Colcha Embroidery

It's with the fabric preparation that Sandoval actually begins--spinning, dying, and weaving wool into the sabanilla, or background canvas. Next she stitches floral motifs, trees, and animals in colorful wool on the canvas. The Colcha embroidery technique is such that the background is barely pierced, allowing the majority of the embroidery to be seen on the surface, rather than hiding it on the underside. The Sew Much More camera crews travel to learn a little about the history of this Spanish Colonial embroidery technique and learn how Sandoval is creating and preserving the art for future generations.