Victoria and Albert Museum

Sooner or later I think, if you are interested in needlework, you become interested in fashion, clothing and costume if only for the embroideries that decorate them. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has studied Italian needlework quite extensively and is a great resource for printed material in English on the subject, though you may have to dig around a bit to find it. I have never been to the museum itself though I have talked to those who have: they describe it as utterly amazing. I believe it. If you search Youtube, there are various videos about the museum and it's projects. Some made by visitors, others made by the museum itself.

The museum bookstore has some of the most beautiful publications. I only have a couple of them, but many more are on my wish list. At Home in Renaissance Italy by Marta Ajmar-Wollheim and Flora Dennis is a particularly good one with a section on textiles and clothing which features some excellent colour photographs. In truth there are embroideries and textiles scattered throughout the other sections too. A detailed summary catalogue lists everything they know about the pieces shown. There are also many plates of paintings which depict clothing and therefore show decorative embroidery.

On the museum's website, you can search the collections for Italian pieces. For example, inputting "embroidery Italy" or "lace Italy" results in many pages of results with photos. Clicking on an image that interests you brings up a pop-up window with minimal information like the date, place and maker but also two important links: 'view details' and 'add to order'.

'View details' brings you to a page with all the known information regarding the piece and the option to zoom in closer to look at the photo. Sometimes there are other photos of the same piece with details of the needlework. You can download a .pdf page with all the info contained on the page for future study, or explore related subjects by clicking on links provided on the bottom part of the page. There is a place to click for a summary, more information and even a map to show you where the place of origin is located. From this page you can order a high resolution photo of the image but you can also do that by clicking on 'add to order' from the previous pop-up window. Signing up for an account is free, and you can then download high resolution images to study. There are some limitations on the amount of images you can download per session, and there are some use and licensing restrictions. However, if you just want to study a piece close-up for your own interest, this is a great way to do it for those who cannot get to the museum itself. Images are available for download within 15 minutes of ordering, just refresh your order page in your browser and after a few moments a link will appear and you can download the image.

Best of all: it costs nothing!

Arezzo Embroidery

At the end of the 19th century excavations in Arezzo, Italy revealed some pieces of unevenly woven cloth dating to about 1400. Embroidered on these pieces were some patterns executed in Cross Stitch using only rust and blue coloured thread.

Just after these discoveries some women of the area decided to recreate and revive this embroidery. At the time, women in many cities and areas of Italy were developing or reviving local embroidery and lace techniques.

Fabric was handwoven in the nearby town of Città di Castello especially for this project. Designs of traditional motifs like stylized birds, fantasy animals and Romanesques were used with geometric patterns – designs very similar to the traditional designs of Perugian weaving.

Essentially a Counted Thread technique, the designs were filled in with Long Arm Cross Stitch over four/eight ground threads, and lines were done in Double Running Stitch over four ground threads. The narrow hems of the pieces were finished with Four-Sided Stitch. Hemp threads were used in rust and blue colours.

Items made were: placemats, bags, curtains, tablecentres, panels, cushions with inserts of bobbin lace and sometimes with knotted fringe or tassels.

Works were exhibited in local and regional exhibits.

This embroidery enjoyed some popularity at the time and other areas like Florence adopted it.

Over time it went into decline and is today almost forgotten. I have seen only a couple of modern pieces – one is pictured in the catalogue for the Italia Invita Lace and Embroidery Forum of 2005, executed by the Laboratorio Tessile di Alice in Castiglion Fiorentino; the other can be found if you click on the 'english' button in the top right hand corner of their homepage, then 'activity' at the bottom of the page, then 'weekly courses' there will appear a row of six images along the bottom left-hand side of the page: in the third from the left, is a small bird stitched in blue and rust. This is the only online picture that I can find to show you - if anyone knows of others, please, please – leave a comment below!

Black and white pictures of works from the beginning of the 20th century can be found in:
Anchor Manual of Needlework, Interweave Press
Dizionario Enciclopedico di Lavori Femminili by Lucia Petrali Castaldi
L'Opre Leggiadre by Lucia Petrali Castaldi

Aemilia Ars needle lace from Bologna - Part Two

After stumbling awestruck from viewing the Aemilia Ars needle lace at the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte Museum (see Part One) my two lovely companions took me off to an exhibition of pieces displayed for a limited time by the Association I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli. This association is composed of past pupils of the maestra Antonilla Cantelli who practice the Aemilia Ars needle lace as it was taught to them in order to keep the art alive. At this exhibition there were pieces made by her pupils but also pieces made by the master herself on loan from her granddaughter. This is actually where I broke down and cried – overwhelmed by the beauty of these laces. I wish I could show you all my pictures but here are just a few of my favourites:

If you ever get the chance to get to Bologna, do not leave the city without experiencing this incredibly beautiful art!

Okay, now for books!

