Needlework Competition

I adore needlework competitions even though I never find the time to participate in them. You may recall the A Mirror To My Art competition and the Chatelaine de Vergy competition that I told you about previously from which came some truly beautiful needlework.

The Museo della Tappezzeria Vittorio Zironi and the publishing house Nuova S1 of Bologna, Italy announce a needlework competition which will produce some breathtaking works, I am sure!

They have recently collaborated with a book release and museum exhibition of the designs of Guido Fiorini, an early 20th century Bolognese artist and key figure in the "Liberty" (Art Nouveau) style which runs through to the end of July 2015 - if you can get there, go!

Those of you who know a little of your Liberty history will know that Liberty + Bologna = Aemilia Ars! Under the direction of the Countess Lina Cavazza of the Aemilia Ars Society, Guido Fiorini made many lace designs like the one shown above.

You can see some of the designs on display at the museum in this YouTube video:

For Italian speakers, the needlework competition rules can be found here. For English speakers, I have translated them below. Please let me know if you are entering a piece in the contest! Worth a note: if you are a registered participant, you are entitled to a 15% discount off the purchase of any publication from Nuova S1! They now accept PayPal.

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Create and exhibit at the museum! Participate in the "Drawings of Guido Fiorini" competition!

On the occasion of the autumn edition of Il Mondo Creativo (November 21-13, 2014 in Bologna), Edizioni Nuova S1 inaugurates the website: http://idisegnidiguidofiorini.tumblr.com/
On the site and on the Facebook page Merletti e Ricami della Nuova S1 the following initiative takes place, realized in collaboration with the Museo della Tappezzeria Vittorio Zironi of Bologna: a competition, open to the techniques of embroidery, lace, knitting and weaving inspired by the Drawings of Guido Fiorini.
The competition is free and takes place online: the prize for the works with the most votes is that they will be exhibited at the Museo della Tappezzeria alongside the Fiorini works.
Read the rules and participate!
You can exhibit your work twice! First online and than at the museum!

The Drawings of Guido Fiorini Competition

The publishing house Nuova S1, in collaboration with the Museo della Tappezzeria Vittorio Zironi, organizes a competition of embroidery and lace based on the drawings contained in the publication: "I Disegni di Guido Fiorini" with the aim of setting off new works of this 20th century artist.

Rules

• Participation in the competition is free.
• The competition is open to all, amateurs and professionals with no age limit.
• Participate by reproducing a work from the publication "The Drawings of Guido Fiorini, works for Aemilia Ars lace, page headers and ornate initials" (Nuova S1, 2014).
• Only one work per person is to be submitted. Measurements are open to a maximum of 20 cm x 20 cm.
• Not only Aemilia Ars lace! Your work can be realized in any technique of lace, embroidery, knitting or weaving.
• To register, send an email to: info@nuovas1.it or telephone: 051-346050 by and no later than December 23, 2014. Subsequently, photos of finished works will be sent to info@nuovas1.it by and no later than April 20, 2015.
• All photos of the works will be published on the website dedicated to the competition at: http://idisegnidiguidofiorini.tumblr.com/ and on the official Facebook page of the "Lace and Embroidery" publication collection: https://www.facebook.com/merlettiericami.nuovas1
• The works with the most "likes" on Facebook will be exhibited at the Museo della Tappezzeria Vittorio Zironi in Bologna. The organizers of the competition reserve the right to periodically supervise the conduct of voting.
• Winners will be notified by telephone or email.
• Voting will be closed by May 15, 2015.
• Registered participants are entitled to a 15% discount on the purchase one or more of the titles from the Edizioni Nuova S1 catalogue.
• Winning works will be sent via tracked mail to: Nuova S1 snc di Pietro Cimmino & C., Via Albertazzi, no. 6/5, 40137, Bologna, Italy.
• Works will only be returned to those who explicitly request it.
• The organization, while ensuring the utmost care of the works, declines all responsibility for loss, theft and damage. 
• The authors of the works, by the very fact of participating in the competition, give the right to publication without any claims of copyright. The artistic property will always remain that of the author. The organization reserves the right use the works to organize exhibitions, paper and/or electronic publications including online and other initiatives without owing anything to the author, who will always be credited by name. Each author is responsible for the works submitted and, with their submission, authorizes its publication and gives permission to the organization to be able to manage fully and exclusively the work itself, under current regulations on the protection of privacy and confidentiality. 
• Under the provisions of Law 196/03 (law on the protection of personal data), the participation in the competition implies the unconditional acceptance of these rules.

Note One: Do not wait until the last minute to register! If the required minimum of entrants is not received by December 23, 1014, the competition will be cancelled.

Note Two: Send in a photo of your work as soon as it is finished! The sooner you do, the sooner it will be published allowing for the maximum visibility of your work.

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Italian Needlework assumes no responsibility as to the accuracy of the above translation and shall not be held responsible for errors in translation.

