Zoom Workshop: The Art of Tambour Embroidery with Alexandrina Dordea

Alexandrina was born in the Republic of Moldova, and studied in Romania, where she later married and had her son. Alexandrina says:

“Around 2014 we moved to Malaysia, where my journey into embroidery began. I started by doing embroidery on the Gi(kimono) of my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teammates, completing around ten of them.

During that time, my interest in embroidery grew, and I started exploring.

“In one fabric shop, I noticed that they sold handmade sarees. I was fascinated by the work and started to search for techniques, tools and materials. They weren’t easy to find and most of the time I improvised, learning through trial and error. It took me three months to learn the basic stitch using a tambour hook, but with time it got better. I started combining techniques to achieve different effects and textures. Up to now, I have done seven paintings, decorated shoes, some purses, and clothing such as shirts, skirts and jackets.

“I started teaching tambour embroidery in 2020. Now with over two hundred students, I hope to inspire and help this beautiful community grow.”