Tailoring Appliqué and Design

Appliqué is a special type of embroidery which makes use of many individual pieces to form an intricate patchwork design. Used mostly in Tibet for creating silk thangkas, we have adapted the appliqué technique to create beautiful home furnishings such as cushions, bedcovers, and wall hangings. Instead of the figures of deities, traditional Tibetan motifs such as flowers, animals, and auspicious symbols are created using the highest quality silks and cotton hand-woven at Norbulingka. Our tailoring design section is responsible for creating Norbulingka’s signature clothing line, The Traveler's Collection, as well our Nomad Collection, a range of screen-printed canvas aprons, bags, pouches, and laptops cases. Our design team and our master tailor work in collaboration to create patterns for our collections, which our tailoring team then bring to life. Most of the women in our workshops start with a basic knowledge of sewing, and beginning with the easier projects, slowly gain experience, becoming experts in their trade. Although we have no formal apprentice program, because Norbulingka prides itself in producing work of the highest quality, our tailors are supervised closely, receiving guidance on difficult projects and suggestions on how to improve, gaining valuable job experience.

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