Merletti e Ricami della Aemilia Ars is hard to find but worth the hunt. This is a reprint of the 1929 publication showcasing the masterpieces of the original Aemilia Ars Society. Text in Italian, tonnes of good black and white photos!

L’Aemilia Ars di Antonilla Cantelli – A granddaughter's tribute to the maestra, showcasing her designs and laces. Text in Italian, lots of great photos.

Aemilia Ars, Arts & Crafts a Bologna 1898-1903. Exhibit catalogue full of photos and the history of the original society and more. Text in Italian, difficult to find but well worth it.

Old Italian Lace, Volume One by Elisa Ricci - downloadable in .pdf format from the Online Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and related topics. Lots of black and white pictures and some history too!

If you want to try your hand at this lace there are a few technical manuals out.
For florals there is: Fiori - Quaderni di Aemilia Ars - Nuova S1, 2009. The text is in Italian but the book is packed with step by step clear photos.

For geometric designs, there are a couple to choose from here. These texts are in Italian and English with lots of diagrams. There is also an exhibition catalogue with historical info and pictures.

If you've got the May/June 2009 edition of Piecework, there is a small project there.

To learn more about Aemilia Ars needle lace, visit Tuttoricamo (click on the British flag for the English pages, there are articles under both the "History" and "Techniques" headings. While you're there check out "Prominent Characters": Antonilla Cantelli, Virginia Bonfiglioli and Christine Bishop for even more photos and info. Check out the book reviews to help you make a decision!

Aemilia Ars needle lace from Bologna - Part One

Aemilia Ars needle lace from Bologna - Part One

Aemilia Ars needle lace is one of the most breathtaking laces I've ever seen. Conceived in Bologna, Italy at the end of the 19th century, it is made by building a structure of supports with thread, covering them and filling in the spaces between; working on cardstock and later inserting the lace into the finished artifact. The principal difference between this and other applied needle laces is that it makes use of a system of support stitches which are then cut away enabling the execution of some pretty amazing designs.

In 2007 I went to the Italia Invita Lace and Embroidery Forum in Rimini, Italy and took a three hour workshop on Aemilia Ars needle lace while I was there. Needless to say, this kind of beauty takes time and much practice! I'm not showing you the 'lace' that I made, but I will say that it did ignite my curiosity! Last year I went for the 2009 Forum, this time it was in Parma, and afterwards I went to Bologna in the hopes of seeing some of this lace up close. What I saw left me awestruck and literally brought tears to my eyes.

Two very generous ladies met me at the train station and took me to the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte Museum which has a small but unbelievable collection of pieces. I say the collection is small because when you walk into the room there are (if I remember correctly) only five glass cases with the lace inside. However, to study the individual pieces would require many, many visits as they are all very intricate and the more you look, the more you observe.

There was a very nice attendant who let us take photos but without flash and consequently many of mine did not turn out or are quite grainy (all the more reason to go back!). I'm putting them here just to give you a feel for the pieces though obviously I'd like to get my hands on clearer pictures...

Our nice attendant was replaced by one who was not so crazy about us taking photos so if you go, be prepared to be refused. If you're interested in this lace and you're in Bologna, you could study these pieces everyday and never get tired!

To learn more about Aemilia Ars needle lace, visit Tuttoricamo (click on the British flag for the English pages, there are articles under both the "History" and "Techniques" headings. While you're there check out "Prominent Characters": Antonilla Cantelli, Virginia Bonfiglioli and Christine Bishop for even more photos and info.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the second half of that day in Bologna and some books on the Art of Aemilia Ars needle lace.

Aemilia Ars needle lace from Bologna - Part Two

Needlework in Florence

If you've got some time and want to see needlework while you're in Florence, you should definitely hit a few museums. There are many to choose from and I will admit that I haven't been into half of them, so I can only tell you about what is in the ones I've seen.At the Duomo [Cathedral] there is the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo which houses the incredible collection of Or Nué (Silk Shaded Goldwork) in the Sala d'Altare [Altar Room]: some 20-odd panels depicting the life of St. John the Baptist. The designs for these absolutely amazing embroideries are attributed to Antonio and Paolo Pollaiolo, and the work is some of the best surviving examples of Florentine Goldwork from the Renaissance. Don't miss other embroideries along the wall opposite to these treasures, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the mastery of skill!


The Galleria di Costumi [Costume Gallery] at the Palazzo Pitti is a great place to see embroidery of all kinds used to ornament different styles of dress down through the ages - and in theatre clothing as well. Don't leave without checking out the funeral clothing that has recently been restored of the Grand Duke Cosimo de'Medici, his wife Eleonora di Toledo and their son Don Garcia.
After many years of being closed for restoration, the Palazzo Davanzati is a needleworker's dream. It houses a small but impressive collection of the finest needle lace and other techniques of laces and embroideries. Many pieces that are pictured in Elisa Ricci's books can actually be seen up close here. One room houses some textile equipment like a spinning wheel and many other tools, on the wall are several samplers of various techniques including one spectacular sampler of Reticello. Don't miss the cabinet in this room (it's quite dark in there) which holds many pull-out panels (remember to look on both sides of every panel!) and drawers containing a myriad of different embroideries and laces. The next room is better lit and is full of needlework including some very intricate pieces of Aemilia Ars needle lace from Bologna. Remember to pull out all the drawers in the cabinets in this room to see everything!


