EGA National Seminar - Italian purchases

Saturday I'm going to Italy... well, not really, but it's as close as I can get right now - I'm going to the EGA National Seminar in Phoenix, Arizona and Vima deMarchi Micheli is bringing over some Italian embroiderers, similar to the EGA National Seminar in San Francisco in 2010.

I can't wait to see the ladies again and I've been saving my pennies as they always bring stitching supplies, books and patterns, kits and stitched pieces from the Italian province of Umbria.

I've been told that there will be stitched pieces for sale in the following embroidery styles: Assisi, Catherine de'Medici, Antique Umbrian, Perugino, Antique Deruta and embroidery on Tulle as well as the Orvieto and Irish Crochet Laces.

There will also be ceramic beads, buttons and fuserole from Anna Lisa Piccioni of Deruta as well as threads and fabrics for executing the above-mentioned techniques. 

Italian linens!!! I believe that there will also be handwoven works from the Giuditta Brozzetti Workshop.

I am drooling at the thought of Merchandise Night on Tuesday, October the 21st!

There are going to be Italian teachers demonstrating Assisi, Catherine de'Medici, Perugino and Antique Umbrian Embroidery as well as embroidery on Tulle. I hope they will be doing tassels too but I don't have confirmation on that one.

The ladies won't be taking credit cards so come prepared, I can't wait!!!!

Thank you Vima for the use of your photo!

Needlework course in Florence with Adriana Armanni

When I was thinking about planning my last trip to Italy which included going on one of Vima deMarchi Micheli's Italia Mia tours, Vima asked me if I'd be interested in taking an embroidery course in Florence at the end of the tour. I said yes without thought to the teacher or the technique, knowing that it would be an experience that I wouldn't want to miss regardless of subject matter.

It's always great to discover that you've made the right decision by going with your instincts. Our course was three afternoons with all materials included, held in the delightful Residence La Contessina where we were staying. Our teacher was the very talented Adriana Armanni of the needlework school Arti e Pensieri® in Florence. (There is a lovely article about her here (in Italian) from 2003.)

Cover of course material.

The technique was Florentine Whitework mounted on a frame inspired by a Rovescia which traditionally was the "pretend" fold-back part of the top sheet of the matrimonial bed. This was used to "dress-up" the matrimonial bed for when visitors came to call and was removed before going to sleep. I didn't get a clear photo of the whole piece but you can get an idea of the embroidery from the course booklet cover pictured above (click on the photo for a closer look).

Antique Rovescia found in a local flea market.

Adriana modelled this course on an antique Rovescia that she found in a local flea market. She also had matching pillow cases which were traditionally part of the set. The work was stunning and so delicate! Not willing to burn a thread from her pieces in order to understand what kind of fabric it was, Adriana said that it was either very fine Cambric linen or cotton or very fine Batiste linen and in fact, it was very, very sheer. The sheerness of the fabric is essential to the work as the embroidery is designed to use a combination of stitches to achieve an overall balance of chiaroscuro effect.

The Rovescia was traditionally embroidered with sayings like this one, Felici Sonni = Sweet Dreams. Classic embroidery stitches are used like padded satin stitch, shadow work, French knots, stem stitch, long and short stitch and pulled and/or drawn thread stitches. It is important that the fabric be stretched on an embroidery frame in order to achieve an "embossed" effect which would be impossible if the work were done in hand. Good lighting and magnification are essential as the work is very fine.

Adriana instructs our "non-embroiderer".

Our own project was not executed with materials as fine as the original but we were still able to achieve the look with the threads and fabrics that Adriana had chosen for us. There was one lady in our course who was not an embroiderer and she was able to produce some lovely results.

The huge embroidery frames we worked on.

Adriana was able to provide the non-Italian speaking pupils with a booklet in English and provide assistance and instruction in English as well. She not only taught us the practical needlework execution but also the principals and science of the choice of stitches to be used when choosing what to fill the motifs with. This made me immediately think of my blog readers who have asked me where they can take a needlework course taught in English in Italy. Adriana is well-versed in all kinds of needlework techniques and you could contact her to choose one for yourself on your next trip to Florence. I found her to be a patient and well-explained teacher, she was full of tips and tricks that you only really learn from experience. Since she also does commissioned work as well as teaching needlework, you know that she is very good at what she does.