Liberty Style, Aemilia Ars Needle Lace and Forlì

In Italy Art Nouveau style is called Liberty after the British company Liberty of London. Art Nouveau style was influencing all forms of creativity during the time that Aemilia Ars needle lace was born which is apparent in early pieces of this beautiful needlework.

From February 1st until June 15th, 2014 there is a Liberty exhibition held at the San Domenico Museums in Piazza Guido da Montefeltro in Forlì, Italy.

Among the many things to see will be an Aemilia Ars needle lace exhibit and classes (I've outlined the information on the classes in red on the brochure pictured above). Here is a translation of what it says:

Workshops
Aemilia Ars lace earring
Creation of needle lace
From February 15th to May 24th every Saturday (except the 19th and 26th of April and the 3rd of May)
Mornings from 10am to 12:30pm and afternoons from 3pm to 5:30pm
Other dates available on request
€30,00 (euros) per person
Cost includes a pair of gold earring mounts and entrance ticket to the Liberty exhibits
The workshop is available for individual visitors or groups with a maximum number of 25
A reservation is compulsory
For information and bookings:
Francesca Bencivenni
(contact info via telephone and email which I won't put here so that webcrawling spammers can't target them - check the brochure by clicking on the photo above)

(Francesca Bencivenni is the lacemaker behind the exquisite creations found on this website.)

Also featured in the Liberty exhibit at Forlì will be the Aemilia Ars needle lace altar cloth masterpiece created by the lacemakers and embroiderers of the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bologna in the early years of the 20th century. I wrote an article for Piecework magazine about this altar cloth which I had the extreme privilege to view while on display at Easter at the Sacred Heart in Bologna in 2011. There are some photos of it here. 

In this post here, I told you about two table cloths created by the Aemilia Ars Society in the early part of the 20th century. I have as yet been unable to discover if either of these incredible pieces have survived to present day. Inspired by the beauty of these designs Francesca Bencivenni of Bologna has created her own masterpiece which will be on display as well at the Liberty exhibit in Forlì.

click on the photo for a closer look!

Francesca's peacock Aemilia Ars needle lace measures 89 centimetres long and 21 centimetres high and took more than 1100 hours for her to complete. It will be for sale at the end of the show - best offer will take it home - interested parties should contact her directly at her contact info on the brochure pictured above. I am in no way involved with, nor will I benefit from, the sale of the lace. If I could buy it myself I would have already made an offer!

If you find yourself in Italy this spring, make the effort to get to this show. I know I always say this but I really do wish I were able to get to this exhibit! If you go, please let me know how it was!

Interesting Embroidery Exhibit in Ferrara

Click on the image for a closer look.

Starting on November 23rd (this Saturday!) and running until December 1st there will be a very interesting exhibition at the Casa di Stella Dell'Assassino in Via Cammello no. 15 in Ferrara.

Embroidery and the sciences in the hands is a literal translation of the title of this show which will consist of embroidery and lace exhibits, lectures and workshops. The aim of this show is to break down the common stereotypical thinking that embroidery is strictly a woman's activity and, more specifically, that it is only for housewives and homemakers.

I'm translating a bit from the pamphlet that I received:

The events of this show will be all about embroidery: it's anthropological, historical, political and cultural significance across the centuries. Originally this ancient art was exclusively done by men before passing into the hands of women to whom it owes its evolution of styles, techniques, approaches and meanings. Embroidery is intertwined with architecture, painting, sculpture, the human sciences but also geometry, algebra, mathematics, spaces and numbers. These aspects are always neglected and only unconsciously intuitive but they are the basis for embroidery and its perfection. 

This will be an important exhibition of ancient and contemporary embroidery with alternating technical demonstrations by the participating embroidery schools and a series of lectures in support of knowledge relating to the world of embroidery. It is an invitation to schools, citizens, experts, scholars and the curious.

I think it sounds fascinating! I really wish I could be there.

Below is an image of the program schedule in Italian but I'm translating a bit of it just so my English-speaking readers can understand the depth that this show is undertaking. I've never heard of an event like this one. If you go, I'd love to hear from you!

Sat. 23 Nov.:

- Inauguration of the event.
- Lecture: Can the art of embroidery create innovation and work?
- Lecture: The origins of Estense Embroidery.
- Lecture: Aemilia Ars needle lace and the designer with Ferrarese origins: Parisina Schincaglia. The numbers, the geometry, the embroidery.
- The participating embroidery schools present the objects exhibited.

Sun. 24 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop and presentation of the materials exhibited.

Mon. 25 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The embroidery book bibliography of the Bassani Library. The research for the books and the catalogue.

Tue. 26 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The art of painting and that of embroidery. Together.

Wed. 27 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.

Thu. 28 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: Memories of the embroidery school of Sacro Cuore in Via Borgo di Sotto [Ferrara].

Fri. 29 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The Estense tapestry weaving mill.

- Burraco Tournament

Sat. 30 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.

- Screening of a short film: "Lovers with no luck"(1949) directed by Florestano Vancini and Adolfo Baruffi.
- Lecture: Stories of Lovers: Nicolò III d'Este & Stella Dell'Assassino and Ugo & Parisina.

