Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Two

I am very pleased to offer you an article that I have translated by Silvana Vannini, an Italian lady who reproduced the Guicciardini Coverlet of Florence. The original coverlet resides in storage at the Bargello Museum in Florence and Signora Vannini's reproduction can be found at the Palazzo Davanzati Museum in Florence.

Signora Vannini has also generously created a Trapunto pincushion project to accompany this article which will be posted separately. To reach more readers, I will also be posting the original article in Italian as quite a number of visits to this blog come from Italy.

Other parts of this series of posts can be found here: 

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part One
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Three
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Four

The Guicciardini Coverlet consists of six scenes which describe episodes from the legends of Tristan and Isolde with stitched captions in Sicilian dialect. The piece is thought to have been cut down from it’s original size as there are parts missing from the style of layout which is similar to the more complete piece in London. The Tristan Quilt in London, the larger of the two coverlets, has 14 depictions which occur later in the story. 

Embroidery by Silvana Vannini, designs by Marisa Sardini Silvestri.

Along the left border of the Guicciardini Coverlet are three scenes of Tristan’s arrival at the court of King Mark. The stitched comments for the first scene translate as: How the messenger came to Tristan; the second scene reads: How Tristan and Gorvenal left the court of King Pharamond; the third scene: How Tristan and Gorvenal came before King Mark. The fourth scene is along the bottom and is described: How King Mark invests Tristan. 

Embroidery by Silvana Vannini, designs by Marisa Sardini Silvestri.

The next four depictions are really two scenes and are framed by borders of four-leafed clover. These two-part scenes depict the departures of both Tristan and Morholt for the islet of St. Samson’s (How Tristan goes to the islet to go to battle and How Morholt went to the islet) 

Embroidery by Silvana Vannini, designs by Marisa Sardini Silvestri.

and the relative duel between Tristan and the Morholt (How Morholt battles Tristan on horseback and How Tristan battles Morholt and the lance breaks). 

Embroidery by Silvana Vannini, designs by Marisa Sardini Silvestri.

Tristan’s armour and shield bear the Guicciardini coat of arms of three hunting horns. 

Embroidery by Silvana Vannini, designs by Marisa Sardini Silvestri.

Today the reproduction quilt is displayed on a four-post bed in the Camera dei Pavoni [Peacock Bedroom] of the Palazzo Davanzati Museum at no. 13 Via Porta Rossa, Florence, Italy where the original coverlet was displayed from 1956 - 1991. 

The Palazzo Davanzati is a mid-14th century house built by the Davizzi Family and owned  by the Davanzati Family from 1578 - 1838. In 1904 it was purchased by antiquarian Elia Volpi (1838 - 1958) who reopened the Palazzo as a museum in 1910. Purchased by the State in 1951, the Palazzo was reorganized and reopened in 1956 at which time the Guicciardini Coverlet was displayed on loan from the Bargello Museum. The Palazzo Davanzati was closed in 1995 for major restorations and has now been partially reopened with restoration work continuing on the upper floors. There is a large 16th - 19th century lace and embroidery collection on display on the 1st floor that is not to be missed.

The original restored Guicciardini Coverlet is presently kept in a controlled storage environment at the Bargello National Museum at no. 4 Via del Proconsolo, about six blocks away from the Palazzo Davanzati in Florence, Italy and is not on display to the public. 

Although there is a hypothesis that the Guicciardini Coverlet, the Tristan Quilt and a third work of Trapunto which is privately owned were wedding gifts presented in 1395 to Piero di Luigi Guicciardini and Laudamia Acciaiuoli, there are no surviving documents to support this. 

There are many different versions of the story of Tristan and Isolde, dating back to perhaps the late 8th century and the Scottish Highlands. Over the centuries different European countries have added and subtracted to the tales making them relevant to their own peoples. The stories have inspired many artists and scenes from various tales are represented in a wide range of art mediums. On the Guicciardini Coverlet, we find King Pharamond of Gaul or Ferramonte as he was in late 13th century Tuscan prose. We find mention of him in 13th and 14th century Tuscan versions. The Guicciardini Coverlet seems to be freely made up of scenes from a criss-cross of many tales probably well know by the populace at the time.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part One

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Three

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Four

There is a Trapunto project to accompany this article: Project part one and part two.

To read the Italian version of this article click here.