Detail of model piece.

Detail of model piece.

Detail of model piece.

When I asked Adriana if she would mind if I wrote a post about our class and published my photos she said that she would be more than happy. She believes that needlework will only be kept alive by sharing knowledge. This is truly an important attitude and one that you don't always find amongst needlework teachers in Italy, many prefer to jealously guard their secrets.

At the end of our three days we had covered quite a lot of stitches and Adriana then unmounted and cut up the fabric so that we could each have enough to make a pillowcase of our work completed at home.

Italian Needlework Treasures

It is with great excitement that I tell you – Vima deMarchi Micheli's latest book, Italian Needlework Treasures is now available!

I have been anticipating this publication for as long as I've known Vima. Her experience in the world of Italian needlework is amazing. She has been studying and traveling in Italy for many – many years and now we can benefit by reading of her adventures and admiring the beautiful Italian Needlework Treasures which she has seen and learned about.

Italian Needlework Treasures is everything I hoped it would be. It starts out with a chapter on the history of embroidery with attention to Italian-related events, followed by a section on Italian embroidery techniques with lots of colour photos of pieces in Vima's own incredible collection and also photos of pieces from the private collections that she has seen over the years; next there is a history of lace and again a section which follows detailing the many needle and pillow laces of Italy; tassels have their own chapter as do weaving techniques and traditional costumes, each chapter is sprinkled with little stories of Vima's experiences and tales of some of the people she has known relating to the individual techniques; after all this is a calendar of some of the regular events held in Italy where you can see fine embroideries and laces; a chapter on good museums and shops in the various regions of Italy which have a particular richness in Italian needlework and where Vima has personally seen the items. At the end of the book is an indispensible vocabulary of needlework and textile terminology in both Italian and English; a glossary and bibliographies of both Italian and English publications.

Vima tirelessly helps out in the assembly of the Italian needlework exhibit at the EGA National Seminar in San Francisco, September, 2010.

In the introduction, Vima states that she has tried to include the information which she has been most often asked by the public throughout her years of travelling and teaching. You can see that she has put a lot of thought and care into what she has presented. Honestly it has satisfied my curiosity about the things she has done and seen and I must compliment her on this volume as it is not often that one is able to provide exactly what is asked for. Italian needlework enthusiasts are sure be very pleased with this book.

Vima explains Perugian weaving techniques in Perugia, May, 2009.

You can purchase Italian Needlework Treasures directly from Vima on her website. If you'd like to learn a little more about her, go to Tuttoricamo, click on the British flag for the English pages and then click on "Prominent Characters", then her name under the "...today" heading.

Burano Lace Museum Reopens

Burano Lace Museum under restoration in 2009

The Museo del Merletto on Burano in the lagoon of Venice re-opens it's doors tomorrow after years of restoration, reorganization and restructurization!

You can find the museum in the Podestà di Torcello in Piazza Galuppi at number 187 on the island of Burano. Take the Linea LN vaporetto from Fondamenta Nuova to get to Burano, it takes about 40 minutes.

Here is a translation of what is written about the opening exhibition:

The exhibition, organized for the inauguration, by Doretta Davanzo Poli [author and expert see a list of her publications here], features over 150 pieces of lace selected from the most significant collections of Venetian Civic Museums, as well as some paintings, engravings, drawings, documents, magazines, textiles and costumes from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

During the opening hours of the museum you can see the work of skilled and tireless lace masters, still custodians of an art passed down from generation to generation. 

The new museum guide will be available from the 27th of June in all the bookstores of the Fondazione Musei Civici.

Colourful houses on Burano

Burano is worth the trip without the museum but with the museum it would be exceptional! Beware of lace pieces with prices too good to be true... they are made in China!

You can check out a video made by master lacemaker Lucia Costantini in the Burano Lace Museum here.

Thanks to Vima for the heads-up!

Italian needlework at EGA

Slowly, slowly I'm getting organized. I've been home from San Francisco for 4 days and while there are still piles of things to sort, the piles are getting smaller!

Here are a few pics from the Embroiderers' Guild of America National Seminar at the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco:

This is the display table we set up on Saturday, September 4th (no sympathy for jet lag, we got right to work!) with lots of help from Giovanna of Tuttoricamo...


