Traditional Nuevo Mexico Chimayo Tapestry
With Emily Trujillo
Emily Trujillo, eighth-generation Chimayo weaver, will guide you on the basics of this traditional Spanish art from the Land of Enchantment. Learn the Chimayo weaving techniques you’ve always wanted to know about on a loom you’re familiar with!
In this workshop, you will…
- Learn a bit about Rio Grande/Chimayo weaving within New Mexico History.
- Try1-3 shuttle work techniques that can be applied to other tapestries.
- Explore one or more Chimayo Weaving tapestry techniques.
During the workshop, you will be able to create your own tapestry guided by your personal comfort level, experience levels, and aesthetic tastes.
By the end of the workshop, you will finish a small Chimayo weaving tapestry of your own design.
Three-Day Workshop
Day 1 – Friday, April 17, 2026
Day 2 – Saturday, April 18, 2026
Day 3 – Sunday, April 19, 2026
Can’t attend in April? Join us for the second session of this class October 16-18, 2026.
If you are visiting from out of town and would like to rent a loom for this workshop, please contact us.
- Skill level Beginner +
- Age appropriate 14+ (minors must have a parent on site)
- Materials fee None
- Students should bring
-a warped 2 shaft/harness loom (rigid heddle with single heddle warped for up/down sheds, a vertical tapestry loom with a shedding device, or multi-shaft loom with 2 shafts warped). Warped looms should have at minimum 10 inches of weaving spaces (be sure to factor in loom waste)
-a minimum of two colors of weft yarn (thinner worsted weight), but preferably 3-4 colors. Wool is traditionally used, but not required.
-weaving tools.
Instructor
Emily TrujilloEmily Trujillo is an award winning eighth generation Rio Grande/Chimayo weaver from Chimayo, New Mexico, who specializes in the techniques and logic of Chimayo weaving. Her parents and mentors are internationally recognized weavers Irvin and Lisa Trujillo, who started teaching her when she was only five. While her technique and design training is very traditional, she blends her love for music, media, and her own modern experiences into her one-of-a-kind contemporary pieces that are still rooted in the traditional styles. She has been published nationally in magazines such as American Craft Magazine, the New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal, and many more, and even in international magazines such as Hali Magazine and Cover Magazine.Currently, Emily teaches six different Chimayo weaving programs in and out of New Mexico, lectures on history internationally, and creates programs for preservation, all in and out of New Mexico. All of her work is an effort to preserve her family’s dying 400 year old family weaving tradition while also following her own path. She currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her two cats, two Rio Grande walking looms, and an unreasonable amount of energy. Her life’s mission is to share her passion for her family tradition and culture in hopes that will touch others and bring an appreciation for her family tradition to the world, including new demographics through new ways, such as fashion design.
