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Every picture tells a story
These delightful panels are hand-embroidered by the ladies of the Tambani project in rural South Africa. And its true - every picture really does tell its own story, literally. Each colourful panel shows the embroiderer's personal interpretation of a traditional Venda folk tale. You even get the actual story with your Tambani panel!
The ladies stitch their panels using cotton embroidery threads on a black cotton background.
Their images include elephants, giraffes, masks and scenes of village life.
Every panel is unique and surrounded by a good-size border so you can use it in your own project.
The panels come in two size: Tambani Large and Tambani Small
The Tambani Project
While lecturing at the University of Venda, Dr. Ina le Roux discovered two related tragedies.
First, the Venda folk tales, traditionally told by the women around the family fires, were dying out.
Second, the Venda women needed employment to help support their families.
Now, by selling these works of art around the world, the project has empowered the Venda women and helped preserve their heritage.
Also available: Venda Tales embroidered wallhanging kit
The Embroiderers
Most of the embroiderers are single mothers, struggling to make a living in a harsh, rural environment.
Initially, Ina trained two women to do the chain stitch. They trained their sisters and friends.
Today, Tambani employs 65 embroiderers, who produce about 400 hand-embroidered panels per month.
