Experiments in Silk with Cecilia & Merce
Escape to the tranquil hills of La Llacuna for an inspiring textile journey with sisters and master artists Cecília and Mercè. From ethereal traditional Korean bojagi and innovative Alterbojagi to textural play with silks and threads, create your own textile artwork using a medley of techniques including batik, shibori, printing, and silk painting.
- Lunch, Snacks, Coffee, & Tea
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $1275
- Additional guest(s) (max 4)
- USD $700
Accommodation
- One Guest
- USD $625
- Additional guest(s)
- USD $350
Meet the Artist
Cecília and Mercè are sisters and textile artists with over 25 years of experience. Introduced to sewing and needlework by their mother at an early age, they transformed a lifelong passion for handicrafts into a refined mastery of silk painting, quilting, embroidery, and textile printing.
Cecília specializes in quilting, layering bold patterns with batting to create rich, textured designs. Mercè focuses on bojagi, the Korean patchwork technique, using translucent fabrics to explore layering and stitching. Together, they developed Alterbojagi, an innovative reinterpretation of this tradition that combines painting, dyeing, shibori, bleaching, embroidery, and screenprinting to create textured, luminous pieces that play with light and transparency.
Their work is deeply rooted in family tradition and patience, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of cultures and textile arts, including Korean textile arts, Japanese shibori, Chinese painting, and contemporary art. For them, textile art is a way of life: a continuous journey of learning, experimentation, and creative expression.
Both sisters are passionate educators, committed to sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation of artists, and warmly welcome you to their studio garden.
Cecília specializes in quilting, layering bold patterns with batting to create rich, textured designs. Mercè focuses on bojagi, the Korean patchwork technique, using translucent fabrics to explore layering and stitching. Together, they developed Alterbojagi, an innovative reinterpretation of this tradition that combines painting, dyeing, shibori, bleaching, embroidery, and screenprinting to create textured, luminous pieces that play with light and transparency.
Their work is deeply rooted in family tradition and patience, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of cultures and textile arts, including Korean textile arts, Japanese shibori, Chinese painting, and contemporary art. For them, textile art is a way of life: a continuous journey of learning, experimentation, and creative expression.
Both sisters are passionate educators, committed to sharing their knowledge and inspiring the next generation of artists, and warmly welcome you to their studio garden.
VAWAA Includes:
- Explore a variety of techniques to enrich, embellish, or create new fabrics using silk.
- Understand different types of silk and how to choose the best one for your creative goals.
- Learn how to make traditional Korean bojagi by hand or machine using silk organza.
- Try Alterbojagi, a unique technique developed by Cecília and Mercè that combines multiple processes to create layered silk pieces more quickly and easily.
- Experiment with batik, shibori, printing, and silk painting to create custom fabrics for quilting.
- Learn free-machine quilting on silk and discover techniques for handling the material to achieve high-quality results.
- Optional trip to Igualada, 20 minutes from the studio, to learn about its textile heritage, visit local artist studios, and explore the wine museum.
Stay at Cecilia & Merce's
Stay with Cecilia and Merce in a separate apartment with a queen-size bed, private kitchen, bathroom, balcony, wifi, aerothermal energy, underfloor heating that can provide cold and heat, and access to a shared garden. Cecilia and Merce have a friendly cat and dog.
Explore La Llacuna
La Llacuna is a serene village about 1.5hr northwest of Barcelona, nestled in Catalonia’s Anoia region. Surrounded by pine, oak, and holm oak forests that cool the summer heat, it offers scenic trails, over thirty natural fountains, and vineyards perfect for walking or biking. Its medieval old town features one of Catalonia’s most beautiful arcaded squares. Known for high-altitude wines and traditional carquinyolis biscuits, La Llacuna is home to several local restaurants and bars. With its friendly community and seasonal festivals, it provides a warm and welcoming glimpse into Spain’s rich cultural heritage.
Additional Details
The best time to visit La Llacuna is between spring and autumn (April to October), when the weather is mild and ideal for outdoor activities. August is especially lively, with local festivals in full swing, and the municipal pool open from June through September. While winter has its own quiet charm, December and January tend to be the coldest and most tranquil months, with fewer local events.
This VAWAA is not available for longer durations.
All levels are welcome. However, a basic knowledge of sewing is recommended for techniques involving machine or hand stitching.
Children 16 years and older accompanied by a guardian, elders, and people with accessibility or special needs are welcome to participate. Their studio is wheelchair accessible and thoughtfully adapted to ensure everyone feels comfortable and included.
Cecilia and Merce speak Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and Catalan.
This VAWAA is not available for longer durations.
All levels are welcome. However, a basic knowledge of sewing is recommended for techniques involving machine or hand stitching.
Children 16 years and older accompanied by a guardian, elders, and people with accessibility or special needs are welcome to participate. Their studio is wheelchair accessible and thoughtfully adapted to ensure everyone feels comfortable and included.
Cecilia and Merce speak Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and Catalan.
Guest Reviews
Lynn B.,
My grandma and I had such an amazing time! Our VAWAA experience with Cecília and Mercè was absolutely incredible. Easily one of the most memorable creative experiences we’ve ever had. Over the course of four days, we explored so many techniques: silk painting (gradients, printing, and discharge), shibori, silk sewing, and even creating delicate silk organza compositions and textured pieces like th Read more
