Learn how to create a small textile work using natural materials dyed with plants. Dora will demonstrate a variety of embroidery techniques and share tips on combining colours, textures and materials. Working at your own pace, you will be guided by your intuition and the subtle beauty of natural colour to craft your own miniature piece of textile art.
All materials will be provided by Dora, including eco-printed fabrics made from local plants, fabrics with a colour gradient, wool and silk threads and wooden beads for added decoration.
No previous experience is necessary. Whether you are new to embroidery or looking to build on your existing skills, Dora will support you every step of the way.
You will take home your own piece of embroidery.
This craft is rooted in working with natural fibers, threads and plants. Nature is the greatest source of inspiration – its shifting cycles, hidden processes, and interconnections. Using locally foraged and home-grown plants, botanical dyes are extracted to create a subtle, harmonious palette on wool, linen, cotton and silk.
Through eco-printing with fresh leaves and flowers, delicate, often unexpected impressions are captured on fabric. These dyed and printed materials become the foundation for slow, intuitive textile work. They are shaped and layered with thread, structure and detail, often incorporating natural elements such as dried plants, beads or beeswax. By using techniques such as embroidery, weaving, knitting and pleating, there is profound connection with the communal traditions of textile-making, rooted in culture and collective memory. Each piece evolves slowly, stitch by stitch, inviting mindfulness and reflection.
Dora Tiho (Dora Cichocka) is a modern craftsperson working with plant dyes, fabrics and thread. She grew up in Upper Silesia, an industrial region in southern Poland, in a family of engineers. Regular trips to the nearby countryside and mountains – where her grandparents lived – introduced her to traditional crafts and the artistry of handmade work. Her two grandmothers – one a seamstress and lace maker, the other a self-taught painter – deeply influenced her creative path. Their skills and creativity fostered in her a lifelong appreciation for the workof human hands and the belief that making is a way of life. Today, Dora’s practice is rooted in botanical colour and textile traditions, seeking a slow, intimate dialogue with nature and culture. She has lived and worked in Amsterdam since 2007, bridging her Polish heritage with contemporary craft.
Practical information
Join us in embroidering the pink “Impact Power Pak” – an ode to clothing. A unique garment filled with shared memories and insights. During this workshop you can embroider a piece of fabric with fifty shades of pink yarn and beads, share your story and create a work of art together with others. You will learn different embroidery techniques and discover how textiles and personal stories come together. The workshop is accessible and suitable for all levels, from beginners to experienced embroiderers. Everything revolves around participating, discovering and enjoying the creative process.
Embroidery is an age-old craft that connects stories and traditions with creativity and craftsmanship. It is an expressive technique with which you can decorate fabric and convey personal messages. In this project, embroidery symbolizes connection and reflection: every stitch carries a story. From decorative stitches to symbolic patterns, embroidery is an accessible and meditative way to show your own style and voice. It invites attention and patience, while at the same time offering space for spontaneity and experimentation.
At the end of the workshop, you will not only leave your embroidery behind in the shared garment, but you will also take inspiration and new insights home with you.
Meike Nieuwenhuis is a fashion designer with a focus on upcycling, craft and storytelling. She explores the relationship between fashion, identity and sustainability and works at the intersection of fashion, textiles and social interaction. With her projects and workshops, she invites people to share stories and create awareness through embroidery and reuse of textiles.
Practical information
Meike Nieuwenhuis. Foto: Evy Hachmang
Festival address:
NDSM Loods
NDSM-Plein 85
1033 WC Amsterdam
Postal address:
Stichting Ambacht in Beeld
Kalf 158
1509AH Zaandam
The Netherlands