Sun. 1 Dec.:

- Embroidery workshop and presentation of the materials exhibited.

Click on the image for a closer look.

Ordering Update for Aemilia Ars DVDs

Screen shot from the trailer.

 

Screen shot from the trailer.

Screen shot from the trailer.

I have an update on purchasing the Aemilia Ars needle lace DVDs that I told you about the other day!

The publisher Nuova S1 has told me that he can accept PayPal as a method of payment and that the shipping costs are 22,00 euros which is about $30.00 USD. This is for tracked packages. It seems the shipping costs are the same for one or two DVDs.  Send an email to order.

I'd love to hear from you regarding how it goes and what you think of the DVDs!

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace DVDs

DVD no. 1

Four days before I left for Italy in September, I received an email from Bianca Rosa Bellomo of the Associazione Culturale "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" in Bologna. She was putting the finishing touches on a couple of Aemilia Ars needle lace DVD instructional videos that the Associazione had made in collaboration with the Nuova S1 publishing house and there was provision for subtitles in English - could I check over her translations?

Back of the DVD

We worked right up until the day before I left on English subtitles for both DVDs. The first one covers the basics of Aemilia Ars needle lace and includes the printed patterns for a lavette cloth with a border and a rose motif (48 minutes long). The second covers the same basics of Aemilia Ars needle lace and includes a printed carnation motif design (35 minutes long).

You can check out the DVD trailer on YouTube, be sure to change the settings to 1080pHD for high definition quality:

When we met in Bologna a week later Bianca Rosa told me all about how the Associazione's idea came to fruition and the incredible work involved in making the DVDs. She described all the things you never think about like the music selection, typography and the best camera angles. They were hoping to have the DVDs ready for the (then) upcoming handmade creativity exhibition Abilmente in Vicenza the weekend of October 17, 2013. Unfortunately I was unable to get to the exhibition but Bianca Rosa performed acrobatics in order to get me my copies of the DVDs before I left Italy for home.

I was going to Ferrara to visit some friends and I emailed Bianca Rosa to tell her that I had to change trains in Bologna and that I would be thinking of her as I passed by her city. She responded that she'd meet me on the platform. Now, the Bologna central rail station has recently undergone massive improvements and it's huge! There are many entrances and exits to the platforms and great confusion can happen. The morning I left Florence for Ferrara there was a freak rainstorm and flash flooding which resulted in many of the local trains being cancelled due to damage along the tracks and huge delays with the trains that were running. Suddenly the half hour I had to change trains in Bologna became 5 minutes. I hit the ground running from my arrival platform in search of my (by now almost deserted) departure platform and upon arrival at the top of the stairs I didn't see Bianca Rosa anywhere. My train rang the bell that it was departing and I had to jump on immediately. When I arrived in Ferrara I contacted Bianca Rosa to apologize for leaving her hanging around the station for an hour wondering what had happened to me and we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would not see each other again before I left Italy at the end of the week.

Bianca Rosa however is a very determined lady for which I am profoundly grateful. She called my friend in Ferrara later in the day to say that she'd looked up my return train to Florence on the internet and even though this time I didn't have to change in Bologna, the train would still stop to pick up passengers there. She asked what carriage my seat was in and said she'd be waiting on the platform right where my carriage would stop and that I should jump down for a second and get the package she had for me.

It all seemed so simple.

My train left Ferrara on schedule and the rain had stopped. Five minutes outside of Bologna I got up and went to the doorway of the carriage to get ready to jump down at the station. All the lights in the train went out and we came to a dead stop. We sat there on the tracks for 20 minutes. Early evening in late October in the countryside of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy means no lights in the darkness. I had returned my borrowed cell phone and therefore had no way of communicating with Bianca Rosa. I will admit that I thought about Harry Potter and the Dementors while we sat there on the tracks in the darkness. Luckily Bianca Rosa waited and when we finally arrived at the Bologna station, I jumped down, thanked her profusely and jumped back on the train instantly. I was afraid that it would leave right away as we were now behind schedule. I ran back to my seat with my parcel and looked for her out the window but she was gone. The train sat in the station for another 15 minutes. I thought about the little mini-visit that we could have had instead of that last panicked hug. Well, enough about my adventures, you're thinking: tell us about the DVDs!

DVD no. 2

Of course I couldn't watch them until I got home to Canada but I can tell you that they are worth all the acrobatics done to get them! They are priced very reasonably for the amount of instruction there is and if you're like me and have been fumbling around with Aemilia Ars needle lace on your own at home, just watching the execution of the lace and observing the way the piece is held, the usage of the thumb and the movements involved will be a great help to you.

Been struggling with those picots? Now you can see exactly how they are done. I really like the graphics and the way they illustrate which parts of the lace you are watching. Even with the sound off and no subtitles, it was very easy to see what was happening. The assembly of the support system is shown as are the various steps to changing threads when you run out in a wide variety of positions (eg. during filling stitches, during structure construction, while executing support stitches, while executing a petal, an arch and other motifs), detaching the lace from the support system, attaching the lace to fabric, attaching the fabric to the support system and many other interesting and valuable tips and tricks.

