Arpillera Sewing Project

Program Coordinator:

Jean Samaniego

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
El Nazareno, Pamplona Alta, Lima

The Arpillera Sewing Project consists of three groups of women in the shanty towns and invasions who gather together weekly to work on sewing projects and improve their sewing skills. Arpilleras are embroidered collages, or 3-dimensional quilts. They depict scenes of both country life and city life in Perú, and also biblical events, such as Noah's Ark or Jesus' birth and the visit of the Wisemen. The work is very detail-oriented and requires advanced skills. The women work mainly in their homes but come together in the church to discuss, plan work and pray together.

The project is specifically for making articles to be sold in the United States and the United Kingdom. The money raised through the sale of Arpillera articles goes directly back to the ladies who sew the articles. They are required to use the money for the betterment of themselves and their household. For example, the income may be used to take a class in sewing, or build an extra room onto their house in order to host an Arpillera group, or send their child to a better school or to be educated in a trade. For information on how to buy Arpillera articles, contact The Forrest Outreach Foundation at: www.forrestoutreachfoundation.org Financial and material support for this project will help to continue to provide resources, training and income to people in one of Lima's poorest areas.