Filet Lace in Turin

Whenever I used to think of Filet lace, I always thought of designs done mostly in Darning stitch or Crochet Filet... Italian Filet from the various regions has really opened my eyes to how different and interesting this ancient art can be.

Right now at the Palazzo Madama in Turin there is a lace exhibit which will be there until the end of the year. This particular display, which consists of 95 pieces of lace including Reticello, Venice Gros Point, Punto in Aria, Filet and types of 17th and 18th century laces, shows the course lace has taken through history. The museum holds over 450 pieces so this is but a small sampling.

If you download their newsletter (at the bottom of the page, click on: SCARICA IL NUMERO O (2MB) - text in Italian), check out the header on top of page 5 for some really unusual needlework with gold and little pieces of coloured stones dating back to the Renaissance which was donated to the museum by Elisa Ricci, foremost Italian needlework scholar, author, collector of the early 20th century. There is a photo of the full piece on the link for the exhibition but it's difficult to see anything, the shot in the newsletter is a closeup of a small section and the gold threads and beads are clearer. There is a full page colour photo of this piece in the book: Tessuti Ricami e Merletti in Italia by Marina Carmignani if you can get your hands on a copy (it's a very expensive book!) though, the text does not go into much detail. This piece alone would be worth going to this exhibit.

Visit the museum's Flickr group to see more than six hundred photos of the museum and some of its displays. It's definitely worth making yourself a cuppa and looking through them, not so much from a textile standpoint but for internal shots of the amazing palazzo! There are more interior photos on the website here.

Ah... where was I? It is so easy for me to get sidetracked... yes, Filet lace. A kind Italian friend sent me some photos of the show - among which were these two photos of a most interesting piece of Filet lace:


Look at all the different stitches used on this piece... and different weights of thread to add emphasis to certain motifs. Definitely a piece worth studying - what a lot of work!

For more reading on a different type of Italian Filet, check out the post on Sardinian Bosa Filet lace. For lots of photos, go to the Museo del Merletto an online museum of lace.

Thanks to Silvia for the photos!

Chiacchierino ad Ago - Needle Tatting

Tatting or Chiacchierino [kjak-kjer-ee-no] in Italian, is stylish, daring, has good design, harmony and beauty - in Italy of course!

I recently received the gift of a new book on Needle Tatting written by a Polish lady who has lived in Italy since 1999. Alicja Kwartnik of the Laboratorio di Techniche Artistiche [Workshop of Artistic Techniques] teaches Needle Tatting in the Val d'Arno Region of Tuscany where she lives.

Some friends of mine took her workshop at the Italia Invita 2009 Forum in Parma.


Alicja's love affair with the manual arts has lasted almost 40 years and her work is precise, imaginative and very attractive.

In the book there are many Tatting projects of varying difficulty. I love the towel edgings and these little sachets:


There are also many jewelry projects and the attachment of beads and crystals; bookmarks, coasters, table mats, key fobs, table centres, Christmas tree decorations, and even a summer purse pattern!

Alicja writes that she likes to use unusual materials for Tatting projects like raffia, string, crochet cotton and wool.

This book makes me want to hunt down my Tatting needle which I set aside in frustration many years ago.

Mani di Fata has several Italian pattern books for Tatting, occasionally there are patterns in RAKAM magazine as well.

For some eye candy, check out this website of a couple of Italian ladies from Apuglia. (I don't know if this is Needle Tatting or not.)

To purchase Chiacchierino ad Ago by Alicja Kwartnik, send an email to either Elena at Italian Needlecrafts or Gianfranca of Tombolo Disegni.

Thanks to Isabella for the photo of the Tatting workshop!

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Three

Sometimes there are people or animals in Reticello as is the case in this border, taken from Old Italian Lace (1913) by Elisa Ricci, preserved now at the Victoria & Albert museum.


(As mentioned in the two previous posts in this series, Old Italian Lace can be downloaded in pdf form from the Online Digital Documents website.)

