Fashion Design: Painting and Embroidering Garments

Combining crafts and haute couture, colors, embroidery, and textures to tell stories is one the defining characteristics of Ana María Restrepo’s work, the designer and textile artist who created the Amarpo brand and has collaborated with Levi’s, Andres Pajon, Onda de Mar and other brands, and who will guide you on this creative journey.

In this course, you will be able to transform fabrics and clothes into pieces of art. Ana María will teach you, step by step, the embroidery techniques and the painting on fabric principles so that you can make a piece with an attractive and meaningful design.

The course starts with Ana María sharing a little of her history in the world of painting and embroidery. Get to know her trajectory, from the first pieces to the creation of her textile design brand Amarpo. Then take a look at the artists who influence her work and everything you will learn in this course.

Organizing your ideas and tools before starting to work is essential. Ana María teaches you how to ask a series of questions to define the theme of your project and find the most suitable elements to compose a mood board. Learn how to choose your color palette and get to know the basic principles and techniques of embroidery and painting.

Then, begin to apply the techniques from the previous step to bring your piece to life. Select the elements to work from your mood board and transform your embroidery into loose appliques, which you can arrange on the fabric in different ways. Then, it’s time to add the paint, making the elements interact in a collage that has balance and coherence.

In the last unit, Ana María shares a series of tips and elements to add value to her piece, such as an impeccable finish, packaging, and care.

You will choose a textile piece of your choice to apply the painting and embroidery techniques learned. The pieces can be white clothing, a cushion cover, a table cloth or a piece of canvas that you can frame.

Anyone who likes beautiful things and wants to take their creativity to another level, expressing themselves through textile techniques and objects that embody their personality.

It is not necessary to have any prior knowledge, because Ana María will teach you the techniques and give you the tools to develop your own. If you have some embroidery and painting knowledge, you will have the opportunity to experiment and take chances using what you already know.

Regarding the materials, you will need needles, threads, scissors, brushes, beads, colored pencils, and acrylic and watercolor paint.