Italia Invita 2013

 

The 6th International Italia Invita Forum of Textile Creativity has updated their website to include the theme and competitions for the next Italia Invita Forum in Parma, Italy on May 10 - 12th, 2013.

Techniques covered at the next Forum will include: Embroidery, Lace, Quilting, Knitting, Crocheting, Felting, Cross Stitch, Weaving, Straw Plaiting, and just about any other textile art.

The theme will be: Intreccio Internationale which is difficult to translate into two words."Intreccio" is a weave, a plait or braid, a plot (of a story), an intertwining or interweaving - of paths, lives, things. The way they have explained it on the English general info page of their website is as follows:

...the theme is “Intreccio Internazionale” because we will search the path that “the thread” has made, prior to materialize into an art, a technique, a precious artifact. An invitation to retrace the steps through which every single work of each school has reached perfection, thanks to contamination with other techniques.

As usual, there are two competitions open to the public with the entries being displayed during the Forum:

The topics chosen for 2013 are ‘circle’ and ‘internationality’: one as a symbol of unity, of what has no beginning and no end, and the other as the basis of the “growth” due to the exchange between different cultures.

The Squaring the Circle competition is open to individual quilters, groups and associations and the International Circle competition is open to anyone who wants to use any textile method to create a themed piece.

Prizes include a Juki sewing machine, a Juki cutting and sewing machine, Aurifil threads and €1,800.00 in vouchers to spend at the Italia Invita Forum in the vendors section.

I was waiting until they had made the rules available in English on their website to tell you about this but I have learned that the rules will not be made available in any other language than Italian. This seemed strange to me for an international competition and event. I received this response to my query from Fiere di Parma, the company that hosts the event:

The rules are only in Italian because the competition is reserved only for Italian citizens due to issues with the Government.
Unfortunately, the law does not allow Italy to organize international competitions and so we were forced to deal with this limitation.

There will be workshops and classes that you can register for and attend and I am told that a list of these will be available in the next couple of weeks.

A list of exhibitors and vendors will become available after the new year.  So check back to the Italia Invita website often for updates.

In other posts I have told you about previous editions of Italia Invita Forums:

Italia Invita - Part One - 2003

Italia Invita - Part Two - 2005
Italia Invita - Part Three - 2007

Italia Invita - Part Four - 2009
Italia Invita - Part Five - 2011

Truly, if you get the chance to go, make the effort. No where else can you get so many Italian needlework schools, teachers, techniques and supplies at a single event.

Italia Invita - 2011

Though I have told you many things about my trip to the Italia Invita Forum in May 2011 in posts about Puncetto, Deruta Drawn-Threadwork, Ars Panicalensis, and Sicilian Drawn-Threadwork, I didn't really tell you much about the Forum itself.

As my thoughts now turn to the next one coming up May 10 - 12, 2013 in Parma, I have been going over some of the things I saw and did at the Italia Invita Forum in 2011.

The theme for the 2011 Italia Invita Textile Forum was: Herbarium. Each exhibitor was asked to create a "herbal" themed piece using their favourite technique. As always, competitions of this kind produce extraordinary things and the exhibit of entries was fascinating. Here are just a few entries which are all photographed and can be seen in the catalogue:

Pescocostanzo Bobbin Lace. Image from Herbarium Catalogue.

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace. Image from Herbarium Catalogue.

Umbrian Embroidery. Image taken from Herbarium Catalogue.

The umbrella of textile arts this time included weaving, quilting, knitting, crochet, felting and cross stitching added to the original embroidery and lace of years before. This was the 5th biennial event which started in 2003.

The Italia Invita Forum 2011 also coincided with Italy's 150th anniversary celebrations so one of the contests of this Forum was to stitch the flag or use the flag's colours. There was also a contest for quilts! So much to do and see, the Italia Invita Forum was divided over two paddocks, the contest entries in one building and the vendors and textile exhibitors in another.

