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It was the precursor to her family’s refugee status in Minnesota, and far too personal for Yang. Her family did not spend the ‘70s enjoying the decade’s American advances toward progressivism, liberty, and sexual revolution. Hmong elders also share that their ancestors call it the Flower Cloth because the embroidery patterns resemble how the petals of a flower stem out evenly from its center.
Hmong Applique & Flower Cloths
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Wausau West grad, UW-Stout professor, blends Hmong culture with design - Wausau Daily Herald
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There was little opportunity to make money, so the women used their embroidery skills to earn income to support their families. On the story cloths, the women depicted the war experience through embroidery needlework, and similarly the village life that the Hmong were once familiar with when they lived in Laos. The squares normally found on the qua sev, a belt that is traditionally worn on the Hmong women’s waist with Hmong clothes, were also adapted to larger sizes. These oversize squares were transformed into tablecloths, pillowcases, and wall decorations.
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To save their written language, Hmong women turned the script into motifs or symbols hidden in the pleated skirts of the Blue/Green Hmong. Over time, the motifs lost their meaning, but they remained important symbols of Hmong identity. In the refugee camps, everyone had more time than they once did in Laos, so story cloths were not exclusively sewn by Hmong women and girls, but men also helped. Some men became artists who drew the stories, while others learned to sew story cloths as well. Folktales are popular embroidered stories including the Hmong creation story, Nou Nplai and Yer; the birth of Jesus Christ; and many others. Hmong fabrics are renowned across the world; thanks to their rich colours and intricate designs.
This practice wasn’t limited to females – even the male members of the village would create story cloths, to convey the story of their people to the outside world, and in some cases, to reveal the extent of their persecution. Indeed, they’re considered so important that girls as young as five are taught to embroider, to prepare them for the task of creating marriage and funerary fabrics in later life. They learn how to perform the more complex processes of indigo dying, garment construction and applique at a later stage. Currently, Mekong Quilts is working with approximately 50 Hmong women from Lào Cai and Sơn La province in Vietnam to produce these timeless quilted artwork pieces. With these efforts, Mekong Quilts hopes to generate enough income in the Hmong community to spark future endeavours such as educational and infrastructure projects.
Dandelion with hearts embroidery design, Love embroidery, 4 sizes.
In that light, she thinks about melding the Hmong experience with other global historical experiences. Too many Hmong and American fashion designers still offer limited options beyond a size 8, a cutoff that does not include the average American woman (who wears a “mid-size,” from 10 to 14). Yang feels passionate enough about the discriminatory practice that she decided to make her senior project, Utopia, a celebration of size inclusivity. She said she was the only designer in her graduating class at St. Kate’s to do so. The 1970s marked the persecution of her Hmong family in the “Secret War” in Laos, also known as the Laotian Civil War, when tens of thousands of Hmong people were displaced, killed, or disappeared.
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Even though each group of Hmong have their own unique clothing items, they share common articles in their attire. Formal Hmong clothes are worn at celebrations like the New Year, weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, and other important ritual events. Traditionally, Hmong embroidery was made exclusively by women to provide clothing for themselves, their husbands, and family members. They also embroidered baby carriers and funerary textiles like clothing and pillow casing for the deceased.
According to oral history in the Hmong community, it is said the Hmong women hid the ancient Hmong paj ntaub script in the clothing of the Hmong people, especially in the pleated skirts of the Green Hmong. From this time forward, the scripts became motifs or symbols in Hmong embroidery. Knowledge of the scripts was not so relevant in the lives of the Hmong and was eventually lost.
Dong-Yi People Hmong People: Dong-Yi People Native Americans Ancestors
They also inspired household and accessory items including cup coasters, aprons, bags, jewelry, and stuffed animals. These items are now often sold at local art festivals and craft shows. The methods and techniques utilized for making Hmong clothes have changed over time.
It’s important to note, Yang added, that individual dialects and traditions have evolved, based on where in the Hmong diaspora a family moved for sanctuary. For instance, Yang explained that she is Hmong White, from Laos, and she said she would not be able to understand the dialect of the Hmong Green community, from Thailand. Enjoy a personal guide to the art of paj ntaub in Hmong Museum’s monthly free workshops.
Hmong women don’t have the time to make embroidery as they once did in Laos. It is more convenient to purchase machine-made Hmong attire at the flea market or the supermarket. There are many new styles of Hmong attire, which do not resemble the regional Hmong clothes from the provinces of Laos. At the present time, many Hmong girls don’t have the time and/or opportunity to learn how to make paj ntaub as their elders once did. Many elders do not have time to teach these traditions to their grandchildren.
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