link will be send to participants the day before class

Cost
$65 for the individual class, $350 for the series

*This session 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 for you to watch at your convenience.

Materials
An optional TATTER-curated materials kit is available for purchase here! Select ‘Purchase a Kit’ from the drop-down menu after adding your desired classes to  your cart. The materials kit includes most of the embroidery materials you will need for the six week adventure!

(1) Embroidery hoop 
(1) Frixion pen
(1) Pair of blue snips 
(1) Pack of sashiko needles 
(1) Pack of embroidery needles (sizes 5-10) 
(2) Tapestry needles 
(1) Needle Threader 
(10) AppliquĂ© pins 
(1) Olympus carbon paper sheet 
(10) Mirror pieces for Shisha 
(2) Lightweight white cotton pieces 
(1) Mid-weight white linen piece 
(1) Mid-weight blue linen piece 
(2) Muslin pieces 
(1) Lightweight blue cotton piece 
(1) Aida cloth piece 
(1) 28 ct. even weave piece 
(4) DMC Perle cotton Size 8, assorted colors 
(3) Six-strand cotton embroidery threads by TATTER, assorted colors 
(1) Black DMC embroidery floss 
(1) 50 wt. black sewing thread 

Class Materials

  • Perle cotton no. 8 in red, white, and blue, for a traditional palette.
  • Embroidery or crewel needle 
  • Heat-sensitive or water-soluble embroidery pen for transferring the pattern. FriXion recommended.
  • Light to mid-weight linen fabric (white or natural)
  • Muslin or scrap fabric for practice stitching
  • Embroidery scissors (small and sharp with pointed ends)
  • 6″ hoop if you enjoy using one. Sarah will demonstrate with a hoop.
  • The pattern will be emailed to you in advance. Please trace it onto your fabric before the class begins.

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, and recently to Rotterdam 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, 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.