About the author:

Silvana Vannini lives in the Tuscan countryside. Now retired, she worked as an instructor of Technical Applications, which in Italy meant, tailoring, sewing, knitting, embroidery, drawn thread work and related activities. Her personal studies in Art History led her to create works of embroidery and painting. 20 years ago she discovered quilting and the perfect medium for expressing herself. She makes small works using many varied techniques like embroidery, appliqué, Florentine Trapunto and others which she also teaches at a few Museums and Foundations. In 2011 she participated in a competition with the theme: The Bag - Necessary Accessory. This led to her selection to participate in the exhibitions which were held for the first time in Florence in Via Toscanella it what was the former studio of the Florentine painter Ottone Rosai (1895-1957), and then in Antwerp, Belgium at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She has donated her reproduction of the Guicciardini Coverlet to the Palazzo Davanzati and is presently working on projects for future exhibitions.

Further reading:

Arthurian Archives VIII. Italian Literature I. Tristano Panciatichiano edited and translated by Gloria Allaire, D.S. Brewer, Cambridge, England, 2002.

Intorno a due antiche coperte con figurazioni tratte dalle Storie di Tristano [Around two antique coverlets with figures from the Stories of Tristan]. Pio Rajna. In the philology journal: “Romania”, XLII, pgs. 517-579, Librairie Ancienne Honoré Champion Éditeur, Paris, France, October, 1913.

La “coperta” Guicciardini. Il restauro delle imprese di Tristano [The Guicciardini Coverlet. The restoration of the deeds of Tristan]. Edited by Rosanna Caterina Proto Pisani, Marco Ciatti, Susanna Conti, Maria Grazia Vaccari. Edifir Edizioni, Florence, Italy, 2010. There is now an English language edition available.

Un Trapunto Trecentesco [A Fourteenth-Century Quilt]. Lidia Morelli. In the Italian art magazine “Dedalo. Rassegna d’Arte”, Anno II, Volume III, pgs. 770-783, Casa Editrice D’Arte Bestetti e Tumminelli, Milan-Rome, Italy, 1921-22.

On the web:

There is a hidden section on the Bargello National Museum’s website where you can view good close up photos of the original coverlet before the restoration and read details about the restoration process (text in Italian).

The Italian needlework magazine photographer Miky Dessein has posted a video of the interior of the Palazzzo Davanzati during the period of the 2010 exhibition of both the restored Guicciardini Coverlet and the reproduction on YouTube.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Versione Italiana

Read the English version of this post:

part one, part two, part three, part four.

la copia al Palazzo Davanzati, Firenze

La copia di Palazzo Davanzati a Firenze

Silvana Vannini

L’idea di realizzare una copia della “Coperta Guicciardini” nasce in occasione della Mostra Internazionale di Arte tessile tenutasi a Firenze nell’ottobre del 2006 presso l’Istituto degli Innocenti. Il tema della mostra invitava le artiste tessili ad ispirarsi proprio alla coperta Guicciardini per la realizzazione delle loro opere. In quel periodo la coperta originale era oggetto di restauro da parte dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, restauro che è terminato nel 2010 con una mostra a Firenze, presso Palazzo Davanzati, nella quale sono state esposte entrambe le coperte. 

La "Coperta Guicciardini o di Usella" è uno dei pochi meravigliosi lavori in "trapunto" giunti sino a noi, dalla fine del XIV secolo. Il soggetto della coperta narra la storia di "Tristano e Isotta" ed è stata realizzata in un laboratorio siciliano come testimoniano le scritte in dialetto siciliano che compaiono sul fondo della coperta.  La coperta apparteneva al conte Ferdinando Guicciardini e sua moglie, la contessa Maddalena, la ritrovò nella loro villa di Usella nel 1890. È stata esposta per molto tempo ad appannaggio della famiglia Guicciardini per essere  poi venduta nel 1927 al Museo Nazionale del Bargello. Esiste un'altra coperta appartenuta alla famiglia Guicciardini, gemella di questa, che fu venduta al "Kensington Museum"di Londra", l'attuale Victoria and Albert Museum. Questi grandi arazzi spesso venivano appesi alla pareti con la funzione di dividere grandi spazi oppure si pensa che siano stati usati come cortine intorno ai letti.

La mostra del 2006 ha creato l’occasione, unica per emozione ed importanza, di entrare in relazione con i restauratori della coperta originale, che ha fatto scoccare la scintilla per la realizzazione di quest’opera così particolare.