How can you tell this is Reticello and not Punto in Aria or some other needle lace?
Antonio Merli in his 1864 text - Origine ed uso delle Trine a filo di Refe says the following:
"Reticello is made in two ways: the oldest consists of withdrawing ground threads from a part of the fabric and working a design with the needle over top of those [threads] remaining - perfected then by sometimes adding additional threads when the design requires; the other [method] is by building a square or rectangular framework on top of parchment and working it similarly to the preceding method."
So, see those vertical bars? Reticello. Remember though, very often different techniques were combined on one piece. It is not always easy to find one classification for some embroideries.

From the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte Museum in Bologna:


There is something really interesting in discovering and identifying human figures and animals in needlework. I know some people who even collect all the examples they can find. Figures are found in needle lace (and embroideries) especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Maria Del Popolo's style of Reticello is different again from the previous ones we've looked at.


She does some of the most amazing Reticello work which she learned from her mother! This is the cover of her third book: Disegni di Reticello Antico which is just for drooling over, there are no didactic instructions inside like there are in her first two publications: Il Reticello Antico and Reticello Antico e Filet. You can see some examples of her work here, here and here.

Next time we'll visit some of those elaborate Reticello collars and cuffs from Renaissance art and antique pattern books.

You can get Maria Del Popolo's books from Tombolo Disegni. Click on "Libri/Books", then "Libri Ricamo", then "Libri Ricamo Italiani" - send an email request to order.

Different Styles of Reticello - Part One
Different Styles of Reticello - Part Two

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Four

Thanks to Elisabetta for the Bologna Reticello photo!

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Two

As mentioned in Part One of this series, Elisa Ricci has an entire chapter dedicated to Reticello in her book Old Italian Lace (1913) which can be downloaded in pdf format from the Online Digital Documents Archive.

Here is a 16th century shirt from the above-mentioned book with Reticello worked into the sleeves and body. Notice how the designs work together to flow along inside the zig-zagged open parts:


And here in the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte museum in Bologna the design works its way across window after window...


In the past there were works with bigger or smaller areas of Reticello and the same goes for the works of today. While you might think that no one takes the time to work elaborate embroideries of Reticello anymore, there are still embroiderers in Italy who dedicate lots of time to this art.

Laura Marzorati, born in Milan but who now lives in Treviso works some beautiful and intricate designs in her Reticello work. She has learned and continues to learn from some of the best maestras in Italy. Every year she takes courses in different techniques of needlework to keep herself "updated". In 2005 she started teaching needlework at the University of the Third Age in Treviso and in 2008 she founded the non-profit needlework association Treviso Ricama where she teaches a long list of embroidery and needle lace techniques.

In 2007 she published her first book called: Guida al Ricamo Reticello e Merletto Veneziano.


While the text is in Italian, the step-by-step photography is totally amazing! I'm not sure if she put each piece into a scanner or had a super-macro lens but there have never been closer, clearer photos before for this kind of work!


Her second book published in 2009: Guida al ricamo Reticello Liberty has even clearer photos (I didn't think it was possible!) and Italian text. Both books cover the basics and then move on to the filling stitches so you're safe to purchase either one to start. These books can be purchased from Tombolo Disegni. Click on "Libri/Books", then "Libri Ricamo", then "Ricamo Italiani". Send an email request.

In the next installment we'll talk about human figures in Reticello and some of the most intricate modern Reticello needlework being made today.

Thanks to Elisabetta for the photos from Bologna!

Different Styles of Reticello - Part One

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Three

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Four

Trapunto

Guess what arrived in the mail today?


The catalogue from the Guicciardini Trapunto Quilt exhibit at the Palazzo Davanzati in Florence! A very kind friend picked one up for me when she went to the exhibit. It is soft-cover and about 135 pages, the text is in Italian.