Others took better photos than I, so if you're ready for some eye-candy, sit back and check out these blogs and personal websites of people that were there:

http://veganormal.blogspot.ca/2011/05/italia-invita-bandiere-ed-erbario.html

http://merlettoadago.blogspot.ca/2011/05/parma-2011.html

http://merlettoadago.blogspot.ca/2011/05/parma-seconda-puntata.html

http://ricamoealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/06/parma1.html

http://ricamoealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/06/parma2.html

http://tomboloealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/05/italia-invita-2011-parma-reportage.html


There were even a couple of YouTube videos produced:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAT32nzEkIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl0LpXD_8NI&feature=related


This should give you a good idea of what the Italia Invita Forum is like. There were visitors from all over Europe, Japan, North America, Australia. 46 Textile Schools of Italy were represented by stands of their own but there were even more in mini-stands combined with commercial goods in the vendors section. There were 104 vendors including the four event sponsors: DMC; Fratelli Graziano, Juki and HFT-Filomania. The DMC booth had some of their pieces from the 2009 exhibit which were the stitched designs from their old booklets from the beginning of the 20th century. You can see some photos on their Italian blog:
http://www.dmcblog.it/?p=1024
and more detailed photos of the whole DMC collection here: http://www.dmcblog.it/?p=357

Fratelli Graziano had their first weaving loom threaded up with the colours of the Italian flag as they were celebrating their 170th anniversary (check this link for some photos). Overall there were 150 exhibitors. 8,754 people attended the Forum over three days (May 13-15, 2011) attendance was up 14% over 2009. 17 of Italy's 20 regions were represented with local characteristic textile techniques.

I brought a better camera this time (last time my camera mysteriously stopped working the night before the Forum and started working again the day after it was over) but my photos where not great. Even the automatic movement stability feature couldn't stop my shakiness - too much excitement! This is very unfortunate because many exhibitors were kind enough to let me photograph their things. I wish I had good photos to show you but unfortunately I do not.

Some photos did turn out. Gilda Cefariello Grosso creates wonderful things with colourful Pisan Embroidery and wins many awards with her work:

The Italia Invita Forum offered workshops both free and paid. This time I opted for a paid workshop and took an intensive Puncetto course which I told you about here. There were many others I would have liked very much to have taken, 10 in total: embroidery techniques, filet lace, bobbin lace, needle lace, macramè, crochet lace, tassel-making and weaving. Two were Sardinian techniques that I have never before seen classes offered to the public. It was hard for me to choose which course to take but in the end I chose the Puncetto as I had already made some attempts at it and knew that I would like to improve.

From previous experience I knew that the days would be hectic and exhausting but exhilarating as well. Meeting up with old friends and making new ones in an atmosphere where most of us felt like kids in a candy shop makes for an amazing three days. There are meetings and appointments and gatherings where everyone excitedly goes over purchases and experiences. I will be sad to miss the Italia Invita Forum in 2013. Finances will not allow a trip to Italy next year for me, but if you have the chance to go, you should do it!

So far details are scarce on their website but as soon as they can, I know they will announce everything. They do know that those of us who must plan for trips in advance are out here waiting for news!

Check over the other editions to the Forum that I have talked about:

Italia Invita - Part One - 2003

Italia Invita - Part Two - 2005

Italia Invita - Part Three - 2007

Italia Invita - Part Four - 2009

Umbrian Embroidery Revisited - Part One

Way back in this post, I promised to let you know how my experiments with Umbrian Embroidery went. Recently I finally had some time to dedicate to some more experiments. As usual with my experiments, I learned more about what I shouldn't do than what I should, but I show them to you in the spirit of learning.

Instead of using an evenweave fabric, I wanted a more rustic look and chose some lightweight undyed hemp fabric. I made sure to finish the edges on the serger before washing it, and after ironing the whole yard, I discovered that it had not been cut very evenly so I spent quite a bit of time withdrawing threads on the two sides that did not have a selvedge and then serging those two sides again for a more true idea of how much fabric I had (which was a yard in the end). I really like the look and feel of the hemp fabric.

Ok, so now having squared-off my fabric I had some scraps to experiment on. I already knew that I wanted to use the varigated Anchor pearl cotton, 1355 which is a green/blue/yellow combination. But which weight? No. 5 or No. 8?

