COMMON PULSE Ed. 2 – Mending Memory: Paper Embroidery, Archival Collage & Ancestral Remembering
Sensory Gathering, Paper Embroidery & Ancestral Remembering
Curated by Heartspace Commons
"Recordar es volver a pasar por el corazón."
(To remember is to pass through the heart again.)
In a city that moves fast, COMMON PULSE is an invitation to slow down and create without pressure.
October 31 marks a seasonal threshold – a liminal space between endings and beginnings where memory asks to be tended.
In nearly every culture, stitching belongs to the realm of grandmothers and maternal hands: an everyday technology of mending, patience, and silent care. Piercing a surface and pulling thread through it is rhythmic, grounding, and slow.
Mending Memory bridges this maternal craft with the spirit of Día de Muertos – the idea that honoring those who came before us is an act of living connection, warmth, and celebration. That life moves in cyclical rhythms through transformation and remembering.
Through paper embroidery and intuitive collage, we weave dimensional thread roses, raw linen, dried botanicals, and paper ephemera into personal or abstract relics, closing with a shared, temporary ofrenda colectiva.
Dual Creative Pathways
To keep the circle universally welcoming and trauma-informed around family lineages, you are invited to choose the path that resonates with you:
The Heirloom Pathway: Bring a photocopy or print of an ancestor, loved one, or past self. Learn to pierce paper safely and stitch dimensional woven thread roses, frames, and accents directly into the image.
The Abstract Pathway: For those without photographs or wishing to honor chosen lineage or symbolic memory, we provide heavy archival cardstock, raw linen, dried petals, and botanical silhouettes to compose an intuitive mixed-media piece rooted in thread geometry.
The Flow (2 Hours)
Arrival & Hearth: Settle into Hermosa Café, light a central flame, and enter a quiet grounding reflection on the threshold of Día de Muertos.
Technique & Mark-Making: Gentle guidance on piercing paper safely, weaving dimensional spider-wheel roses from cotton floss, and layering mixed-media collage without tearing delicate fibers.
Hands-On Studio: Dedicated, uninterrupted making – embroidering personal photographs, collaging botanical textures, and assembling your individual relic.
Una Ofrenda Colectiva: Placing our finished pieces together into a shared candlelit ofrenda for a brief, reverent closing circle.
What’s Included
Your individual finished archival piece to take home
All cotton embroidery floss, needles, paper-piercing tools, raw linen scraps, dried botanicals, and archival collage papers
Reserved communal table at Hermosa Café
(Specialty coffee, artisanal teas, and fresh pastries will be available to order directly from the counter throughout the afternoon)
What to Bring
For the Heirloom Pathway: 1–2 photocopies or lightweight prints of personal/ancestral photos (reprints are encouraged so you feel completely free to pierce and stitch through them).
For the Abstract Pathway: Nothing required – all archival foundations, botanical textures, and materials are provided.
Contribution
Sliding Scale (Suggested: €20)
We believe tactile art, ritual, and communal spaces should remain accessible while honoring the cost of physical materials, curated archival elements, and space. Choose the tier that feels right for you at checkout.
No one turned away for lack of funds – if you need full financial support, send us a private note on Instagram.
Good to Know
Access: Hermosa Café – 9 Rue Jacques Cœur, 75004 Paris (M° Bastille / Sully-Morland)
Timing: Doors open at 14:15 so we can ground and begin together at 14:30
Experience Level: None. No prior embroidery or collage experience needed – only openness to explore.
Spaces are limited to keep the room intimate and grounded.