Beautiful Italian needlework from Assisi, Panicale, Deruta, Perugia, Lake Trasimeno and other towns in the delicious region of Umbria, Italy.


Clara Baldelli Bombelli of the Giuditta Brozzetti workshop with some of her daughter's handwoven pieces.


Signora Derna stitching some Assisi work (she's been doing it since she was 5 years old!), she was a joy to watch. It was her first ever journey outside of her hometown of Assisi, Italy and she had an excellent time in San Francisco.


Anna Maria Porzi braves an extreme close-up to display some beautiful crocheted earrings from the Lake Trasimeno area of Umbria.


On Market Day the two ladies from Assisi dressed in Medieval garb to sell their wares, this is Tiziana Borsellini, President of the Accademia Punto Assisi.

It was a fantastic week of Italian needlework emersion. I helped the Italian ladies with their display tables and their booths on Market Day, I took Vima deMarchi Micheli's four day Notebook of Italian Embroidery course, attended her lecture on September 5th and helped with her Exhibition on September 8th.


On the 12th of September we rented a car and drove up to Vima's home for one last taste of La Dolce Vita before returning to our respective homes. I miss them all already!

Thanks to my daughter for taking the group shot!

Vacation

Well, I leave in the morning for a week in San Diego with my daughter and then a week in San Francisco at the EGA National Seminar.

While at Seminar I will be taking Vima deMarchi Micheli's course on Italian needlework and attending her lecture as well as helping out her Italian guests with market day and anything else they need. Giovanna from TuttoRicamo is coming and Clara from Giuditta Brozzetti as well as Tiziana and Anna Maria from the Accademia Punto Assisi too – I can't wait to see everyone!

I didn't get all the posts finished that I wanted to and I'm not sure how much (if at all) I'll be able to post while I'm away. I certainly won't have access to my library or a scanner. Please use this time to go back and check out some older posts. My statistics program tells me that on average each visitor only reads about three posts - there is so much more to see and I only started in March of this year so it won't be an endless task.

I do have so many more things to tell you about so I hope you will come back and visit my blog after September 14th and we'll resume our journey through Italian needlework!

Orvieto - Corteo Storico

One summer while living in Siena, I went to Medieval Days in Monteriggioni, a small walled town close by. In our makeshift costumes we parked the car in the valley below the town and walked up the hill to the city gates where we had to state our business to the armoured guards just like they did in Medieval times. There were craftsmen and artisans working in various parts of the town (it is very small), rope makers and spinners, woodworkers and sword sharpeners; live theatre in the streets and flame eaters walking around on stilts. Dinner was served in terracotta bowls with a terracotta cup - no utensils (good thing I always carry a Swiss Army Knife) and wash up was performed at the town fountain. My favourite part was the two young boys with a big lantern who ran through town every hour yelling the time and the state of the town: ie. Sono le otto e tutto va bene! [8 o'clock and all's well].

One event I always wanted to go to but have never able to, is the Corteo Storico in Orvieto. This is series of historical parades which happen every year at the beginning of June to celebrate the Miracle of Bolsena of 1263. Over 400 costumed people take part in the parades. There are many medieval banquets held in and around the historical centre with wait staff dressed in period costume.

In 1951 an Italian woman by the name of Lea Pacini had the idea to celebrate the artisans of Orvieto and worked to initiate this wonderful event. Vima deMarchi Micheli shows slides of the Corteo Storico of Orvieto in her lectures and classes. The costumes are amazing!!


I have translated a bit from this website on how the Corteo Storico got started as their English version is not up and running yet:

...In 1337, at the height of his power Herman Monaldeschi, his brother Bertrand, Bishop of Orvieto, had a Corpus Christi reliquary made of gold, silver and enamel, on which eight scenes depict the story of the Miracle of Bolsena. In 1338 the reliquary was first carried in procession on the day of Corpus Christi. This was the first official procession that there is record of.

But it is only in 1951 that, based on the documented presence of twelve armed men as escorts to the reliquary, it was decided to add an element of the ancient civil and military glories of the medieval town to the religious procession.