The Aemilia Ars needle lace DVDs are in PAL2 format which means that they won't work on your DVD/TV combination at home in North America but I watched mine without a hitch on my Macintosh computer - I can't tell you if a PC can do the same but I know that there are programs which allow you to view European formatted DVDs, best to inform yourself first if you have any doubts.

At the moment, the Aemilia Ars needle lace DVDs are only available directly from the publisher Nuova S1. I have talked to them and they are looking into shipping costs to North America and the possibility of accepting PayPal as a form of payment, I will update you when they get back to me. Lacis in California distributes their books but doesn't have the DVDs - you could try contacting them to see if they can bring the Aemilia Ars needle lace DVDs in for you. Please let me know if you are successful, so I can spread the news to others!

Ordering update can be found here.

Aemilia Ars Rose Needle Lace Insert in Piecework

As I hinted a few posts ago, there is an Aemilia Ars needle lace insert in the May/June 2013 issue of Piecework magazine by the Associazione "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli".

The project includes step by step photos which had to be rather small in the magazine due to space constrictions but if you have a magnifying glass handy, they are valuable source of reference when executing the lace.

I had a reader write to ask me if the lace was indeed stitched to the size of the pattern in the magazine and the answer is yes! It is an exquisitely delicate little piece:

I had another reader write to ask me for more details on how to execute the "gruppetti" picots which are placed at the intersection of two overcast bars. As I am only a beginner when it comes to executing this lace, I can't pretend that my "gruppetti" are anything to show off but the ladies of the Associazione "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" assure me that practise, much practise improves them. I know that's not a magic answer but it's all I have for you. These ladies have been doing this lace for many, many years to achieve the high level of expertise in their lace, don't be too hard on yourself if yours doesn't look the same, but don't give up either!

If you're fortunate enough to be going to the Italia Invita Forum in Parma in May this year, stop by and see the ladies at their booth, you can catch their latest book or better yet, take their mini-courses!

I hope you enjoy the article in Piecework, somehow the photos never do justice to what is the most amazing piece of needle lace I've ever been close to. 

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace - New Book!

Nothing lifts the spirits bogged down by winter doldrums like a new needlework book! Pictured above is the third and latest publication in the Quaderni di Aemilia Ars series. This time the ladies of the Associazione Culturale "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" tackle fruit!

Classic Fruits is the title and in addition to pomegranates and grapes there are acorns, sheafs of grain and all the appropriate foliage to help you create nine exquisite projects of various sizes and difficulty.

There are detailed instructions with the support stitches visible and though the text is only in Italian, if you've been experimenting already, you should be able to follow along. If this is your first foray into Aemilia Ars Needle Lace, there are diagrams and close-up fotos to help you figure things out if you don't speak Italian.

Sample page. Copyright Nuova S1.

This soft-cover book is a healthy 80 pages made up mostly of close-up photos, something I really like! I really want to be able to count the stitches in an example when I'm doubting whether I've done something correctly. I never have any idea of how many stitches should be filling an area and I'm always afraid to make my own guess, so this really helps me become a little more comfortable when learning something new.

I have translated a few paragraphs from the introduction:

The acorn, pomegranate, grapes and sheafs of grain are recurring motifs in our lace. Not all are fruits in the true meaning of the word, but we believe in the understanding of the reader for this and other inaccuracies.

[...]

We have indicated these fruits as classics for their presence in many contexts (traditions, history, legends, sacred texts, designs, heraldry) and their various symbolic meanings more often changing over time and from place to place, they themselves have changed. 

[...]

Among the many possible executions of each motif, in the technique Aemilia Ars, we have made a particular choice, dictated primarily by simplicity. The pictures indicate the orientation of the piece during execution.

[...]

The drawings were done in pencil. We are not interfering with the result: we wanted to maintain that undeniable charm that the lines have – a bit faded and certainly always irregular. Everything is now in the hands of those who will make and give their own interpretation.

If you've already seen the two previous books in this series: Fiori [Flowers] and Bordi [Borders], then you know that this will be a rare and valuable addition to your library. If you're in Europe, you can order directly from the publisher, Nuova S1 and pay by bank transfer. If you are overseas, you can pay with PayPal from Tombolo Disegni (send an email request to order).

Look for the May/June 2013 issue of Piecework for another great project in Aemilia Ars Needle Lace!

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace - thread used for support stitches

Many times when we are interested in learning a new needlework technique, we go about gathering the "right" supplies. I know for me, when I want to start something, I get a lot of the enjoyment from the hunt for materials.

I have only dabbled in Aemilia Ars needle lace, a quick 3-hour class back in 2007 and some experiments on my own at home. Nothing I want to show anyone! From reading Italian books on how to execute this beautiful form of needle lace, I saw that they used something called "Refe" no. 40 for the support stitches. That is, the stitches which are placed on the cardboard support to hook on to when building a piece of lace.