Every detail of the restoration of this amazing piece has been documented. The catalogue includes some history of the quilt, the story that is depicted on it and the difficulties encountered in making a copy of it and it's other part which is preserved at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. There is much more contained in this one volume than I've been able to piece together over a decade!

A detail of the quilt before the restoration...


...and after!


I have been unable to determine if a book was released after the copy of the London part was finished in 2007 by the House of Boutis. If you know of anything, please leave me a comment below!

These two quilts have inspired many embroiderers over time.

As mentioned in a previous post, the Club del Punto in Croce sponsored the International Exhibition of Textile Art inspired by the Guicciardini Quilt in Florence in October of 2006.

When I attended the 2007 Italia Invita Lace and Embroidery Forum, the booth of the association Laboratorio Tessile di Alice had an all Trapunto display with some pieces inspired by the Guicciardini Quilts.

The Italian needlework magazine Ricamo Italiano has some free patterns for download also inspired by the designs found on the Guicciardini Quilts.


Rosalba Pepi of the association Laboratorio Tessile di Alice put out a book called: Trapunto Fiorentino in 2008. The text is in Italian but it is packed with large colour photographs of step-by-step instructions and various projects of increasing difficulty from Christmas Tree ornaments to curtains! You can get this book from Tombolo Disegni. Click on "Libri/Books", then "Ricamo Boutis e Trapunto". Send an email request to order.

Different Styles of Reticello - Part One

I recently took some books to show a few friends the different styles of Reticello. I find this technique to be one of the most beautiful of Italian needlework so of course, I have all the books I can lay my hands on about it.

This is a technique that I'm sure we will revisit many times here. Elisa Ricci has an entire chapter dedicated to it in her book Old Italian Lace (1913) which can be downloaded in pdf format from the Online Digital Documents Archive. In that book there are many incredible works pictured, some very old. This painting by Jean Clouet circa 1555 shows that Reticello was already perfected and well known outside of Italy (this is a portrait of the Duchess Claude of Lorraine, daughter of Catherine de' Medici) by the mid 16th century:


This unfinished 16th century piece of Reticello shows the various stages of its working:


Here is a beautiful piece from the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte museum in Bologna:


Like all needlework, Reticello has evolved over time. Today, with less and less time dedicated to embroidery, the designs have become simpler and less time-consuming but no less beautiful.

I want to show you two books by Giuliana Buonpadre, an Italian lady from Verona who has a small shop in Via S. Egidio in which she teaches needlework. On her website you can browse her books, clicking on the cover of Vol. 3, Il Reticello will get you a look at what a typical page looks like. Her books come in three languages, Italian, French and English and I like them a lot because she shows you clearly what to do and what the work will look like once it's done.

She does some amazing work. In her second book on Reticello (Volume 5), she has taken it to a new level. She has added colour to what is traditionally a whitework technique. This is a scan of the cover art on the book Fior di Reticello:


Not only has she added colour, she continues the design outside of the grid. I love the style of these designs even if I'm usually a traditionalist. There are many exquisite coloured pieces in this book, but also lots of traditional white ones as well. I believe that you can get Giuliana Buonpadre's books from the Drawn Thread in the US.

Next time we'll talk about books on a more traditional style of Reticello.

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Two

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Three

Different Styles of Reticello - Part Four

Sansepolcro Lace Biennial Workshop

After yesterday's post about the XIV Sansepolcro International Lace Biennial I received an email from an Italian lady named Silvia in Turin. This lady attended the last Biennial in 2008 and took the workshop on Aemilia Ars needle lace taught by Carla D'Alessandro of the Association "I merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" from Bologna (for my Italian readers, there's a little article in Italian here).

Silvia tells me that the course was great and afterwards she went to view the Biennial exhibits which were located at several different locations around town. She says the town of Sansepolcro is small and very easy to get around in and that it is beautiful!