Museums I haven't been to, but want to investigate in Florence are: the Bargello Museum which houses one of the famous Guicciardini trapunto quilts (the other one being in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London) and the Loretta Caponi Museum (on the website look under the smaller heading "Loretta Caponi" and then "La Collezione Loretta Caponi" to start a slide show of pieces).

You can learn more about Aemilia Ars, Reticello and Goldwork (Metal Thread Embroidery) at Tuttoricamo, (click on the British flag for the English version then 'Techniques') - while you're there look under 'Prominent Characters' to learn more about Elisa Ricci and under 'History' for the Guicciardini quilts.

I'd love to hear from you if you've discovered other needlework in Florence - please leave a comment below!

Il Gigliuccio - Peahole Hemstitch

As can happen with many different stitches and embroidery techniques, there are different ways to execute a stitch. This can depend on the country where it is being done, or in the case of Italy: the region or even the town. Some associate the Gigliuccio's origins with Tuscany where it is the traditional edging of Punto Antico which some also associate with Tuscany, but in truth it is done all over Italy.

Some call the Gigliuccio the Fleur des lys stitch and associate it with Florence and the lily. Some associate it with the Gigliucci family of Fermo, Italy where it is said there is evidence of the stitch as far back as the end of the 1600s. We might be safe to say it is definitely an Italian stitch from the region that became Italy in the late 1800s – because technically Italy was not officially "Italy" before the Unification. I say 'might' because when I did finally find something that looked like the Gigliuccio I'd seen in RAKAM, it was in a Schwalm book by Renate Fernau and it was called the Peahole Hemstitch.

If you don't care too much about where it came from, then we can move on to what it is, because here, more or less most people are in agreement. More or less. ;-)

Basically it is a Drawn-Thread technique consisting of groups of knotted bundles in an open channel between two rows of Four-Sided Stitch, also known as Italian Hemstitch. There is a tutorial for executing it on the right side of the fabric here, and a two-part tutorial for using it to secure a hem, executing it on the back side of the work starting here and ending here.

There are many different ways to execute the Gigliuccio hemstitch, you will need to try a couple different ones (I'm sure there are other methods that I haven't yet discovered) to see which one you like best, regardless of the technique used to make it, the result is a beautiful openwork channel which plays with the effects of chiaroscuro and is very pleasing to the eye.

It can be done in tone-on-tone, in light-coloured thread on dark fabric or dark-coloured thread on light fabric: each gives a different effect. Done in multiple rows at a hemline, or in a single row to connect the motifs of a tablecloth, or however else you can imagine it, it is always attractive. Do a Google image search for some inspirational photos!

Hemstitching

I'll admit that I'm very much attracted to different types of hemstitching. Usually instead of flipping over embroidery to look at the back like other stitchers do, I feel around for the edge to see how it has been treated. Italian needlework feeds my craving for hemstitching in all kinds of fascinating ways. There is so much creativity and imagination!

This one I had to try, its name is so fun! It's kind of like Nun's Stitch but different. It's called Dente di Gatto or literally, Cat's Tooth (front and then back):

This one is made of tiny thrown stitches and knots... I wish I could say I did these but mine will never look like this in a million years! These stitches are part of a needle lace technique called Puncetto:

I love this one with three Buttonhole stitches in each hole, again done on high count linen. It is the edging of a lavender sachet that was given to me:

This is one of the first ones I tried... I'm not sure what its called:

Here is my sad attempt at a rolled hem - look how wavy it is! I really liked the arrowheads though:

Gigliuccio is my all-time favourite! This one was done on extremely fine linen (and not by me!):

Oh, I could go on and on! And I probably will in another post. For now I'll leave you with some books to check out. Punti a Giorno (Decorative Hemstitch) Vol. 4 by Giuliana Buonpadre. My copy is in Italian but I understand that you can get copies also in either French or English. All of her books are very clear with diagrams and photos of each stitch.

I Miei Sfilati (My Drawn Thread Works) by Antonietta Monzo Menossi. More complex combinations but really beautiful work, text in Italian and English. You can get this one at Tombolo Disegni (click on: Libri/Books, Libri-Ricamo, Ricamo Italiani - scroll to the bottom of the page).

For the Gigliuccio (known in English as the Peahole Hemstitch) or for the Cat's Tooth (together with lots of other great hemstitches in a booklet called: Hems and...) send an email to Italian-Needlecrafts who is the overseas reseller for these fantastic books.