During 2026/2027 Stitch Colour Cloth members are collaborating on a new project linked to the acclaimed and inspiring Red Dress Project.
The Red Dress Project conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod facilitates individuals, particularly women, and community groups around the world, many of whom are vulnerable and/or live in poverty, to tell their stories through embroidery. Over a period of 16 years, the project has involved 380 embroiderers from 51 countries and has earned an entry into the Guinness World Records 2026 for the “largest collaborative embroidery project”.
The initial project involved dress panels travelling to artisans world wide who lived in poverty and oppression. The project applied for or helped groups to apply for funding to pay these women to undertake the stitching often utilising stitch styles traditional to their communities and culture. This income often acted as seed funding and has made a real difference to the confidence, self-image and living conditions of the women involved.
Since 2022 a series of linked collaborative Calico Garments have been initiated or completed by communities inspired by exhibitions and events involving The Red Dress. These “sister dresses,” and cloaks are in affordable medium-weight calico which can be embellished with embroidery designs.
Stitch Colour Cloth members are now working on dress #10. We are encouraging members to stitch their individual experiences of living in present-day Scotland. Themes may include modern identity, society, heritage, tradition, stories through needlework and community.
Led by our chair Ali the initial inspiration for the dress design came from a photograph of the late Queen Elizabeth performing a Highland dance. The dress will be displayed with a custom-made dancing sash woven by one of our members. Its purple, blue and green colour palette inspired by heathers and wild thistle flowers.
Although the imagery in the original silk dress was worked direct to the fabric, we have chosen to use appliqué as an alternative for our Sister dress. Individual member’s work with a motif of their choice will be stitched onto calico circles, these will then be gathered into reverse Suffolk Puffs/Yoyo forms and stitched onto the dress panels. This provides flexibility with the final design allowing thematic grouping and positioning later in the project.
One design note bears repeating; please stitch through both fabrics together with the fine calico uppermost and the medium acting as a support backing.
We are encouraging every member to contribute at least one circle. This is a medium-term project envisioned to last until our exhibition scheduled for May 2027.
We are at the start of an exciting journey and anticipate it will evolve and may include collaborations and be part of a community project to be worked on by visitors to our 2027 exhibition at Perth Theatre. We may even have enough motifs to decorate a calico cloak as well.
This project is suitable for all skill levels and information packs and some predesigned motifs can be collected by members at Stitch Colour Cloth meetings.
If you would like to participate you can find out more about joining as a member here