She stopped outside the Lace School to take a picture of the bronze statue dedicated to women and tradition situated just outside the doors:


Silvia also sent me photos of the projects that she did at the workshop:





Silvia loves Aemilia Ars needle lace and has taken other workshops, one of which was the workshop taught by the same Association at the Italia Invita Forum in Parma in 2009:


Thank you very much Silvia for the info and the great photos of your beautiful work!

The Association "I merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" has an excellent didactic book on flowers made in Aemilia Ars needle lace. The text is in Italian but the diagrams are very clear. You can get it from Elena at Italian Needlecrafts. Also check out the book dedicated to the Aemilia Ars master Antonilla Cantelli full of excellent photos and designs of her incredible works! (Text in Italian)

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.

Reticello Handkerchief

Reticello is another one of my fascinations... I really like the chiaroscuro of the filled and unfilled areas. I'm always drawn to it and have many books on the subject. My own attempts have been relatively successful though no where near the perfection of true Italian masters.

Handkerchiefs are a nice way to collect samples of different techniques, if you can find them reasonably priced in antiques markets. I am stunned by the amount of work that has gone into artifacts which are so small. You need really fine thread to work these, good eyesight and lots of patience!

In October of 1987 the Palazzo Davanzati in Florence published a catalogue of some of its collection of laces and embroideries which had been donated by various Italian collectors. In this catalogue is a section on the collection of mostly handkerchiefs donated to the museum in 1986 by the Duchess Franca di Grazzano Visconti di Modrone (1905 - 2003).

This one is still on display in a drawer while many of the others are stored away:


The catalogue information says that it is made of Batiste and embroidered in Reticello and Rodi Stitch (inside the bigger leaves), Padded Satin Stitch, Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch and "Cordonetto" (I don't know what that is referring to) finished around the edge with needle lace. It measures 37 x 37 cm and all the corners are rounded and in one, above the motif, sits the coat of arms of the Viviani della Robbia family, the Duchess's maiden name, topped with a marquis crown. It is an excellent example of Drawn-thread work and Cutwork and is dated the first quarter of the 20th century.


The square Reticello motifs are worked into the fabric, not inserted - can you even think about working Cutwork and Drawn-Thread work on this fine of fabric?! I'm sorry my photos are a bit blurry, I was leaning overtop of the open drawer which was at shin-level.

Though all the catalogue photos are black and white, there are many, many fine examples of embroidered and lace-worked handkerchiefs with their relative information (in Italian). The section on the Duchess's handkerchiefs is one of three; the others are Lace and Embroideries from the 18th and 19th centuries and Lace and Embroidered Baptismal and Newborn artifacts which includes an exquisite collection of bonnets. The catalogue can be found in used bookstores online, it is called: Eleganza e civetterie: merletti e ricami a Palazzo Davanzati, 1987, Marina Carmignani.

If you are looking for a book on handkerchiefs with a more Italian flavour, The Handkerchief by Paolo Peri, 1992, is in English and has mostly Italian examples with particular attention to the 20th century. It has lots of good historical information, there are many colour photos and examples of handkerchiefs in art.

In the "History" section of Tuttoricamo's website there is an excellent article called: Handkerchief, a protagonist in decline. There are also two great how-to articles on Reticello in the "How its done" section.

Different Styles of Reticello - Part One

Hand Towels - Drawn-Thread Work

One of the biggest differences between Italian needlework and that which we do at least here in North America is that lots of Italians still decorate household linens and use them daily. I don't know about where you are, but around here if any needlework gets done or is on display, its usually in a frame for placing on the wall.

I really love what I call 'guest towels' (probably because at my house when I was little, they were only put out if we had house guests- which was rare!) or decorative hand towels are still relatively common.

Often in Italy hand towels are done on extremely high count linen, with lots of hemstitching or whitework on them, but I've seen lots of coloured embroidery too.