While I really like the raised texture of the no. 5, it is clearly too heavy to use on this fabric, so no. 8 it is. This little motif uses the Satin stitch, Stem stitch and the Ricciolino stitch which characterizes Umbrian Embroidery.

Off we go! I chose a motif from Giuseppa Federici's lovely book: Punto Umbro o Punto Sorbello which I got last year at the Italia Invita Forum in Parma. I have been dying to try some of the beautiful things in this book.

Giusy has written several books on different Italian needlework techniques and she really knows how to lay out a technical manual. The photos are clear and close-up and there are lots and lots of interesting and attractive patterns to try, all with photos of the items stitched up so you know what the end result will be.

I chose one of the simpler Umbrian Embroidery motifs, transfered the pattern onto the hemp fabric and went to work. It stitches up quickly and while I love tone-on-tone, this thread produces an interesting effect too.

This is one corner of the design which repeats in all four corners of a square:

Now, here's where I took a wrong turn... I am much more comfortable with counted thread embroidery and have a very hard time ignoring the weave of the fabric when doing free-style embroidery. Of course non-evenweave fabrics do not behave like evenweave fabrics and I should have calculated better before beginning my edging.

I really like the edging I experimented with before in this post. I thought I had it all figured out with regard to joining the insertion stitches when connecting two pieces of fabric, and so, when I stitched along my first side of the square of fabric, I assumed that if my stitches were done the same on all four sides, the results would be the same. I tried to execute the edging stitches every three ground fabric threads, thinking (erroneously) that everything would work out.

But warp and weft of this fabric are not the same. Can you see my difficulties? This piece will never match up with another one evenly and I even have five motifs on one side instead of four like the rest! All four sides are different.

Giusy says in her book that you need to set the pattern for the edging with your first piece so that you can easily join the others together. This makes sense, of course but how to go about it? Even if I fold my square over so that the two sides with four motifs are aligned, the motifs are not positioned correctly to be matched up.

This obviously cannot be done by counting ground threads (which I should have known) but rather with a ruler. If you have other ideas, please post them below! Now I will unpick the three edges which I don't like and attempt to make the new ones match the one edge that I do like which, ironically is the first edge I stitched. I should have paid more attention!!

I'll let you know how it goes, hopefully it won't take me so long to get back to you this time!

For those who will want to know:

• the Anchor thread came from http://sewandso.co.uk/
• the hemp fabric came from http://hempbasics.com/
• you can purchase Giusy's book directly from her (click on the link to send her an email) 

Casalguidi Embroideries

I want to show you some exquisite Casalguidi Embroideries.

Years ago Ivana Palomba (we talked about her and her thesis on Carolina Amari in a previous post) gave courses on the embroideries of the Prato Textile Museum. Ivana taught the didactic part and a friend of hers, Gabriella Mantellassi, taught the technical part.

Ivana tells me that Gabriella is a true master of this technique and has a great passion for embroidery and lace. I had the good fortune to meet Gabriella at the 2011 Italia Invita Forum in Parma, Italy and can easily agree that Gabriella is a very talented lady.

Ivana has shared (with permission) some photos of Gabriella's Casalguidi Embroideries.

An intricate Casalguidi Embroidery table centre with traditional motifs.

A Casalguidi Embroidery cushion with the addition of some lovely drawn thread work top and bottom.

A cushion "sampler" with lots of different motifs, characteristic of Casalguidi Embroidery - notice the tassels!

Creative application of Casalguidi Embroidery on a lampshade.

The Prato Museo del Tessuto offers many textile-related activities and has long been on my list of places I must visit. Check out their website which has both English and Italian text.

Thank you Ivana for sharing the pics and to Gabriella for the permission to publish them!

Upcoming Needlework shows

I have been asked by several readers if I know of upcoming events in Italy relating to needlework. Some are busy planning their holidays and wish to incorporate a needlework event or two into their stay in Italy. It's a lovely idea and makes for a memorable time.

Abilmente presents their Creativity Fair in Vicenza, March 1 - 4, 2012. This is a big craft fair not just dedicated to needlework.
http://www.abilmente.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1764&lang=en

Trecce, Intrecci, Merletti - an exhibition of Braid Embroidery, Cantù Lace and Aemilia Ars Needle Lace at the Villa Smeraldi, 15km outside of Bologna. March 11 - 25, 2012. 

