Colcha Stitch: The word colcha means blanket in Spanish. In Colonial days, blankets eventually became worn. Instead of just mending the blanket, women would embroider a flower, bird, or other design to cover a hole. Eventually the blanket became a work of art and was hung on the wall. Colcha art became a material symbol of wealth and status for the upper class of New Mexican society. Since 1750 the Colcha stitch was used to embroider altar cloths that were used in family chapels and parish churches. The colcha stitch is a long stitch caught in the middle by a short diagonal stitch. It is a yarn saving stitch, very little yarn shows on the bottom of the cloth. No knots are used on the surface or underside of the fabric.

Colors: I learned to dye with natural dyes at Las Golodrinas' dye shed. I liked getting uneven colors which made the yarn variegated. The natural colors, lights and darks, give texture and interest to the repetitive stitch. As in nature, no color is solid. Colonists used and reused dyes as not to be wasteful. Mixing dyes resulted in unique colors. The blue I used for my flowers is from Indigo. Indigo is a plant from South America brought north when the Camino Real was opened in 1542-1821. The yellow is from Cota or Navajo Tea, a plant grown in New Mexico. The green is a combination of both dyes.

Sabanilla: The fabric on which to embroider is called sabanilla and is made from Churro wool. Sabanilla was one of the few textiles made in colonial New Mexico. It had many uses. It is a white, beautiful textile with or without embroidery. Sabanilla was used for altar cloths, burial cloths and for christening and wedding ceremonies.

Wool: When the Spaniards came to the new world they were only allowed to bring Churro sheep, considered then the peasant sheep. The sheep were strong and hearty and able to withstand the harsh New Mexico winters. Little did the Spanish know the Churro would become the "prize" sheep in the Southwest.

Spinning: I spun my yarn "in the grease" because it has better drafting qualities. "Spinning in the grease" is a term used when the yarn is spun straight from unwashed fleece. The wool grease remains in the fiber. Early New Mexicans believed the finest yarn was washed after spinning. Also hauling water and heating were heavy tasks and more water was needed to wash the whole fleece. I also liked skipping the carding process. I washed my yarn with Yucca root as the colonists did.

Weaving: I drove to Espanola on weekends to weave my Sabanilla because I don't own a weaving loom. I learned to weave at the Espanola Valley Fiber Arts' Center from Beatrice Maestas. Because I am a new spinner and a new weaver, completing this project was a labor of love and determination. My respect for this art has increased immensely.

Embroidery: Embroidery has been used in New Mexico and around the world in countless ways and for many different purposes: to decorate, to proclaim the glory of God and the majesty of kings, to add color and warmth to homes, and to display wealth. The yarn I used for my embroidery is Churro wool. I washed the fleece, carded and spun this yarn. As I was learning to spin, my yarn was slubby, thick and thin. I used it for my embroidery because the texture was interesting. Also, as in colonial days, everything was used. Yarn from old clothing and blankets was recycled for embroidery and sewing.