La collaborazione con l’Opificio delle Pietre Dure ha permesso di accedere ad informazioni molto dettagliate sull’opera originale. 

la copia

La documentazione fotografica ha reso possibile all’artista Marisa Sardini Silvestri di realizzare a mano libera il disegno in misura originale che è stato poi riportato “in trasparenza” sul tessuto di lino utilizzato per la realizzazione della copia.

Le ricerche svolte dall’Opificio hanno determinato che il tessuto utilizzato in origine, era in lino, sia per i teli della parte superiore che per quelli della parte inferiore. Il lino utilizzato per i teli superiori ha una trama più fitta rispetto a quelli dei teli inferiori. I filati utilizzati per il ricamo sono di lino marrone per la decorazione delle figure e dei fiori, mentre il trapunto del fondo è stato realizzato con un filato di lino dello stesso colore del tessuto.

controluce

Le imbottiture sono di cotone a fiocchi nelle figure più grandi mentre alcuni dettagli delle decorazioni degli abiti e dei finimenti dei cavalli, sono stati imbottiti con un filo di cotone poco ritorto per dare maggiore evidenza ai particolari e maggiore tridimensionalità.

Il percorso filologico intrapreso per realizzare la riproduzione fedele della coperta Guicciardini ha significato costruire la copia con lo stesso criterio dell’originale.

L’inizio del lavoro ha riguardato la ricerca dei materiali più simili possibile a quelli dell’originale. 

Lo studio accurato dell’originale nelle particolarità tecniche, quali quella di avere teli di lino larghi 70 cm uniti tra di loro in momenti diversi della lavorazione, l’osservazione del punto, semplice ma di grande effetto decorativo, l’attenzione per ridare espressività ai volti e per cercare di capire in quale modo erano state imbottite le figure per poter ripetere lo stesso effetto di rilievo, sono stati il punto di partenza del lavoro.

dettaglio del lavoro

Per la realizzazione, data la particolarità del disegno, è stato necessario preparare le imbottiture delle figure e dei cavalli prima di applicare e fermare il telo posteriore.

A questo punto è iniziato il lavoro di cucito con filo di lino, dei contorni di tutti gli elementi del disegno a punto indietro come nell’originale. Le lettere e i piccoli disegni sono stati imbottiti successivamente dal rovescio del lavoro, provvedendo ad allargare la trama del tessuto e inserendo il cotone per l’imbottitura (bambagia di cotone). L’uso della bambagia non ha fatto appesantire eccessivamente la coperta, infatti il suo peso è di circa 3,6 Kg così come l’originale. Il trapunto del fondo è stato realizzato a punto filza e per tutta la lavorazione è stato necessario verificare dalle fotografie l’inclinazione del trapunto originale in modo da creare un effetto di luci ed ombre. Questo ha rappresentato l’unica difficoltà tecnica significativa nella lavorazione dell’intera opera perché l’inclinazione del trapunto tende a dare un equilibrio particolare alla trama del tessuto, che si nota soprattutto se esposto in verticale.

Per l’esecuzione è stato utilizzato un telaio appositamente realizzato della larghezza di due metri appoggiato su cavalletti. Il tempo necessario alla ultimazione dell’opera è stato di circa 3.600 ore di lavoro, la quantità di filo per il punto filza del fondo è di circa 1.440 metri, mentre per il ricamo delle figure sono stati necessari circa 3.192 metri. Questi dati possono far capire l’importanza che ha avuto nella mia vita la realizzazione di questa opera che è nata nel momento in cui l’ago e il filo sono diventati pennello, matita, bulino. Nella descrizione figurata della storia, delle espressioni, delle emozioni  l’affresco ha preso corpo nelle mie mani e nella mia testa, ho udito lo sciabordio delle navi, i nitriti dei cavalli, il suono delle trombe, le voci, il clamore della folla, e questo ha provocato il tumulto emotivo che ha riempito gli anni di lavoro per una esperienza irripetibile.

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Per vedere altre foto, la bibliografia e altre informazioni, vedete la versione inglese prima parte e seconda parte. 

C'è anche un progetto di ricamo di Silvana Vannini che sta su altre pagine: prima parte e seconda parte.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part One

I am very pleased to offer you an article that I have translated by Silvana Vannini, an Italian lady who reproduced the Guicciardini Coverlet of Florence. The original coverlet resides in storage at the Bargello Museum in Florence and Signora Vannini's reproduction can be found at the Palazzo Davanzati Museum in Florence.