HobbyShow is big craft fair in Milan, March 16 - 18, 2012. Needlework is included but not the dominant theme of this fair.
http://www.hobbyshow.it/milano/

Festa Del Ricamo - sponsored by Casa Cenina, this year's theme is the Sampler. June 2 - 3, 2012. Contest details and other related information can be read here:
http://www.casacenina.com/blog/the-details-about-our-contest-the-sampler-of-my-life.html

The Hand Embroidery and Artisan Weaving Exhibition will be held in Valtopina, on August 31 - September 2, 2012. The theme for this show is: Green Monuments of Umbria - the trees. If you would like to participate in their competition for this show, you must make a tablecloth for six settings, executed in a technique of hand-embroidery or lace of your own design. For more details, see their website:
http://www.mostravaltopina.it/concorso/

The International Biennial Lace Exhibition of Sansepolcro will be held September 8 - October 28, 2012. This year's show is dedicated to the Emancipation of Women. Download the program in English and Italian here (click on the words: "Regolamento e bando di concorso").

The Ago Magico show and market will be November 9 - 11, 2012 at the Parco Esposizioni Novegro about 10kms outside of Milan. This show is dedicated to artistic embroidery and sewing.
http://www.parcoesposizioninovegro.it/lagomagico/

Italia Invita has just announced the dates for the 6th edition of their Textile Creativity Forum which will be located in Parma, May 10, 11, 12, 2013. They haven't announced the theme or events and attractions yet as we're still a little more than a year away from this one, but stay tuned, these things will be forthcoming soon.
http://www.italiainvita.it/

That's all that I've got for now. I will post again with any additions that I discover. Please post a comment if you know of an event that I've missed or if you visit any of these events, we'd love to hear about them!

Ars Panicalensis - Purses

What do you think of when you think of Embroidery on Tulle? Do you think of Church vestments? Bridal veils? Christening gowns? How about purses?

Paola Matteucci, the extraordinarily talented needleworker from Panicale in the province of Perugia, Italy, has created an incredibily beautiful batch of purses with her Ars Panicalensis Embroidery on Tulle technique. She hand-dyes the cotton fabrics and tulle with natural dyes.

Purses at the Ars Panicalensis booth at Italia Invita 2011. Photo copyright Ricamo Ars Panicalensis.

I saw some of these lovely creations at the 2011 Italia Invita Forum in Parma last May, there was always a crowd around the Ars Panicalensis booth and during one of the workshops the TV station was there with their video cameras so I hope Paola received some good exposure for her Art.

Later this year at the Valtopina XIII Embroidery and Fabric Show there were more exquisite purses to see, done in Ars Panicalensis.

Ars Panicalensis purses at the Valtopina 2011 show. Photo copyright Maria Bissacco.

The intricate embroidery of Ars Panicalensis and the designs that come from Paola Matteucci are breathtaking and, if possible, they get more so with every new creation!

Detail of a piece of Ars Panicalensis at the EGA National Seminar in 2010.

The town of Panicale has its own Tulle Museum where from October 27, 2011 to January 8, 2012 there is an exhibit on Pinocchio and the most important imitations featuring antique and modern marionettes and toys and fairytales embroidered on Tulle.

Needlework ribbons

At the Italia Invita Forum in 2009, designer Guido Fauro requested the collaboration of the lacemakers and embroiderers who were exhibiting at the Forum for help in creating two bridal bouquets, one of needlework flowers and one of needlework ribbons to go with his cut paper bouquet for his display corresponding with the Forum's theme of Weddings Italian Style.

Over 50 exhibitors answered the call and produced some incredible needlework flowers and ribbons.

Guido Fauro's cut paper bouquet:

The floral bouquet:

And the ribbon bouquet:

In the July/August 2011 issue of Piecework, you can find my article on these bouquets and a project of the two intricate needle lace and embroidered ribbons by the maestra Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli which were included in the Italia Invita ribbon bouquet.