A popular fabric for hand towels is a linen fabric called Crespo. It has a certain shine to it and the weaving is very compact, making a solid surface for embroidery. I bought some to do some Gigliuccio hemstitching on. When setting out to withdraw the ground threads I got worried that it would be difficult as the weave seems to criss-cross quite a bit. It turned out to be quite easy to do however and I didn't have any difficulty:


I did all the hemming on two hand towels using Ritorto Fiorentino pearl cotton no. 12 and now I search for just the right monogram to stitch on them for my daughter's trousseaux.

While in Ferrara last year I saw some beautiful drawn-thread work done on terry-cloth towels. Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli was kind enough to show me some of her beautiful and intricate work:


These towels had bands intended for embroidery on them from which she withdrew threads and embroidered over:


These are colour photographs though it might not seem so. Elisabetta's incredible sense of colour matching shows in these elegant towels.

I have many books on hemstitching as I'm a drawn-thread junkie. Mani di Fata has five booklets with easy-to-follow diagrams on hemstitching called Punti a Giorno in Italian, of varying degrees of difficulty. Though the scant instructions are in Italian, the diagrams say it all.

Maria Pia Gaiart has several books on drawn-thread work, these are well diagrammed, some in English and Italian, some only in Italian. You can get these books from Tombolo Disegni. (click on 'Books', then 'Sfilati ed Assia' - you must send an email request to order.

Liliana Babbi Cappelletti has a great new book out on intricate drawn-thread work called Sfilature Legate [Tied Drawn-Thread Work], though the text is in Italian, plans are in the works for an English edition. Her diagrams are excellent and step-by-step, you should be able to figure out the patterns with the Italian version if you can't wait for the English, email Elena at Italian Needlecrafts.

There are several tutorials on Tuttoricamo's website under the "How its Done" section.

To really test myself, one day I'll do some scalloped edging on a hand towel...

Arnaldo Caprai

There are some websites that I like to get lost in... where I continually find things I haven't seen before, where I see things that make me want to investigate them further and about which I want to learn more.

The various websites of Arnaldo Caprai keep me interested in going back again and again.

I first discovered the immense textile-related collection of Arnaldo Caprai when I purchased a book many years ago online called: In Viaggio con Penelope. [Travelling with Penelope] This book is actually a catalogue of an exhibition held in Perugia in 1989 of some artifacts from Arnaldo Caprai's collection of over 24,000 pieces of textile-related materials.

Bridal outfit 1940s, possibly made on Burano, found at an antiques market in Florence, image from In Viaggio con Penelope:


The text is in Italian and there are many historical and informational articles on the pieces shown but there are also many, many photos. There are photos of paintings depicting lace and embroidery, embroidery materials like sewing boxes and their contents, frames, lace pillows, old pattern books and catalogues;

L'Arte del Taglio, an Italian monthly fashion publication, May 1, 1915, image from In Viaggio con Penelope:

...sewing tools like clothing irons and machines, fabric stamps and pretty much any tool related to the textile arts.

Venetian needle lace pillow, late 1940s early 1950s, image from In Viaggio con Penelope:


There are photos of embroideries and laces: samplers, table and personal linens, household furnishings, articles for clothing like collars, cuffs, bonnets, trims, etc. Most of the artifacts are Italian but the collection includes pieces from around the world.

The Arnaldo Caprai collection has been called "probably the most important private textile collection in the world." The various websites are showcases for not only pictures of some of this collection but also a great source of little bits of information. Pieces range in age from the 8th century up to 1940.

The Virtual Museum website has so many pages that even though my Macintosh computer will not permit me to view the virtual rooms, (and anyway I can still read the text even if I can't access the virtual room pictures) I still haven't looked at all the other pages and the website has been online now since 2007.

The Study and Research Centre page has a listing of all books and catalogues published from 1980 to 2005. You can find some of these items for sale at used bookstores online. Be aware that they are made of heavy gloss paper and shipping costs can be quite high!

