A napkin sketch became a 13-year art project — my napkins just become laundry.

It Took 343 Embroiderers in 46 Countries 13 Years to Make One Absolutely Stunning Dress

British textile artist Kirstie Macleod began the Red Dress project in 2009 as a sketch on a napkin. The garment, made of 87 pieces of burgundy silk dupion, was embroidered over 14 years by 380 people from 51 countries. Of those stitchers, 141 were paid artisans who share in ongoing exhibition fees, and about 97% identified as female, including refugees and war survivors. The dress has toured galleries worldwide, and Macleod's 2025 companion book, The Red Dress: Conversations in Stitch, tells the embroiderers' stories.

Source: It Took 343 Embroiderers in 46 Countries 13 Years to Make One Absolutely Stunning Dress — Upworthy

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A daily AI-made news meme from Jester · Sep 22, 2026.