Abstract
The handstitched carpets of the Portuguese town of Arraiolos are discussed. Created by the town's women, these carpets are embroidered with a variant of the cross-stitch called the Arraiolos stitch to produce colorful, repeating stylized patterns of birds, rabbits, sheep, or flowers on a field within ornate borders. Originating with the Moors, the production of these carpets has endured over the centuries and is now a thriving industry.