Two Ravens Colcha on Linen By Regis Scott

Framed Colcha Embroidery on Linen, by Local artist Regis Scott 

San Luis Valley Colcha Embroidery

Colcha embroidery is practiced in the San Luis Valley as a traditional art informed by Spanish Colonial culture with Indigenous and Anglo-American influences. Colcha embroidery artworks from the region often illustrate personal histories and local landscapes, capturing complex memories of the Valley.

Recent efforts to keep the tradition alive have sparked dynamic conversations around colcha embroidery in southern Colorado, with influential connections to communities in northern New Mexico, where colcha embroidery originated.

The colcha embroidery technique employs a single needle and thread, laying long stitches secured to cloth with tacking stitches. The term colcha refers to the Spanish word for bed covering. It is common to cover the entire surface of the fabric with embroidery, per the San Luis Valley style.

Many contemporary San Luis Valley colcha embroidery artists respond to changing technologies and cultural trends, integrating available materials that embody the textures of their era. Some artists continue to use hand-woven sabanilla cloths and plant-dyed thread made from Navajo Churro sheep wool, which were the long used traditional ways to create textiles in the region.