...One of the most significant ideas was to restore the importance of the anniversary of the miracle through theatrical representation. From 1947 to 1951 in fact, the Institute of Sacred Drama of Rome, realized religious dramas in the Cathedral. The commemoration ended with a reenactment of the highlights of the "Miracle": the celebration of Mass in the crypt of Santa Cristina in Bolsena.

During that time the Institute of Sacred Drama established a "permanent location", with the intention of founding a school of acting. Unfortunately, serious economic difficulties that year ended the initiative.

Disappointment and regret for the cancellation of the prospect of an historic and cultural investment in the city were noted by Lea Pacini whose intervention proved decisive for the beginning of the story of the historical parade.

On a June afternoon in 1951, on the eve of Corpus Christi, Signora Pacini was telephoned by the then bishop, Francesco Pieri who asked her to "invent" something to make the procession more attractive. Signora Pacini contacted the Florentine "Maggio Musicale Fiorentino" and borrowed some costumes to dress the small group accompanying the procession.

Many people of Orvieto still vividly recall the details of the first steps of the Corteo Storico and the intense quiver of excitement they experienced as they awaited the Corteo and the addition of new costumes and new characters, a fascination and a passion that is renewed every year...

Lea Pacini directed the Corteo Storico from 1951 until her death in 1992. She was quoted as saying that she loved it like her own child and she worked very hard to develop and sustain it during the years overcoming every obstacle. She said: [In the beginning] "...the biggest difficulty, unimaginably was to recruit participants. ...not even the peasants wanted to wear costumes, they were not used to it, they didn't have any trust, it seemed to them that they were going to play buffoons." Thanks to Lea Pacini, Orvieto's artisans created authentic costumes and weaponry, standards and flags which are displayed in the Corteo Storico every year.


Preparation for the event starts the month before. There are ten people who handle the tailoring of the garments and all work is performed voluntarily.

The longtime collaborator of Lea Pacini, Nicoletta De Angelis took over managing the Corteo Storico upon the death of its creator in 1992. Signora De Angelis initiated the Women's Parade (Corteo delle Dame) and the People's Parade (Corteo del Popolo) a few years later which precede and follow the main Corteo Storico. There are some videos to watch here and lots of photos to look at here. There is also a Facebook group here.

The book: Il Corteo Storico di Orvieto fotografato da Aldo Izzo (1991) showcases the costumes in many beautiful colour photographs with written details by Maria Luciana Buseghin.

Rodi Stitch

Punto Rodi or Rodi Stitch is a Pulled Thread Stitch used for filling spaces of a design and creating a light, open area. It is used a lot in Italian needlework especially for filling the insides of flowers.

This image taken from the book Nuova Enciclopedia dei Lavori Femminili by Mani di Fata:


When I went looking to find instructions on how to execute it, I found that there are many variations! All have one thing in common and that is that Rodi Stitch is executed in diagonal lines.

I took needle in hand and made you instructions of two different variations. First we'll look at the way Vima deMarchi Micheli teaches it in her Italian Needlework Techniques class that she teaches for the Embroiderers Guild of America. I used 38ct Sotema 20L ivory coloured linen from Italy and DMC Spécial Dentelles #80 thread.

Rodi Stitch - Technique 1
Worked from right to left, bottom to top, turn the work 180 degrees to do the return row. Pull the stitches firmly to open up holes which are bigger than the ground fabric holes for the desired effect. Each stitch is executed twice.

Click on the photo for a closer look:


I did it in coloured thread so you could see the stitches, then I did it in thread matching the background colour so you can see the effect. I also show you how the back looks:


With this method, the back looks the same as the front.

The second working I did was from Liliana Babbi Cappelletti's excellent booklet (see info below).

Rodi Stitch - Technique 2
Worked from right to left, top to bottom, you do not turn the work to do the return row. Again, pull each stitch to open up the fabric. Each stitch is executed only once. You must make a cross-over stitch at the end of the row in order to return.

Click on the photo for a closer look:


And here is the back:


As you can see, the back looks different from the front with this method. The overall effect is the same, though with only one stitch instead of two, this way looks a bit more delicate (it's hard to tell from these small patches, I know - it is the impression I get when looking at the two patches on my fabric here in my hand).

