A remarkable community embroidery project, led by former MST parent Emily Jiahui He, has come back home. Emily, who has a rich background in embroidery and experience in the fashion industry, initiated this project during the 2023-24 academic year as a heartfelt way to bring our MST community together through the art of stitching.
“The idea of teaching embroidery to kids started with Naoko [Sustainability Lead]. We made a workshop for repairing clothes with embroidery skills. It was a lot of fun and a sustainable solution for reducing waste clothes.”
The embroidery class leaves project began when Ginkgo parent “Nathalia asked me to set up an activity at the 2023 Spring Fair.” So Emily prepared a beautifully designed cloth that featured the trees representing each of our MST classes. With this cloth as a canvas, she invited MST families, students, and staff to add their personal touches. Many families and students took the cloth home, where they contributed unique stitches, weaving together a tapestry of our shared school spirit and creativity. Each contribution tells a story and captures a moment, bringing life and color to the cloth in a truly collaborative masterpiece.
“I enjoyed this project because everybody enjoyed it. And it was meditation for me,” said Emily about the process.
Although Emily and her family have since returned to Shanghai, she continued to work on this project from afar. After nearly two years of collective effort and dedicated finishing touches by Emily herself, we are thrilled to reveal the final artwork to our community. This embroidered cloth, rich with memories and creativity, will be displayed in the Forest Campus Multipurpose Room during community events, a fitting tribute to the collective hands and hearts that created it.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this beautiful piece and to Emily and Nathalia for guiding this special project. We hope it will serve as a reminder of our shared connections and creativity for years to come.
–Maria Hovi