The Techniques pages have instructional videos for a "taste" of how the techniques are executed and photos plus lists of other books (not put out by Arnaldo Caprai) for further reading and study of related topics.

The Collection pages are broken down further into categories which display photos (you can zoom in really close to see details) and information on many things. Use the search engine on the left to get lost for hours! Not everything is translated into English and some of the slideshows are slow to load but be patient - it's worth it!

The Curiosity pages have several mini-articles on things from trousseaux to furnishings to clothing.

The Caprai Group pages show you all the other sectors Arnaldo Caprai is involved in like household linens, clothing and even wine. This site in turn takes you to all kinds of other things like along the bottom of the pages: News takes you to more recent events and exhibitions, the Textile Production Process is packed full of each step that textile products go through before being sold. And of course if you want to know more about the man, his businesses, his activities, etc – click on his smiling face!


In 2004 Poste Italiane (the Italian Postal service) together with Arnaldo Caprai produced a letter stamp to honour lace. It is a sticky-back fabric stamp worked with machine-embroidery.

From the 28th of May until the 20th of June, 2010 there will be an Arnaldo Caprai exhibition in the Costume and Textile Museum at the Palazzo Rosati Spada in Spoleto on "Wedding Traditions and Love" featuring 100 items which relate to the symbolism of wedding gifts covering the period between the 17th century and 20th centuries. This exhibition will be preceded by a press conference featuring Arnaldo Caprai himself on May 28th at noon at the Hotel Clitunno in Spoleto. Just in case you happen to be in the area...

Bandera Embroidery

I have a love-hate relationship with Baroque/Rococo ornament. While some things can be (in my opinion) over-decorated with scrolls and fruit and putti, I find I am always attracted to needlework of this period. I think a lot of it has to do with my love of texture.

Bandera Embroidery from the Piedmont region of Italy has the same effect on me. Sometimes there is absolutely too much ornament but mostly, if it is tastefully done, I love to look at it.

This embroidery style takes its name from the fabric it is stitched on, legend tells that it was first produced in Chieri a small town near Turin at the end of the 16th century. Recent studies however have led scholars to believe the cloth to have Turkish origins and to have already been well-known in the Piedmont region in the latter 15th century.

Today's Bandera fabric is 100% cotton and looks like this:


Long before Elena had Italian Needlecrafts in Milan, she hunted down some Bandera fabric and sent it to me. I could not find anything like it around where I live. A lady at a local fabric shop told me to look for Piquet but I never found any of that either, so I can't tell you how similar it is. I believe Elena found it for me at the Canetta store in Milan.

The idea to embroider on this fabric seems to date to the late 17th century, reaching its full height of popularity during the 18th century. Usually done in wool, the embroidery employs the Chain Stitch, Satin Stitch and Padded Satin Stitch, Long and Short Stitch, French Knots and Stem Stitch. Originally executed in one colour of either Savoy Blue or Wine Red, it evolved to include gold-yellow, greens and shades of pink. Wools used recently were DMC Medici Wools but I don't know what they are using now after DMC has discontinued this line.

In later centuries the tradition of this embroidery continued, various workshops were opened and products were made such as slip covers for armchairs and sofas, headboard covers for beds, cushions, bedspreads, tablecloths, footstool covers and curtains taking gold medals for excellence in the various World's Fairs of the day and carrying out commissions for the Italian Royal Family. In recent years it has known a revival, many embroidery schools in Italy, particularly in the Piedmont region teach courses and participate in exhibitions. There are often pictures in the Italian embroidery magazines of Bandera Embroidery.

Anna Ghigo in her booth at the Italia Invita Forum 2007 with all her Bandera Embroidery behind her:


There are some photos of Bandera Embroidery at this website, click on "English Version" and then "Bandera Embroidery" (top right corner).

Tuttoricamo has more information about Bandera Embroidery under the "Techniques" heading; under the "Prominent Characters" section you can read about Anna Ghigo, President of the Association Amici del Ricamo Bandera of Chieri - check out her beautiful work!