Liliana Babbi Cappelletti has at least six variations of Rodi Stitch in her instruction booklet: Il punto rodi e le sue varianti, il punto principessa e altri retini di fondo. Text in Italian but very clear diagrams. You can get this booklet from Tombolo Disegni. Click on "Libri/Books", then "Libri Ricamo", then "Ricamo Italiani", send an email request to order. (Note: there are no photos of this book on the page, it is the first entry in a listing.)


I believe the English terminology for this stitch is Faggot Stitch.

Here is a short video on YouTube.

Handwoven Fabrics from Perugia

Just outside the walls of the city of Perugia, there is a beautiful deconsecrated church called San Francesco delle Donne which houses a lot of history. Dating back to 1212, it is one of the oldest Franciscan churches in Italy. Today it is home to the Giuditta Brozzetti Workshop which makes the most beautiful handwoven textiles.


Giuditta Casini Brozzetti started her workshop in 1921. She hunted down all the local medieval and renaissance designs that she could find and employed the women of her area to weave household and church fabrics and woven furnishing products. She permitted her workers to weave their products at home so that they could also attend to their families while earning a living at the same time. For the most part, the items woven were worked on hand operated jacquard looms. Patterns were hammered manually using a system of wooden pegs to make punched cards. With the help of the artist Bruno da Osimo, who prepared many of the patterns used by her workshop, Giuditta Brozzetti produced many beautiful items.

Some sketches for Perugian fabric by Bruno da Osimo from the book: L'Officina di Bruno da Osimo:


The workshop became much appreciated and admired and before the Second World War its products were even exported to the US.


The tradition of the Giuditta Brozzetti workshop has been passed down by now four generations and today the workshop calls the church San Francesco delle Donne its home. Marta Cucchia is the youngest descendant who now creates her own designs there.

Here Marta and Vima deMarchi Micheli hold up a magnificent runner woven with silk:


Marta was kind enough to give us a guided tour in May of 2009, giving us demonstrations of weaving and pattern punching as well as letting us fondle all the beautiful products on display.


The Giuditta Brozzetti workshop teaches weaving, embroidery, lacemaking and gives guided tours of the church. It should not be missed if you spend any time in Perugia!

For more photos and enthusiastic reviews, go here, here, here and here!

A shop in Assisi

I don't think I ever would have found it on my own... Arte Nostra in Via S. Agnese no. 8, Assisi. It's quite a big shop with lots of finished embroideries in the window and all over the shop displayed very attractively. Vima deMarchi Micheli took us there on the day we visited Assisi, Italy on her Italia Mia tour last year.


There were Assisi Embroideries and Catherine de'Medici Embroideries and other works of classic embroidery techniques for sale. Lots of lovely table runners, towels, cushions, tablecloths and dozens of other beautiful things.

Monica Manichini the owner showed us how to execute the main stitch in Catherine de'Medici Embroidery, the Double Running Stitch, done in such a way as to make the line of stitching look like a twisted thread sitting on top of the fabric.


While there, in addition to a small placemat in Catherine de'Medici Embroidery, I also bought the two books I talked about on Assisi Embroidery and Catherine de'Medici Embroidery in this post by the Accademia Punto Assisi. I don't know how else you can get these books other than contacting the store or the Accademia, I'm not sure if they are commercially sold anywhere else.

Unfortunately I must have been having a shaky day, as most of the pictures I took were very blurry...


These are some beautiful works of Catherine de'Medici Embroidery, I really liked the peacocks in the bottom left.

If you're in Assisi, don't pass up visiting this shop - it is a true delight.

Easy, effective tassels

I really like Italian tassels. They are exquisite. From the more elaborate to the very simple, they have a style all their own.

Some of them are very easy to make. Vima deMarchi Micheli wrote a lovely little book called: Tassels Italian Style which is full of ideas and very clear instructions.

The Anchor Manual of Needlework (Interweave Press) has a few in the second to last chapter: "Finishings and Decorations for Embroidery".

My most recent acquisition on tassels is the book: Nappe e Pendagli by Giuseppa Federici of San Paolo di Jesi, Italy. The book has 15 different tassels explained from start to finish with lots of clear diagrams though the text is in Italian. You can get this book from Tombolo Disegni - its under the "Libri" section, then "Libri Ricamo Italiani" - send an email request.

