Calico Dress Cymru, a Welsh community textile project led by textile artist, Menna Buss, will be one of the star attractions at the 20th Wonderwool Wales weekend show next year.
Commissioned by the Museum of Wales and celebrating Welsh identity, heritage and creativity through embroidery, the project will occupy a large exhibition space at the show, held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd on April 25 and 26.
The Calico Dress is the first daughter dress of the internationally-renowned Red Dress, a 14-year collaborative embroidery project by artist Kirstie Macleod with contributions from almost 400 countries worldwide.
A collaborative, community project in Wales, people stitch personal stories and Welsh cultural symbols onto a large calico dress, creating a collective artwork representing Wales’ past, present and future through hand embroidery.
Workshops are delivered by Menna and people across Wales have contributed to the dress.
Now, eight more Welsh embroiderers on each day of Wonderwool Wales 2026, will have a chance to contribute under the guidance of Menna.
Wonderwool Wales – the UK’s largest Wool, yarn, natural fibre and textile festival -will be holding a competition through its website – https://wonderwoolwales.co.uk/– in January, with a total of 16 places available to contribute a piece of embroidery to the dress.
Current designs on the dress range from castles and sciences to action on climate change and migration stories. Each motif tells a story, turning the dress into a vibrant communal work of art.
“Considering the collaboration with Amgueddfa Cymru, I wanted to create a newly imagined folk costume for Welsh communities to leave their embroidery mark,” explained Menna, who guides embroidery sessions for community groups. “It’s a kind of wearable time capsule that grows, decorated with people’s stories and ideas!”
Inspired by Kirstie Macloed’s ‘The Red Dress’, Calico Dress Cymru seeks under represented, marginalised voices and those with and without experience of embroidery.
The Red Dress project provided an artistic platform for individuals, particularly women and communities around the world, many of whom are vulnerable and live in poverty, to tell their stories through embroidery..
Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director, said: “We are delighted that Calico Dress Cymru will be coming to Wonderwool Wales 2026 to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary next year.
“We are particularly pleased that we are able to offer places for eight people on each day of the show to attend a workshop with Menna and embroider a motif for the dress.”