I have three books on this needlework:

La pittura ad ago in Piemonte - Il "Bandera" by Margherita Goglino, 2002. The text is in Italian though at the back of the book are three pages in English, French and Spanish with a bit of a summary. Lots of pictures of embroideries from private and museum collections, some patterns and stitch diagrams as well as historical info.

Il Mio Bandera by Gisella Tamagno Gazzola, 2007. (click on her name to go to her website and see some of her amazing work) This book is in Italian and English. It has historical info, stitch diagrams, colour photos of embroideries, designs and instructions on how to carry out some elements.

Il Ricamo Bandera, L'arte della pittura ad ago by the Associazione Amici del Ricamo Bandera, 2009. (click on the link to go to their website for some photos and info (some of it in English) This is a small book with lots of colour photos. Most of the text is in Italian but some of the picture captions are in English as well.

The Associazione Tradizioni Piemontesi sells kits for cushions, though you'd have to write to them for prices and forms of payment. The teacher Piera Girardi always has beautiful works displayed at the Italia Invita Forums.

Mani di Fata sells a book of iron-on patterns for Bandera Embroidery with stitch diagrams and ideas for application.

Thanks to Giovanna for the photo!

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

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.

Italia Invita Forum - Part Three - 2007

My daughter and I headed off to Italy in April of 2007. Intended as a two-part vacation, the first part was all for her: she had never been to Italy so I got her to pick out places she wanted to go and things she wanted to see which we did first, then the last few days were to be for me at the Italia Invita Forum, this time to be held in Rimini, Italy.

We arrived in Rome and were picked up by Giovanna of Tuttoricamo and her son at the airport. I had never met Giovanna before but we had corresponded over the past two years and she generously offered to put us up for a few days when we arrived and again just before we left. I often wonder what she and her family thought of us on that first night... we arrived exhausted and in bad need of a shower. They had held dinner for us and we were very sorry to try to explain that they feed you every two hours on a long flight so we weren't the least bit hungry! We managed through dinner (everything was delicious even if I thought I'd never eat again, I was so full). Giovanna and her husband had found us a spare cell phone, got us bottled water for excursions, bought us transit passes and investigated everything we would need. We wandered out the next day into Rome (where I hadn't been for at least 15 years or more) and despite all efforts to prevent it, promptly got lost... and sunburnt.

We wandered into the museum at the Palazzo Venezia and enjoyed the air conditioning while going through the Applied Arts exhibition. I am mentioning this here instead of taking you on to Rimini right away, because it is worth mentioning that if you are in Rome, and some people do opt out of spending the day at the Vatican, there are other museums which have needlework. This is one of them. The collection covers the period around the turn of the 20th century, there are many things to look at, lots of military stuff (bring your husbands!) but there is also embroidery of various types.

Okay, fast forward. My daughter and I worked our way from Rome to Florence where we stayed in a convent. The nuns who worked the reception desk passed the time embroidering some designs from RAKAM, an Italian needlework magazine, and we had a great chat about the show I was headed for. They took us on a tour of the convent and showed us embroideries which were out of the view of the public. The stitching sisterhood is a great club to belong to! Off to Siena and Pisa and then we met up in Verona with Maria Rosaria of Tuttoricamo and her daughter and stayed with them for a few days in Mantua. I had never met Maria Rosaria before either but again, the passion for needlework brought us together. From there we went on to Ravenna and then to Rimini for the Forum.

The 2007 Italia Invita International Lace and Embroidery Forum was held at a bigger venue than the previous two editions in Bellaria, and this time it was in Rimini, Italy. Rimini is quite the place for conferences, exhibitions, shows and the like, busloads of people were arriving from other places when we arrived! I went straight to my first atelier class which was on Sicilian Drawn Thread work and toiled diligently for two hours before I could look at anything. This is what I made (well, almost - I had to complete it at home but we did get quite a lot done in class):


The space for the Forum was divided into sections, on one side were all the vendors and on the other side all the schools and associations had their booths with displays of their works and things for sale like books, kits, supplies.