Signora Vannini has also generously created a Trapunto pincushion project to accompany this article which will be posted separately. To reach more readers, I will also be posting the original article in Italian as quite a number of visits to this blog come from Italy.

Silvana Vannini's reproduction coverlet at the Palazzo Davanzati, Florence.

The Palazzo Davanzati Guicciardini Coverlet Reproduction in Florence, Italy

By Silvana Vannini

The idea of making a copy of the Guicciardini Coverlet was conceived on the occasion of the International Textile Art Exhibition held in Florence, Italy in October of 2006 at the Istituto degli Innocenti [Institute of the Innocents]. The theme of this exhibition invited textile artists to create their own works using the Guicciardini Coverlet for inspiration. At that time, the original Coverlet was being restored by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure [literally: Semi-Precious Stones Workshop. It is a public conservation and restoration institute which also houses archives, a specialist library and a museum of historic pieces of inlaid semi-precious stone artifacts.]. The restoration would be finished in 2010 with an exhibition in Florence at the Palazzo Davanzati where both the original and reproduction coverlets would be exhibited. 

The Guicciardini Coverlet or the Usella Coverlet (so called for the name of the area in which it was found) is one of a few amazing works of trapunto surviving from the end of the 14th century. The subject of the coverlet is the legend of “Tristan and Isolde” and it was made in a Sicilian workshop as is evidenced by the Sicilian dialect stitched along the bottom of the coverlet. The coverlet belonged to Count Ferdinando Guicciardini (1845 - 1906) and his wife, the Countess Maddalena Niccolini Guicciardini (1847 - 1916), and was found in their villa in the Tuscan municipality of Usella (about 50 kms north of Florence) in 1890. It was exhibited for a long time at the privilege of the Guicciardini family before being sold for 90,000 Lire (almost $94,000 USD in today’s market) in 1927 to the Bargello National Museum in Florence. 

There was another coverlet, also owned by the Guicciardini family, a twin to this one that was sold to the “Kensington Museum of London” (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) in 1904, commonly known as the Tristan Quilt. 

These great tapestries were often hung on the walls with the function of dividing large spaces or it is thought that they may have been used as bed curtains.

The 2006 exhibition created the exciting and significant opportunity to enter into relations with the restorers of the original Coverlet which was the spark for making this work so special.

The collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure allowed access to very detailed information about the origins of the original work. 

Held up against the light, the padding is evidenced.

The photographic documentation made it possible for the artist Marisa Sardini Silvestri to create freehand drawings in the original dimensions which were then traced on to the linen fabric used for the realization of the reproduction.

The research undertaken by the Opificio has determined that the original fabric used was linen, both for the top sheets and those underneath. The linen used for the top sheets has a more dense weave compared to that used underneath. The threads used for the embroidery were a brown-coloured linen for the figures and flowers, while the quilting of the background was done with a linen thread the same colour as the fabric.

The stuffing is cotton wool for the bigger figures while a few of the details of the decorations on the clothing and the horse trappings were stuffed with a slightly twisted cotton thread to give greater emphasis on details and more three-dimensionality.

The philological path undertaken to achieve a faithful reproduction of the Guicciardini Coverlet meant building the copy with the same criterion as the original. 

To begin the work meant the quest for materials as similar as possible to those of the original. The careful study had to be made of the original’s technical details such as joining three sheets of 70 cm wide linen together at various stages of the work for each side; observing the simple but effective decoration of the stitches; giving attention to facial expressions and trying to understand how the figures were padded in order to create the same relief effect were the starting points of the project. Given the particularities of the design, it was necessary to prepare the padding of the figures and horses before applying and affixing the backing fabric. 

At this point the stitching of the outlines of all the design elements in backstitch using linen thread was started as was done on the original. The letters and the small designs were then padded from the back side of the work by parting the ground fabric threads and inserting the cotton for the padding (cotton wool). The use of cotton wool did not make the coverlet overly heavy, in fact, its weight is about 3.6 kg, the same as the original.  The quilting of the background was done in running stitches and it was necessary for the duration of the entire process to check the photographs of the original for the inclination of the original quilting in order to create the effect of light and shadow. This represented the only significant technical difficulty in the working of the entire project because the inclination of the quilting tends to give a particular balance to the ground threads of the fabric which is especially noticeable when it is exhibited vertically.