I recently tried to explain how to make some knotted tassels to a friend and ended up getting my daughter to take some pictures. I followed the instructions from the Anchor Manual of Needlework except that I had seen some tassels in Assisi made of twisted cording and wanted to try that.

First things first.... get out your kitchen string or any other thick cotton yarn and your cord-maker (not essential but certainly faster!) - I have the Kreinik Custom Corder but I understand you can use a drill and a hook just as well.

Run out a length of 10 feet of kitchen string, fold it in half and tie the two ends together. Twist until the length is tight and begins to twist back on itself if folded. Grab the length in the middle and release the two ends to let them twist themselves up into one thick length. You now have a twisted length of cord about 1/3 of your original length.

Make knots down the length in a series of about an inch apart, then half an inch apart, then an inch apart, then a half inch and so on.

Then cut between the half inch distance so that you have little pieces like so:


After that run out another length of string of about 18 inches and fold it in two, thread one end into a needle, something with a big eye and a sharp point like a chenille needle. Position the needle in the middle of the length and knot the two ends together. Thread the pieces of knotted cord onto your length in the needle, piercing the centre and pulling them down to the end knot, as if you were stringing beads:


You should end up with something like this:


Make a knot in the length in your needle to keep the pieces together like so:


You now have your tassel! You can attach it to the corner of a placemat by inserting the needle into the outer corner point and coming out at the inner hem corner point. Take the needle back down into the outer corner point and make little couching stitches to hold the threads in place (one per thread will do), then needle weave down the length to your tassel head and either bury the thread back in your needle weaving and up into the hem or pierce the centre of the tassel head and make another knot where you come out.

Hint: the longer the distance between the knots you cut between, the longer the fuzzies on your tassel. I have seen instructions for just making your initial length full of knots of equal distance apart (for example one inch) and cutting between every second knot. If you get them wet, they fluff up even more.

I have made these tassels many times for works of Punto Antico Embroidery or Catherine de'Medici Embroidery.

Castello di Verrazzano

I told you in a previous post about Deruta Pulled Thread work and in that post I also told you that Deruta Drawn Thread work was something different. I will show you the difference here.

Last year on my tour with Vima deMarchi Micheli we visited the little town of Greve in Chianti in the Tuscany region of Italy where I bought a great woven tea towel with the Chianti region depicted on it from a little shop that sold household linens along the main street of the historic centre. We went on to visit the Castello di Verrazzano in the hills outside of town.


We enjoyed a guided tour of the grounds which were breathtakingly beautiful and looked down onto a wild boar reserve. After a tour of the wine cellars we went up to the loggia to admire the view and listen to some of the history of the company and the area. While listening to our guide I glanced over to some windows across from the loggia and started to examine the curtains which were really interesting...

This is my photo from outside, sorry it's not more clear but you get the complete design:


To my delight we went into the room where they were. All along the one wall in sets of two were windows, each with the same curtain in this intriguing embroidery.

This photo is much better, taken from inside:


There were six small tassels along the bottom hem which hung down, made of the same linen fibres as the curtains - I wondered if they were made out of the withdrawn threads.

I found out later after translating an article for Tuttoricamo on Deruta Drawn Thread work that that was indeed the technique that these curtains were embroidered in.

In fact, there was embroidery throughout the Castello... when we entered the dining room to have lunch we noticed that all the curtains there were embroidered in Punto Antico. We said to each other that we'd get photos after lunch but of course after many wine tastings we completely forgot!

A few days before, we had dined at the Cantinetta di Verrazzano restaurant in Via dei Tavolini no. 18 in Florence - enjoying the Verrazzano Chianti with Focaccia samplers for lunch. They have Verrazzano wine labels available for those who collect them. I picked up these two because they had photos of needlework on them!



To learn more about the history of Deruta Drawn Thread work, look under the 'Techniques' section for an article and more photos on the Tuttoricamo website.

There are some close up photos here.

Thanks to Armida for the photo of the curtain.

Italia Invita Forum - Part Four - 2009

As I am trying to figure out how I can afford to go to the next Italia Invita International Lace and Embroidery Forum in 2011 (they have news on their website about events), I have been writing a series of recaps of the previous Forums in 2003, 2005, 2007 and now 2009.