I have never been successful in obtaining a spool of this mysterious "Refe" no. 40 so I've always just used cotton sewing machine thread. It is quite annoying as the sharp needle used to execute the actual lace always pierces the support stitches making it quite the task to separate the lace from the cardstock support. There are always endless little fibres from the support stitches to be extracted from the lace.

Here is what I mean by support stitches, I can't show you the whole design as it is about to be published in the May/June Lace Issue of Piecework.

I learned that the "Refe" no. 40 is not terribly easy to find in Italy either as it has been discontinued. The ladies are now using a new thread called Coats Glace no. 40. I immediately set about finding myself a spool (in the interests of research, you understand). I couldn't find it anywhere around here (North America) so I wrote to the Coats UK website asking where I might get some locally. While we wait on their reply, you can see what it looks like and read about its particular qualities at the Coats UK website. Keep in mind, we are talking about the Ticket no. 40 thread weight.

Meanwhile, I found Coats Glace for sale at TomboloDisegni in Italy (look under: Negozio, Filati, Cotone, Filati Vari), so I ordered a spool (among other things) and when it arrived I used it for the support stitches in the photo shown above. I always test my translations to see if my English makes any sense, so after I had translated the instructions for this piece, I started to see if I could execute the lace.

What I noticed right away was that I no longer split the support stitches with my needle when executing the lace stitches. Fantastic! If I ever finish the lace, it will be easily removed from the cardstock and support stitches.

Conclusion: the Coats Glace no. 40 thread is worth the investment as it will save lots of time and frustration in the long run.

Now, because I am who I am, I still wanted to see the "Refe" no. 40 thread and some kind ladies in Bologna send me a partial spool of it. The first thing I noticed is that the label doesn't have "Refe" on it anywhere! No wonder I couldn't ever source a place online to buy it! No matter! It was called "Lettera Lucido" and put out by Coats Cucirini which is the Italian division of Coats.

Comparing the two threads, the Glace is ever-so-slightly thicker and has 100 metres more thread on the spool but otherwise has the same stiffness to it, which is because of the way it is made. I can't get the price tag off the Glace thread without removing the paper below so I've left it there so you can see through it (underneath it says: Coats Glace, made in Turkey).

If I ever hear back from Coats about a North American source, I'll let you know!

Aemilia Ars Flower Freebie

As a New Year's gift, the Association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" of Bologna has made an Aemilia Ars needle lace instruction booklet available for free download on their website.

This is such a treat! Both beginners and those of you with previous needle lace experience will be delighted to find that the location of support stitches and the order of working are clearly indicated. While the text is in Italian only, the diagrams and photos are clear - you can always use Google Translator if you need to.

The freebie is an exquisite flower proposed in DMC tatting thread no. 80 which opens up your options for coloured thread. You will no doubt become very skilled at executing the picots by the time you're done, there are definitely a lot of them!

On the last page of the freebie Aemilia Ars instruction booklet you will find a photo of the finished project which is followed by another photo which serves as inspiration for doing different flowers. That last photo was taken by myself and is used with my permission.

Some of you might recognize it from the post I wrote about the Association's book on Aemilia Ars borders (available for purchase from Lacis in the US). That particular flower (photo above) was given to me as a gift by the Association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" when I was in Italy in 2011. I am delighted that they could use my photo so others could appreciate their work and perhaps use it as a source of inspiration for their own creations of Aemilia Ars needle lace.

If you're interested, the Association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" also published a book on Aemilia Ars flowers, the book is called Fiori and is available in the US from Lacis.

La Prilletta in Bologna

Some weeks ago, I received an email from Anna Rondelli of the Embroidery Association La Prilletta in Bologna.

She asked me to take a look at her website and her work.

You should too! There are photos of exquisitely delicate traditional embroidery techniques done with the utmost care and finesse. Traditional embroidery stitches like raised and padded satin stitch, shadow work, Broderie Anglais, needlepainting, cut work and drawn thread work are just some of the techniques used on fabrics like silk, organdy and fine Italian linens.

The aim of the Association La Prilletta is to rediscover and make known classic embroidery executed using a hoop which enjoyed its heyday in Bologna between the end of the 1800s and the early part of the 1900s. Anna has some of her grandmother's and great-grandmothers patterns and embroideries which she uses for inspiration along with some published designs from the period.

Taking their inspiration from pieces found in family trousseaux, the Association La Prilletta works to make this embroidery technique relevant to our modern times while being faithful to its past. They practise it so it will not be lost over time and in the hopes of enriching all those who encounter it with the beauty of this embroidery.

Anna herself spent 10 years learning from Vilma, a Bolognese embroidery master who attended the famous embroidery school headquartered at the Sacro Cuore Sanctuary in Bologna. This famous workshop was also renowned for the pieces of exqusite Aemilia Ars needlelace that it produced in the early 20th century.

The Association La Prilletta is currently working towards their first exhibition which will fall in September of 2012 in Bologna, watch their website for more details.

They offer classes in these beautiful embroidery techniques and a few didactic booklets, go to their website for more info.

