Colcha embroidery from the American Southwest is a form of surface embroidery that uses wool threads on cotton or linen fabric. During the Spanish Colonial period, the word colcha referred to a densely embroidered wool coverlet. In time, the word also came to refer to the embroidery stitch that was used for these coverlets and then began to be used on other surfaces. The colcha stitch is self-couched, with threads applied at a 45-degree angle to tie down the stitch. Originally the wool threads were dyed naturally, using plants or insects, such as cochineal. Both materials used and design motifs have varied over time.
“I noticed Elaine’s colcha work at an exhibition of colcha at Hacienda de los Martinez. Then a mutual friend introduced us. We got to talking and I thought lets do a show. Introduce the ‘art of colcha’ as the Fine Art of Colcha. It really is an art form all its own. There is so much history behind the art form. I suggested we make a slight change in how they are displayed,” Rob Nightingale said.
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