Punto Tagliato European Cutwork with Shahnaz Khan 

This class is part of the six-part virtual World Embroidery Series II. Classes may be purchased à la carte at $75 or as a six-part package for a discounted price of $400. 

Punto Tagliato, translating from Italian to mean “cut point”, is a needlework technique where portions of the cloth are cut away and reinforced, creating decorative lace-like elements.  The remaining fabric is then embellished with a variety of surface embroidery stitches.  

Dating back to 14th century Italy, this beautiful “white work” might have originated within monasteries, but was soon popularized by royalty and the social elite, before finding its way into homes all over Europe.  

During the 17th century this technique was so popular in France, that it became known as Richelieu, named after the Cardinal and political leader of that time.

In this workshop participants will be introduced to the stitches used to create these intricate “cutwork” patterns, and will have the opportunity to embroider a small motif.

Shahnaz is excited to be sharing this tradition, a favorite of her Greek grandmother’s, and offers participants an opportunity to reflect on the importance of beauty in our lives, and the ways hand crafts can create connections between generations and cultures throughout the world.

Date + Time

Thursday, May 15th, 2025, 12 - 2:30 pm ET

Location

Zoom, a link will be emailed to participants the day before class.

Cost

$75 for the individual class
$400 for the series

Materials

• 1 piece tight weave cotton or linen (non-stretch) approx. 8” square
• Muslin, linen or cotton scrap for practice
• Coton-a-Broder or 6-strand cotton embroidery floss
• Size 8 embroidery needles 
• 1 straight pin
• Sharp scissors with a small point
• Needle nose pliers
• Embroidery hoop if you like using one
• Note: Although this technique is traditionally practiced white on white, anything goes for this class!

Scholarships 

There are scholarship spots available for this workshop. Please email info@tatter.org to learn more.

Our Teacher

Shahnaz Khan is an embroidery artist and educator focused on the preservation of traditional techniques and their use in contemporary art. 

Connected through her cultural heritage to Pakistan and Greece, Shahnaz loves what can be gleaned about culture and history through the various adornments of cloth with a needle and thread.

Her embroidery practice has led her to work on a variety of projects including: visual art collaborations, couture fashion (Alexander McQueen & Burberry) and most recently a commission for HBO’s Gossip Girl. 

An interview with Shahnaz is included in Jen Hewett’s 2021 publication, “This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection”. 

Shahnaz lives in New York City where she works as a costume tailor for Broadway, film, & television, while maintaining her embroidery practice. 

Shahnaz loves teaching and hopes to be able to inspire her students to incorporate traditional embroidery techniques into their contemporary work.

*All classes in this series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all registrants following the live session. You may purchase the series as a whole even after the classes have begun. You will be emailed the recordings upon sign-up.