Many thanks to Luisa for the use of her photos!

Puncetto Workshop

While in Italy at the Italia Invita Forum in Parma this past month, I took a three-day workshop with the Puncetto needle lace maestra Angela Stefanutto of the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso di Varallo from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Angela was an incredibly patient teacher and she had her hands full! There were six of us, two ladies from Spain, two Italian ladies, a lady from Israel and myself. One of the Italian ladies was also an English language interpreter for the Israeli lady and Angela was able to speak to the Spanish ladies in their mother tongue. I admired everyone greatly as learning and teaching an embroidery technique is difficult enough but having to switch languages while you're doing it is even more challenging. Angela was never impatient and made sure that we were all able to finish our little square of Puncetto needle lace by the end of the course. We each got a little certificate for having completed the workshop and Angela was surprised by getting her own certificate for having taught us! She was a very sweet lady and I enjoyed her very much.

Here she is in the Puncetto booth at the show:

Angela Stefanutto.

My little square is quite warped but I felt very good leaving the class having learned so much just by watching Angela work her magic hands with the needle and thread.

The Puncetto square is worked first and then inserted into the fabric.

Nothing was a problem, not even when I broke my thread, our maestra had a work-around for every difficulty we encountered. For those that finished early, she showed us a little fancy Puncetto edging:

The Ventaglietto or little fan edging is done by hooking onto the hem of the fabric.

Then she showed us the two books that she co-wrote and all of the beautiful pieces of Puncetto needle lace she had done which were featured in the books. I was delighted to discover that I had both of her books at home!

Book number one is really for advanced levels or for once you have a good understanding of the technique.

Book number two which is really the one you need to get started.

I was excited about getting home to now finally understand the patterns which I had been unsure about when working on my own.

Angela told us that if we were ever in her neighbourhood, she taught Puncetto classes for the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso di Varallo. One day I hope to visit her and do just that!

In the meantime, there is a series of German videos on YouTube which show you some Puncetto basics.

Deruta Drawn Thread Work - Deruta Sfilato

About this time last year, I wrote a post about the Castello di Verrazzano in Tuscany and the unusual needlework on the curtains we found there.

This year at the Italia Invita Forum in Parma, there was a small booth filled with this needlework called Deruta Sfilato or Deruta Drawn Thread Work. The booth was displaying the work of Maria Elide Melani and the Association Ago, Aga e Fantasia of Pistoia.

I was delighted to meet Maria as we had exchanged some emails some time ago regarding the curtains at the Castello Verrazzano. She has been very busy researching this technique and producing some wonderful needlework.

This shawl for a bridal gown is exquisite:

And there are matching shoes!

Maria decided to exhibit the work at the Italia Invita Forum this year to see if anyone was interested in it. From what I saw of the continuous crowds around the booth and the talk of the people attending, Deruta Drawn Thread Work has a solid future and we will be seeing more of it in the future.

The Association Ago, Aga e Fantasia is offering an intensive embroidery course on Deruta Sfilato from June 17 - 19, 2011 at the Hotel Leon Bianco in Pistoia - how I would love to go... isn't it beautiful?

Corso Intensivo di Deruta Sfilato

Some days later in Florence, we came across the hand embroidery shop TAF at no. 17-red in Via Por Santa Maria and spotted what looked like the same kind of needlework:

As the shop was closed, we returned the next day to ask about it. We were told that the price was reduced as they only had pink tablecloths left and didn't think they could get any more of this kind of embroidery as it was done by elderly embroiderers in the areas surrounding Florence.

I was also told by another person that this kind of embroidery is done in the Sorrento area of southern Italy. Hmmm... this will mean further investigation into the roots of this needlework!

At the website Tuttoricamo, you can read some history about Deruta Drawn Thread Work, from the homepage, click on the British Flag for the English pages, then on "Techniques", then on "Deruta Drawn Thread Work", there are some pictures of a couple of fantastic cushions there too.

Colourful Puncetto

I have long been an admirer of Puncetto needle lace from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Every once in a while, I take out my needle and thread and try to practice what I learned in two short hours of lessons at the 2009 Italia Invita Forum in Parma.