New Needle Lace Association in Bologna

Il merletto di Bologna is a new non-profit cultural association started in April of 2011 with the aim of passing on and spreading the knowledge of the Bolognese needle lace technique of Aemilia Ars.

They offer courses from beginner to advanced levels for learning this breathtaking needle lace.

In early June of this year they will be participating in an exhibition in Bologna which will display their  works. Watch their website for more details.

Photo copyright: Il merletto di Bologna.

Check out their picture gallery for some lovely pieces of this lace.

Aemilia Ars Freebies - Part Two

They've done it again!

The ladies of the association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" have released some more patterns from the boxes that they have from the needlework workshop of Sacro Cuore (early 20th century) in Bologna.

This set of presents for us is in celebration of the New Year and features a photo of some of the teachers of the needlework workshop of Sacro Cuore, one of the most talented groups doing Aemilia Ars needle lace at the time. There are 14 pages of patterns to download. The ladies answer your requests for more simple patterns.

There are also some anecdotes about some of the historical pieces and people of this beautiful lace including the sad story of Nella Grassini Errera and her husband Paolo, prominent Venetian citizens taken and deported to Auschwitz where they were executed in 1944.

If you're like me and can't get enough pictures of Aemilia Ars needle lace, make yourself a cuppa and check out the photos that the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Bologna has published on the Genus Bononiae website.

Many patterns from a 17th century book of designs by Bartolomeo Danieli were the inspiration for breathtaking pieces of needle lace made in the early days of the Aemilia Ars Society. The CalcoGRAFICA National Graphics Istitute has recently made some of Danieli's designs available on their website.

To download the Christmas presents that the ladies from "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" gave us in December of 2011, click here.

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace Freebies

The Cultural Association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" has given a most wonderful selection of old Aemilia Ars needle lace patterns as a Christmas gift to their readers, students and followers!

This morning I received their newsletter in my inbox and with my heart racing I clicked on the link to read their full letter which tells the story that in the middle of the 1990s, Francesca Ortolani who was part of the religious order of the Sanctuary of Sacro Cuore in Bologna gave to Antonilla Cantelli's students some boxes full of large and small patterns for Aemilia Ars needle lace which had been used by the famous school which was headquartered at the Sacro Cuore beginning in 1912 which taught sewing, embroidery and lace to women.

Antonilla Cantelli being by then (the mid-1990s), a master of Aemilia Ars needle lace had begun her studies at the above-mentioned school which was well and widely known for the high calibre of Aemilia Ars needle lace made there. Antonilla had four students at the time of this wonderful donation from Francesca Ortolani and they were delighted to have their pick from the boxes of hundreds of patterns. 

Later, some of the students of Antonilla Cantelli formed the Cultural Association "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" which continues to teach the methods of their master and to ensure that the breathtaking needle lace of Aemilia Ars is not forgotten. It is these ladies who have now decided to share a selection of their old patterns with us as a special Christmas present.

The 10 patterns are downloadable free from their website and have indications written on them (in Italian) for the execution of the lace.

If you should like to pursue Aemilia Ars needle lace but cannot get to Bologna to take classes, the ladies of the Association have published two fantastic books of instructions to help you. One is called "Bordi" [Borders] and one is called "Fiori" [Flowers]. You may still order them from Elena at Italian Needlecrafts until the 27th of December when she closes her shop. Elena also carries the lovely book of patterns and photos of Antonilla Cantelli's work written by her granddaughter Barbara: L'Aemilia Ars di Antonilla Cantelli.

For those of you interested in the history of Aemilia Ars needle lace, the ladies of the Association have begun to post original documents on their website under the "Storia" tab.

Borders of Aemilia Ars

The long awaited Bordi [Borders] of the Quaderni di Aemilia Ars series is out!

78 pages of clear instructions on how to make this breathtakingly beautiful needle lace.

Once again the pupils of the Aemilia Ars master Antonilla Cantelli have worked hard to bring you step-by-step instructions. This book is in the same format as their previous publication Fiori [Flowers], this time they present numerous borders, edgings and inserts with large clear colour photos.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I have spoken often and lovingly of Aemilia Ars needle lace. It is truly a jewel in the crown of needlearts.

The ladies of the Association I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli also had a booth at the Italia Invita Forum in Parma this year and it was full of exquisite pieces of Aemilia Ars needle lace, both new and old (click on the underlined text for some pictures).

I was the lucky recipient of this needle lace flower which is absolutely perfectly made and attached to some wire so that you can hook it around a button:

While in Bologna, I couldn't miss the opportunity to revisit the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte museum and the only continuous exhibit of Aemilia Ars needle lace that I know of.

Can you see the snails? Ah well, more about that later...

If you're interested in the book on Aemilia Ars needle lace borders or even the one on flowers, check out the online needlework store Tombolo Disegni.

As always, many thanks to Elisabetta for the photo from the museum in Bologna!

Aemilia Ars Exhibit in Bologna April 10 - May 15

Oh to be in Bologna in springtime... this springtime!