My digital camera decided not to work the first night so I have no photos of my own. For this Forum I was able to attend as part of Vima deMarchi Micheli's Italia Mia tour. We arrived in Parma the new location of the Forum the night before the event and I saw many familiar faces on the streets of Parma as we did a little sight-seeing.

The theme for the 2009 Forum was "Italian-Style Weddings" and all exhibitors were asked to produce a Bomboniere in their specialty technique.

This is a Sicilian Drawn Thread Work Bomboniere from the Forum 2009 book:


This is a Punto Antico Bomboniere from the Forum 2009 book:


The event was three days, although the first day was restricted to students of the workshops while the public was admitted only on May 9th and 10th. There were 11 workshops which admitted a maximum number of 14 students. Techniques included were: Parma Embroidery, Casalguidi Embroidery, Punto Antico Embroidery, Filet Lace, Aemilia Ars Needle Lace and six courses in Bobbin Laces: Ligurian, Cesena, Rosa del Salento, L'Aquila, Contemporary and Colour Coding designs. You can read more about the workshops here on the old Italia Invita website, most of the links are no longer active but there is still a lot of information on the pages that remain.

The major difference between previous Forums and this one was that the group Italia Invita had turned over the actual running of the Forum to the company Fiere di Parma. Parma is a city of exhibitions and this company specializes in running shows. As the event had become too large for the seven women of Italia Invita to manage, this move was logical. There was quite a bit of talk however among Italians about how Fiere di Parma didn't understand the clientele for this particular show. Our group of North Americans however, enjoyed it immensely.

The atelier mini-workshops were offered as before, although they had been limited to two per person in total – in 2007 you could take two per day, for a total of six. I debated heavily on signing up as I remembered being totally overwhelmed in 2007 and not retaining much. In the end I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try to learn something and attended one on Puncetto and one on Sicilian Drawn Thread Work. I didn't finish either piece and I can't even find them now to scan them for you.

The Forum was situated in one corner of a massive building where an Antiques Market was being held. We had to pass through the Antiques Market to get to the Forum so of course we investigated all the antique embroideries and laces and stitching equipment that we saw along the way.

Once again the Forum was split into two sections, one for Schools and Associations and one for Merchants. There was the display of all the Bomboniere made in the various techniques of embroidery and lace; a display of several bridal bouquets make of flowers and ribbons (embroidered or made of lace); the competition for Italian residents this time was Textile Dominos which were mounted in a wall display; a stand dedicated to Elisa Ricci and the recent reprinting of a collection of antique pattern books complete with modern stitched examples using the antique patterns;


DMC's stand had stitched examples from their antique pattern books and the Encyclopedia of Needlework, they also released a new line of pearl cotton and gave away samples. The new pearl cotton is called Retors d'Alsace [Alsatian Twist] and is a revival of an old product that they used to carry in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. Fratelli Graziano had an interesting display of mannequins at the dinner table all dressed in Graziano linens...


The first day was hot and crowded but everyone's enthusiasm kept us going until we collapsed into bed way past midnight and then got up to do it all over again the next day. The frenzy to see everything was contagious and groups or individuals would meet mid-aisle and grab each other, and literally drag each other off to see something marvelous. I bought without looking. Totally taken up in the conviction that it whatever it was, I needed it and I could look at it later. Even as we gathered to leave, I ran off to buy one last piece of fabric and then had to run to catch up to my group as they were exiting the building. I was sorry that this event wasn't open to the public for three days like the previous one, but then to tell the truth, I couldn't really have fit anything else in my suitcase! This time, instead of leaving clothing behind, I bought a second bag at the outdoor market in Florence which was our next stop on the tour after the Forum.

This edition of the Forum saw over 6,000 visitors. The irony? The Italia Invita Forum occupied a small corner of the building while the Antiques Market occupied the rest of what was a huge pavillion. That weekend the reported number of visitors for the two events combined was over 10,000.

As before there was a book called Merletti e Ricami Italiani Forum 2009 [Italian Laces and Embroideries]. This book has an article on the history of Bomboniere; photos and information on all 63 Bomboniere; and there are also the designs and/or charts for most of them.

Thank you Isabella for the photos of the booths!

Italia Invita - Part One - 2003

Italia Invita - Part Two - 2005

Italia Invita - Part Three - 2007

Italia Invita - Part Five - 2011