The Embroidery of Mexico: A Vibrant Celebration of Traditional and Modern Designs

A vibrant celebration of Mexico's rich embroidery heritage, covering eight key traditional and modern styles with over 30 templates to trace off and use.

Part travelog, part artistic meditation and part practical guide, this stunning hardback book invites embroiderers of all levels to discover the living heritage of Mexican embroidery and make it their own.

Artist and researcher Gimena Romero takes readers deep into the symbolic language of stitch, tracing its threads from indigenous communities to contemporary urban streetscapes.

Discover:

• distinct regional styles including Tenango, Street, Mazahua, Thought, Mixe and Purépecha embroidery, each introduced through vibrant photography, storytelling and in-depth technique;
• experimental practices such as Lavín embroidery (using human hair) and Romero's own abstract, texture-based compositions;
• stitches, motifs and techniques including: Tenango foot, Xi (tree leaf), Zigzag, Eye, Leaves; fruit-based filler stitches like Open banana, Pineapple, Strawberry and Woven watermelon; Mixe stitches rooted in regional language and culture, and contemporary embellishment techniques: Cortès braid, Moss, Mexican coral stitch and Interlinked hearts;
• practical guidance on tools, materials, and transferring designs;
• 8 pages of full-size templates, ready to copy off and use.

Stitches are not merely technical tools - they carry symbolic, poetic meaning. Many are named in indigenous languages or with metaphorical phrases that reflect daily life, identity and ritual. Gimena encourages readers not only to replicate these stitches and embroideries, but also to reinterpret them in their own artistic voices.

Keep the stunning traditions of Mexican artistry alive in this evocative visual journey through the diverse embroidery traditions of Mexico, blending hands-on instruction with cultural reflection.

Photography by Pedro Aragón.

This is a translation of the Spanish title, Mexico, Embroidered, by popular Mexican embroidery artist Gimena Romero.

Author: Gimena Romero
Publisher: Search Press
Published: 06/16/2026
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.00lbs
Size: 10.20h x 8.00w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781800924185


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 05/01/2026

About the Author
Gimena Romero is an artist and illustrator who specializes in textile graphics. She was born in Mexico City in 1985 and currently lives between Mexico City and Madrid. A graduate of plastic and visual arts from the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado 'La Esmerelda', of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA), she did part of her degree in arts at the École Nationale des Beaux Arts in Lyon, France. She has won numerous prizes and international mentions such as Iberoamérica Ilustra and FILIJ Catálogo de Ilustración Mexicana. In 2010 she was the cultural representative for Mexico in France with the Vargas Lugo prize and completed her textile training at the École Lesage.