Pepenado Embroidery - World Embroidery Series IV

Mexico’s extraordinary biodiversity and cultural history are reflected in its vibrant textile traditions. Across the country, embroidery styles vary widely, even within a single region, where different stitches, textiles, and techniques coexist and evolve. While there is no evidence of embroidery in pre-Hispanic Mexico, weaving has long been a foundation of textile artistry. On the backstrap loom, artisans developed a decorative method called supplementary weft, which introduces extra colors and motifs directly into the fabric. Closely tied to this practice is pepenado, a technique where threads of the warp are carefully picked up to create designs, adding both color and pattern to the woven surface. Over time, pepenado evolved into an embroidery tradition, carrying forward this weaving heritage. The motifs of pepenado are deeply meaningful, drawing on cosmogonic and mythical imagery, scenes from daily life, and elements of the natural world. Common subjects include animals such as bir