In May of this year there is even a 12 hour workshop available at the next biannual Italia Invita event to tempt me. While I wrestle with the decision of whether or not I can attend this workshop, I want to tell you about some special ladies who create beautiful coloured Puncetto which I first saw in a RAKAM magazine in March of 2008.

Last year there was another article about them in the April issue of Ricamo Italiano magazine.

Anna Rita Capone keeps a blog which I recently discovered with lots of pictures of her adventures with her maestra Ilaria Corradini.

The work is exquisite and the blog worth going through and looking at all her posts for each and every delightful and imaginative design and project.

Anna's latest Puncetto pieces have been single colour and she seems to be doing the work on commission so she doesn't have a choice in the colours but even the tone on tone pieces are beautiful!

What I wouldn't give to be able to execute the work these ladies do!

Retors D'Alsace - DMC Alsatian Twist Thread

In Italy in the spring of 2009, DMC re-released the thread they call Retors d'Alsace or Alsatian Twist.

It is available in two weights, no. 8 and no. 12 - similar to Pearl Cotton but twisted more and slightly different in thickness, and comes in 82 colours for the no. 8 and 65 colours for the no. 12. DMC states it is suitable for embroidery, cross stitch, crochet and lacemaking.

The skeins are 20 grams each and sell for around €4,20 which is about $5.60 USD using today's exchange rates. The thread is made of Egyptian long staple cotton which has been mercerized twice - this makes it both strong and shiny. Retors d'Alsace is made at DMC's plant in Mulhouse in the Alsace region of France.

DMC's Italian website says it is the return of a thread they made in the early 20th century. I looked in the back of my Italian 1926 copy of L'Uncinetto (Grosso Uncinetto) from the DMC Library [Grosso Uncinetto is Large Crochet in Italian] and I found a listing of Retors d'Alsace threads in weights ranging from 5 to 100!

I don't know when they stopped producing this lovely thread. If you search around on the internet, you can find some old spools of different weights of Retors d'Alsace, there are quite a few no. 50 weight ones here.

At the Italia Invita Forum of 2009, DMC had an impressive area to display their wares complete with stitched pieces from the old DMC Library of booklets. They were giving out samples of the "new" Retors d'Alsace. If you'd like to see what their display looks like when they visit shows in Italy, check out their blog.

Mary Corbet over at Needle 'n Thread did a review of Retors d'Alsace if you'd like to take a closer look.

Retors d'Alsace is widely available only in Italy. DMC had plans to distribute it in other European countries - but last I checked, it still wasn't even available in France!

Punt'e nù - Sardinian Knotted Stitch Embroidery

As you may have been able to figure out, I love knotted stitches! In my previous post I mentioned Punt'e nù or Sardinian Knotted Stitch Embroidery.

This technique has long fascinated me and I was fortunate enough to get some one-on-one lessons when I went to Rimini for the Italia Invita Forum in 2007. Many online friends arranged to stay in the same hotel and in the evening we took over the hotel's lounge area and shared our purchases, news and favorite stitching techniques.

One lady from Sardinia kindly demonstrated (many times!) the Punt'e nù stitch. She explained that it was best done on evenweave fabric of about 28ct, she recommended Etamine fabric but I was unsuccessful in finding any. DMC in Europe sells it (it is a cotton/rayon blend) though not over here. I'm told the "real" Etamine fabric of old is no longer available though I have seen the name being used here and there for different fabrics, for example Zwiegart markets it as 22ct Mono Canvas. Anyway, I found 28ct Jubilee cotton to be a lovely substitute.

Of course at the time (in 2007) I was so exhausted in the evenings after the days at the Forum that I couldn't comprehend much and when I got home my notes didn't make much sense and I was unsuccessful at finding any instructional books on Punt'e nù Embroidery.

This year the same Sardinian lady who patiently gave us demonstrations in 2007 decided to put some instructions on her blog. If you look down the right hand side of the page under the heading "Etichette", you will find a series called: lezioni punt'e nù and while it is all in Italian, there are some great photos and even a little video to help you understand the basics of Punt'e nù Embroidery. If you are okay with the Italian, make sure to read all the comments on each post as they are full of questions and answers.