The Laboratorio Tessile di Alice booth with a display of Trapunto:


The Palestrina Embroidery Booth:


This edition of the Forum's theme was Cushions and 70 schools and associations stitched a cushion cover in their specialty technique which were displayed together in one area;

This cushion was done in Palestrina Embroidery:


Orvieto Lace Cushion (picture taken from the Forum 2007 book):


...there was a competition open to all Italians to produce a 20cm square of embroidery or lace, traditional or freestyle and there were 160 entries displayed on the walls to marvel over:


There were displays of works from textile artists and a memorial display of the works of a beloved stitcher, recently passed on. A booth dedicated to early 20th century Italian needlework scholar Elisa Ricci and her work. I met Bianca Rosa Bellomo who is occupied with researching Elisa Ricci's life and got to see some of her own antique needlework book collection. The stories of her research are fascinating!

I left my daughter with Giovanna's son and Maria Rosaria's daughter at the Tuttoricamo booth which they kindly manned for their mothers while they took turns looking around the Forum. We used the booth as a depository for purchases and a place to go and sit down, compare purchases advise others of things of interest, eat lunch and visit. In the afternoon I attended a Bizantina Ars class and learned that the Punto Stuoia (Rush Stitch) was something that was going to take me more than two hours to learn!

I did eventually complete this piece though:


That night in our hotel after dinner we all met in the hotel's bar and questioned each other about the many things we'd seen during the day, this turned into a two-part tutorial on Puncetto needle lace and Sardinian Knotted Stitch... we fell exhausted into bed sometime after midnight to do it all again the next day. Three days of frenzied learning, buying, meeting people... I met the infamous Agnese who, without knowing it, had helped me so much in finding out things about Italia Invita with her column on SuperEva. I met so many people I got confused as to who was who... I lost my voice from talking so much, I literally wandered around the Forum with my mouth open. I took two other atelier classes, one on Aemilia Ars needle lace and one on Deruta Pulled Thread Embroidery. I can't show you pictures of my finished projects because they don't exist... my mind was so overloaded that unfortunately I retained nothing from these two classes. In the end I could no longer speak either language but spoke a kind of bad mix of the two and my daughter had to constantly remind me that she didn't speak Italian and couldn't understand a word I was saying.

Over the three days of the Forum, I tried to absorb as much as possible about where to find out things later, where to buy things later, who had a website, a book, kits... I bought so much stuff that I invaded my daughter's suitcase with my things and had to leave some clothes behind in my hotel room! It took me months to come down from this experience and I still have a sack of kits and materials in my room that I haven't sorted out yet.

The Forum was the biggest one yet, receiving more than 6,000 visitors. They produced another book (in Italian and English) called Merletti e Ricami Italiani Forum 2007 [Italian Laces and Embroideries] with pictures of all the cushions, stitch diagrams, a glossary of stitches and techniques and a couple of very interesting articles – especially the one on Elisa Ricci and her book collection. This book on the 2007 Forum is still available but I understand that it is nearly sold out at the publisher's. It is truly gorgeous and a fantastic resource for examples of many different Italian lace and embroidery techniques. I understand that Italian Needlecrafts has just received their supply.

Tuttoricamo has pictures of the 2007 Forum in the Italian pages of the website, click here to see some of the booths and click here to see some of the cushions.

Next time I'll tell you about the 2009 Forum which I also went to. I'm sure that I've forgotten to tell you a hundred things but I think you get an idea of how fantastic this Forum is.

Italia Invita - Part One - 2003

Italia Invita - Part Two - 2005

Italia Invita - Part Four - 2009

Italia Invita - Part Five - 2011

Thank you to Giovanna for some of the photos!