Coloured Deruta Embroidery

Let's have a little colour today. While in Assisi last year I photographed this sign outside a shop, thinking excitedly that it was a store selling Deruta Embroideries (which is what it says) but alas, inside there were touristy things and books – the shop clerk said that during the 1950s it was the shop I was hoping for.


I do know however, that Coloured Deruta Embroideries do exist and that they are still being stitched today.

As is the case in many instances, embroideries were initiated to match tablewear or were inspired by ceramic tiles. Deruta is especially known for its outstanding ceramics worldwide. The colours fascinate me and I find myself drawn to ochre, terracotta, green and blue - if you looked at my collection of threads you'd find that anytime I had to buy some kind of thread just to bring it home without any special project in mind, these are the colours I chose.

Coloured Deruta Embroideries are executed on medium weight Umbrian linen with Embroidery Floss.

This work was featured on an Italian telephone card for Telecom Italia in 2009:


There is a 4 minute video on YouTube of the Fili d'Amore presentation ceremony in which you can see some of the embroideries and fuserole which were also featured on telephone cards. (Make sure you watch it in 720pHD!)

Embroidery in Deruta dates back to the 13th century but in the early 20th century it experienced a revival with the national movement of "Feminine Industries" which popped up all over the country promoting special styles and stitches from each region of Italy. Embroidery schools and workshops were started in Deruta by nuns and a pair of local sisters, Aurelia and Luce Corcioni which experienced worldwide success in the selling of their beautiful needlework. Local ceramic beads called fuserole were incorporated into the tassels on their cushions, curtains and tablemats.

These are some of my fuserole, purchased at both Italia Invita Forums in 2007 and 2009:


Fuserole started out as the weights to balance spindles when spinning thread and date back to Etruscan times. Between the 14th and 17th centuries they were glazed, coloured and decorated with sayings and good wishes, names or virtuous designs and were given as love tokens. This one is a reproduction of a 15th century fuseruola:


In 2004 the Accademia Punto Deruta was founded to preserve and promote Coloured Deruta Embroidery and the other two styles of Deruta needlework: Antique Deruta Embroidery and Catherine de' Medici Embroidery.

Modern Coloured Deruta Embroidery is made using Long and Short Stitch and Stem Stitch and sometimes Rush Stitch as well (which is similar to Roumanian Couching).

From the Italia Invita 2009 Forum book:


There are some free patterns to download at the Italian Embroidery magazine Ricamo Italiano's website, all text is in Italian: here and here.

Antique Deruta Embroidery

There are a few types of embroidery that take the Italian town of Deruta for their names but today we're going to look at my favourite one called Antique Deruta Embroidery. This Counted/Pulled Thread technique is enjoying a bit of a revival lately as the Accademia Punto Deruta has been studying old pieces in order to recuperate designs, teaching courses and exhibiting pieces in national and international shows.

The two basic stitches are Darning Stitch and Double Running Stitch. The work is done on openweave fabric called Buratto using 30/2 or 30/3 Linen Thread of the same colour as the fabric. Typical motifs are stylized animals, flowers and vines and geometric patterns.

Here is a border from the Italia Invita Forum 2005 book:


This cushion is from the Italia Invita Forum 2007 book:


This technique makes particularly great embroidery for curtains as you can really see the designs best when light is behind them or a darker fabric.

This banner if from the Italia Invita Forum 2009 book:


There is a piece here to look at, and another one here.

I took a small atelier 2-hour course at the Italia Invita Forum in 2007. The teachers were fantastic and helped me a lot. It wasn't their fault that I was on information overload by the time I attended the class! There is a certain logic to the path you must follow when doing the stitches in order to end up in the right position and with the right sequence in order to obtain the right effect. The Accademia Punto Deruta offers tours of their collection but you must make an appointment in advance.

You can learn more about this technique at Tuttoricamo, click on: "Techniques" and read the article called: Deruta Embroidery within this article is another link to some history - click on: History of Deruta Embroidery under the "Links" heading toward the end of the article. (Note the article called Deruta Drawn Thread Work is something different)

There is a little information on this technique with photos in the Anchor Manual of Needlework, Interweave Press, 1990. Some technical info can also be found in a couple of the Carmela Testa books from the early 20th century - you can find them at Iva Rose.

You can get the Italia Invita books and Buratto fabric at Italian Needlecrafts.