Punt'e nù embroidery is done on the vertical warp threads of the ground fabric and is almost always worked on the diagonal. The actual movement of the stitch ascending left to right is pictured in lezioni punt'e nù/6 on Renata's blog. There is a right way to hold your thread, depending on the direction you are going and whether you are ascending or descending. The ability to count is crucial – a skill which I discovered that I lack. I got very good at unpicking my knots during this tutorial!!

Renata covers all of the basic traditional motifs and there are many patterns throughout her blog.

Punt'e nù Embroidery is also one of three traditional Sardinian needlework techniques demonstrated in this series of videos (Punt'e nù starts at 4:45 in the second video and continues into the third video). Set the YouTube video window to display 420p for higher resolution! The first video is good viewing too but covers Punt'a Brodu Embroidery.
The first video (8 mins 17 sec).
The second video (7 mins 14 sec).
The third video (6 mins 11 sec).

I have had lots of fun experimenting with this technique and made some biscornus...


... and even Christmas tree ornaments (going outside the realm of the traditional!) based on patterns drawn by Renata.

There is very little written on this technique and what there is, is difficult to come by. I've seen a picture of this book: Su Punt'e Nù e su Punt'a Brodu by Quintina Calurgioni though I have been unable to purchase it, and I have downloaded a pdf file (click on the first "Libretto") by the same people who made the above-mentioned videos. Do go through the other links on this page, there are lots of lovely works embroidered by much better stitchers than me!

I am deeply grateful to Renata and her endless patience for preparing this tutorial and teaching me yet another wonderful knotted stitch!

Romeyne Robert and Umbrian Embroidery - Part Two

Let's continue on with our investigation of Umbrian Embroidery. If you're just joining us, please start with Part One.

The embroidery school/workshop founded and run by Romeyne Robert, Marquess Ranieri di Sorbello with the able management and outstanding input of Carolina Amari enjoyed ever-increasing success from 1904 until about 1933 or 1934 when both the school/workshop and the Arti Decorative Italiane shop in Perugia closed. It seems a number of factors were involved in the closures, most likely being the economic difficulties of the times and the advancing age of the two ladies.

After the closures, the Marquess Romeyne exhibited a collection of the very best pieces from the school/workshop in the Palazzo Sorbello and went on to collect antique pieces of embroidery and textiles.

Some students continued to make Umbrian Embroidery and later to teach it to others. In the late 1990s a renewed interest in this needlework brought about a revival which still continues today. There are now a few embroidery schools in Italy who teach Umbrian Embroidery.

While at the Italia Invita Forum of Lace and Embroidery in Parma in 2009, I picked up a little book from the Associazione Culturale Femminile P.ES.CO. [Women's Cultural Association P.ES.CO]:


A small format book of about 50 pages, it has technical instructions of most of the stitches which define the technique of Umbrian Embroidery including how to do some of the tassels. The text is in Italian but there are lots of clear diagrams. I've had a bit of success trying it out, though, like any other embroidery technique, you must practice in order to perfect stitch tension. Some of my attempts are quite sad so I would really like to take a course in this needlework - I am especially attracted to it's tone-on-tone texture.

At the EGA Seminar in San Francisco, the Italian ladies brought some pieces of Umbrian Embroidery from the P.ES.CO. Association with them. The pieces were spectacular!



The P.ES.CO. Association's goal is the "defense, conservation and dissemination of the artistic, artisan and cultural traditions of the area". They also promote the local art of Crochet Lace which we will talk about in another post. This is a group of astonishingly talented women. They keep a permanent exhibit at the Palazzo del Rondò in Tuoro sul Trasimeno in the province of Perugia if you happen to be passing by.

The book is available directly from their website if you are in Europe, otherwise to pay with PayPal, check out Tombolo Disegni (click on Libri/Books, then Libri/Ricamo, then Ricamo Italiani - send an email request to order).

Next time we'll have a look at some characteristic stitches of Umbrian Embroidery.

Romeyne Robert and Umbrian Embroidery - Part One

Romeyne Robert and Umbrian Embroidery - Part Three