Traditional Needlework of Locorotondo

When travelling through the Puglia region of Italy this past fall, I was always on the lookout for examples of local needlework. One morning while we were on a guided tour of Locorotondo which is a pretty little town in the province of Bari, I spotted an embellished curtain hanging in the window of a residence:

I took a quick snapshot but didn't have any time to study it as we were on the move with our guide. I thought it seemed to be some kind of needle lace but I really didn't get a good look and I resolved to study the photo later.

We ended our tour in the main square of Locorotondo and as the guide was wrapping up I glanced around and spied a small shop with embroideries hanging in the window. As we were being told we had 10 minutes for a bathroom pitstop before we would meet our bus to go on to an olive oil tasting, I was already backing slowly away from the group in the direction of the shop. As soon as the guide finished talking I pivoted and ran. I'm sure the proprietor of the shop (who was sweeping the pavement in front of the shop) wondered at the crazy tourist bearing down on her at speed!

Breathlessly I explained that I only had 10 minutes and could she please tell me of any local tradition of needlework? She dropped the broom and we rushed inside the shop - a woman who understood me! 

She showed me a shawl made out of wool in the unusual work that I had seen on the curtain pictured above. She also explained that it was a crochet technique called Margherita Stitch and that traditionally the shawls were made for wearing to church but that the technique had been adapted lately for different things like table runners, ornaments, earrings, wedding and other celebration favours, borders for curtains, towels, handkerchiefs and Christmas tree ornaments using different threads like embroidery and crochet cotton, silks and linen threads. 

I picked a small doily to take away with me and as she was ringing me up, the other ladies from my tour arrived breathlessly as they had discovered the textile museum next door and were looking for me because they knew I'd want to see it. Alas, our 10 minutes were up and I did not get to see the museum but I was told that there were some amazing pieces to see in the windows alone.

Signora Spalluto was lovely to come outside the shop and pose for a photo, if you look in the background you can see some ornaments and an amazing tablecloth done in Filet Lace hanging from the ceiling:

Signora Spalluto was able to tell me that she teaches embroidery and has a group of stitchers who make items for the shop and work on commission for trousseaux, weddings, christenings and the like. Her group is well versed in traditional embroidery, tatting, crochet, filet lace and many other techniques as well as the restoration and cleaning of antique pieces.

She has a website which has pages in English as well as Italian where you can look through the galleries of photos of works done in Margherita Stitch as well as other techniques.

We were sorry to leave without taking a good look at what was in the shop, but you can bet if any of us is ever in Locorotondo again, we will be back to the shop and explore the museum right away! I'd love to hear from you if you've been through the museum.

Thanks to Susan for taking the photo of the front of the shop!

Veronese Crochet Lace - Il Pizzo di Verona

I can finally tell you some exciting news!

If you've been wondering why it's been so quiet on my blog lately, part of the reason is that I've been translating a fascinating text on a nearly-forgotten Italian needlework technique from the early 20th century called Il Pizzo di Verona or Veronese Crochet Lace.

The book will be published in about a month or so and presented at Palazzo Forti in Verona on March 12, 2011 at 11 am. I greatly envy you if you can go!

Bianca Rosa Bellomo will present the book during a lecture about historical events in Verona in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how they impacted the creator of this lace, Laudomia Spazzi-Gonevino and her family. She will no doubt fascinate you with the story of how the authors of this new book (Anna Castagnetti, Donatella Granzarolo and Bianca Rosa Bellomo herself) researched this technique and it's creator and her family, starting from two all-but-forgotten booklets published in the early 20th century edited by Amelia Brizzi Ramazzotti for the Sonzogno publishing house in Milan.

Also from March 8th - 12th there will be free demonstrations of how to make this exquisite crochet and needle lace during the show Verona Tessile: "Le vie della seta si incontrano a Verona" [Verona Textile Show: The silk roads meet in Verona"].

March 8th is also International Women's Day which is widely celebrated in Italy so it is fitting that there be a celebration of a woman's life at this time.

This new book has some historical information as well as step-by-step instructions and photos for creating this beautiful crochet and needle lace, the text is in Italian and English. It is published by the NuovaS1 publishing house in Italy and I have no doubt that Elena at Italian Needlecrafts will have it for sale as soon as it becomes available. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!