At the Museo Davia Bargellini, Strada Maggiore, 44 in Bologna there will be an Aemilia Ars exhibit called: Aemilia Ars: merletti di inchiostro per merletti di filo. [Aemilia Ars: ink laces for thread laces] It is an exhibition of antique designs from the Aemilia Ars workshop, purchased by the City of Bologna in 1937.

I've translated the description from the website link above:

The exhibition is 30 antique designs from the early 20th century drawn for the embroidery and lace section of the Aemilia Ars Society. 

Sketches of large tablecloths are exhibited alongside detailed drawings, designed by Alfonso Rubbiani, Alfredo Tartarini, Alberto Pasquinelli and other designers who prepared them in order to aid embroiderers and lacemakers to create with the needle the refined and much sought after textile products which were sold around the world.

Thanks to the efforts of the promoter of this commercial company, Lina Bianconcini Cavazza, at the end of the nineteenth century a new technique of needle lace was developed, today commonly called 'Aemilia Ars', suitable both for reproducing the drawings published in sixteenth and seventeenth century pattern books and to create works in line with the contemporary Art Nouveau taste; an essential step in the realization of the artefacts was the preparation of designs with specific characteristics which established artists performed by translating these cultural stimuli.

For the occasion of the exhibition Aemilia Ars: ink laces for thread laces, some events are dedicated also to modern 'Aemilia Ars lace' - at the Davia Bargellini Museum you can admire the lace and embroidery workshop's original designs which are usually kept in depositories to better ensure their conservation.
 
These valuable materials will be able to interact with some examples of decorative ironwork preserved in the first room of the museum, in particular the spectacular sign of the Sante Mingazzi workshop and the refined gate of the Matteucci of Faenza company; in fact, these craftsmen were themselves a part of the artistic craftsman redevelopment project sponsored by the Aemilia Ars Society, active from 1898 to 1903.

Other events in conjunction with the exhibition will be three presentations sponsored by the Italian book store Feltrinelli in Piazza Galvani: a volume published for FENDI about the ability of Italian handicrafts; the books dedicated to Aemilia Ars needle lace produced by the Association Il Punto Antico of San Giovanni in Persiceto and a free workshop on the making of Aemilia Ars needle lace by teachers from the Association Il Punto Antico. 

The event inauguration will be April 9th at 5pm at the Museo Davia Bargellini. 

If you are in Bologna for this event, do not miss the stunning collection of needle lace pieces at the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte Museum!!!

Buon Natale and Merry Christmas

If you've got to kill some time waiting for your kids to fall asleep tonight, head on over to the Aemilia Ars website and check out the latest photos in their Gallerie of the recent show in Bologna, Mondo Creativo.

All the best to everyone for a joyous holiday and I wish you lots free time for stitching!

Aemilia Ars Dress

A kind gentleman named Claudio over at the MI1906 Milan 1906 World's Fair website has brought to my attention a magazine article he found while looking for something else in a copy of L'Illustrazione Popolare Sunday Edition no. 46 for the 14th of October, 1906 (click on the photo for a closer look):


I give you the entire article in Italian for those Italian readers and I will translate it here below for those English-speaking readers.

Unfortunately it corresponds with a photo in Merletti e Ricami della Aemilia Ars (1929). What must have been a completely amazing dress, tragically lost to fire when the Fine Arts Pavillion was consumed by flames on the night of the 2nd-3rd of August, 1906. (Click on the photo for a closer look):


The caption in Merletti e Ricami della Aemilia Ars reads:

"Dress designed from a sketch by A. Rubbiani by A. Casanova and executed by commission for Signora Marsaglia Balduino (Genoa) in 1905, according to the fashion of the time. There were 15 different kinds of birds among flowers, fruits and ornaments. The hemline was made of individually attached peacock feathers so as to be light and rich at the same time."

The article from L'Illustrazione Popolare reads:

Needlework Miracles burned at the Exposition in Milan

Because at least the memory remains of an object worthy of note lost in the fire – August 3rd – in the Italian Decorative Arts Pavilion, we believe it opportune to present to our readers the gown executed in punto in aria without seams and made on commission, as an almost actual-size detail of the patient work. It was made in two months by sixty-five workers at the Aemilia Ars workshop from a design by A. Casanova. In its sweet whiteness and in its fair and refined richness the beautiful gown made one think of a gift from a fairy who had wanted to wrap up and protect a princess in a cloud of leaves, flowers, birds because she was the most elegant of women. And this dreamy gown, an envied masterpiece was itself destroyed along with many other beautiful things that fateful night.

The flames also burned the laces of the company Jesurum of Venice. So many other wonderful things lost! They were the results of more than a year of study done by Jesurum of the most remarkable reproductions of ancient works and for that purpose many repeated trips were made to visit a few precious originals kept in the Decorative [Arts] Museums of Paris, Antwerp and Brussels. They had also specially bought ancient fragments and made many very expensive attempts to achieve results which are now lost. Among the most important works displayed were a cushion, table centres and doilies, reproduced for the first time from the Byzantine medallions of the church of Torcello, which were bought by the best lace dealer in Paris, Lescure: a Gothic placemat all embroidery and needle lace, a trim rich in a plastron collar [sorry, I don't know what this is!] fan of needlepoint lace, so fine that it was necessary to put a strong lens in front of them so that the public might see the design and workmanship; a complete trim of Rosaline Point, the finest that has been made in recent times; an embroidered blanket, made with all the needle lace stitches manufactured by Jesurum in Burano; a complete rich collection of Burano laces of every stitch; window curtains and covers in every stitch, individually designed and studied; an outfit in coloured lace, bobbin lace, etc.

There were also many items for the table, including a magnificent placemat, composed of sixty-four squares with sixty-four different designs, handkerchiefs, ties, fans. A few reproductions of antique Pellestrina lace were placed together with original pieces from the same Pellestrina museum to show the accuracy of the copy. Jesurum had insured its exhibit for thirty thousand lire, but the damages are, in a complexity of respects, incalculable.

Captions for the L'Illustrazione Popolare photos are as follows:
Photo of dress: Gown executed in punto in aria, without seams, destroyed in the fire at the Decorative Arts Pavilion on the 3rd of August at the Exposition in Milan.

Photo of dress detail: Detail of the gown in punto in aria, exhibited in the Decorative Arts Pavilion, destroyed by the fire of the 3rd of August.

If anyone can tell me about the plastron collar fan - I'd appreciate it!

Many thanks to Claudio for this article!

La Sirena - The Siren

Besides monsters, I love finding Mermaids and/or Sirens in embroidery and lace. I can't tell you why and you could even say that the Siren is a type of sea monster.

From Giovanni Ostaus' La Vera Perfezione del Disegno per Punti e Ricami (1561):


They are always wicked in the old tales and it was probably not until Hans Christian Andersen that there was a sympathetic tale of these creatures - don't quote me, I'm not up on my Mermaid/Siren history. The Greeks didn't even associate them with the sea but the Romans did and since we're talking about Italy, let's go with the Romans! You do need to know however that Sirens get some bird-like history from the Greeks so sometimes they are depicted with wings. Enough background – on to the Sirens in needlework!

From Cesare Vecellio's Corona delle nobili e virtuose donne (1592):


Years ago when searching for Italian patterns, I came across the Coraggio Sampler by The Scarlet Letter. This sampler has all kinds of things I like including monsters and a Mermaid. I actually came across a sampler in an Italian museum with the Mermaid from this sampler on it but I didn't note it down and now I'd love to know where I saw it!! Anyone know? Please leave me a comment below!

I like the documentation that goes with the Coraggio Sampler, it has references to 16th century antique pattern books. I ordered it with all the silk threads and then decided to modify it with other antique Italian motifs I liked so it sits on the floor stand in my living room and once in awhile I sit and put in a few stitches on it. I'm afraid it has been sitting there for years.

There are several needle lace Sirens in Merletti e Ricami della Aemilia Ars (1929) including several on a round table centre on the cover which was a piece commissioned "from America", I tried to scan it but unfortunately I can't get a good scan, you'll have to take my word for it...

... there is also this Heraldic design by Arcangelo Passerotti from his Libro di Lavorieri (1591):


In the same book there is this one done in Filet lace for a tablecloth, the design is from Giovanandrea Vavassore's Esemplario di Lavori (c. 1530):


I have always liked the Siren in Elisa Ricci's Old Italian Lace (1913):


I took a crack a charting the design, what do you think? She's pretty scary!


You can download some of Elisa Ricci's books and some antique pattern books from the Online Digital Archive of Documents, or you can purchase a collection of 5 antique pattern books together in one volume from Italian Needlecrafts.

New Aemilia Ars website

The women of the Cultural Association "I merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" have launched their website!

This group of women studied under the Aemilia Ars needle lace master Antonilla Cantelli and formed their association in 2004 in honour of their master and to promote the continuation of this exquisite form of needle lace by teaching the methods and criteria which they, themselves were taught.

The logo of the Cultural Association "I merletti di Antonilla Cantelli":


The website is in it's infancy so bookmark it and check back often or sign up for their newsletter even if you don't speak Italian, notices will prompt you to check out the website. For now the site is in Italian only.

Plans are to post the history of the society which started it all, biographies of the protagonists connected over the span of more than 100 years, stories, documents and photos; then also the work of the Cultural Association and it's shows, exhibitions, classes and more!

A piece of exquisite Aemilia Ars needle lace worked by Antonilla Cantelli that I saw in 2009 in Bologna. Notice her initial stitched right into the lace - this is a trademark of her work:


Please remember that building a website takes time, as does collecting and organizing material and that the women will be dedicating their spare time to updates. Right now they are tweaking and trouble-shooting the site and appreciate any feedback you may have. Go ahead and email them in your native tongue, they will find a way or the people to translate.

To see more laces and designs by Antonilla Cantelli, check out the book by her grand-daughter, Barbara Cantelli: L'Aemilia Ars di Antonilla Cantelli.

Many thanks to Elisabetta for the use of her beautiful photos!