A specially designed 2 metre wide frame was made for working this project which was set on sawhorses. The finished dimensions of the work were 2.46 m high by 2.05 m wide. Three sheets of Italian Bellora linen fabric were used per side. The time required for the completion of the work was about 3,600 hours, the amount of thread for the background quilting done in running stitch was about 1.44 metres while for the embroidery of the figures about 3.192 metres of thread were necessary. DMC linen embroidery floss was used. Total cost of materials was approximately 500 euros (just under $700 USD). This data can help in understanding the level of importance that the realization of this project had in my life, an importance which was born the moment that the needle and thread became my brush/pencil/burin. In the figurative description of the story, the expressions, the emotions, the scenes took shape in my hands and mind, I heard the lapping of waves against the ships, the neighing of the horses, the sounds of the trumpets, the clamour of the crowd, and this caused the emotional turmoil that filled the years of work to create an unrepeatable experience.

Silvana Vannini's reproduction coverlet.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Two

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Three

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Four

There is a Trapunto project to accompany this article: Project part one and part two. 

Read the Italian version of this post.

About the author:

Silvana Vannini lives in the Tuscan countryside. Now retired, she worked as an instructor of Technical Applications, which in Italy meant, tailoring, sewing, knitting, embroidery, drawn thread work and related activities. Her personal studies in Art History led her to create works of embroidery and painting. 20 years ago she discovered quilting and the perfect medium for expressing herself. She makes small works using many varied techniques like embroidery, appliqué, Florentine Trapunto and others which she also teaches at a few Museums and Foundations. In 2011 she participated in a competition with the theme: The Bag - Necessary Accessory. This led to her selection to participate in the exhibitions which were held for the first time in Florence in Via Toscanella it what was the former studio of the Florentine painter Ottone Rosai (1895-1957), and then in Antwerp, Belgium at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She has donated her reproduction of the Guicciardini Coverlet to the Palazzo Davanzati and is presently working on projects for future exhibitions.

Further reading:

Arthurian Archives VIII. Italian Literature I. Tristano Panciatichiano edited and translated by Gloria Allaire, D.S. Brewer, Cambridge, England, 2002.

Intorno a due antiche coperte con figurazioni tratte dalle Storie di Tristano [Around two antique coverlets with figures from the Stories of Tristan]. Pio Rajna. In the philology journal: “Romania”, XLII, pgs. 517-579, Librairie Ancienne Honoré Champion Éditeur, Paris, France, October, 1913.

La “coperta” Guicciardini. Il restauro delle imprese di Tristano [The Guicciardini Coverlet. The restoration of the deeds of Tristan]. Edited by Rosanna Caterina Proto Pisani, Marco Ciatti, Susanna Conti, Maria Grazia Vaccari. Edifir Edizioni, Florence, Italy, 2010. There is now an English language edition available.

Un Trapunto Trecentesco [A Fourteenth-Century Quilt]. Lidia Morelli. In the Italian art magazine “Dedalo. Rassegna d’Arte”, Anno II, Volume III, pgs. 770-783, Casa Editrice D’Arte Bestetti e Tumminelli, Milan-Rome, Italy, 1921-22.

On the web:

There is a hidden section on the Bargello National Museum’s website where you can view good close up photos of the original coverlet before the restoration and read details about the restoration process (text in Italian).

The Italian needlework magazine photographer Miky Dessein has posted a video of the interior of the Palazzzo Davanzati during the period of the 2010 exhibition of both the restored Guicciardini Coverlet and the reproduction on YouTube.

Puncetto News and a new book!

Second Volume,  2009

There is some good news for those of you who have been waiting for the reprinting of the second volume on Puncetto needle lace – copies are now available!

This is really the book you need if you want to get started with Puncetto needle lace. It has a how-to section which gradually instructs you on more and more complicated patterns as well as many patterns for complete pieces. The second printing has been held up for quite a long time and I'm glad to see that everything got worked out and that it is once again available.

The first volume is more advanced and provides patterns and instructions for using multiple colours in designs which are used in the local traditional costumes of this region found in the north of Italy near the Liechtenstein border.

First Volume,  2006

And now there is a third volume by the ladies of the Scuola di Puncetto Valsesiano which is very advanced featuring many different designs (I counted 70!). You can see some of the pages here. There are even some instructions on how to make the buttons found on traditional costume blouse cuffs!

Third Volume,  2013

I'm thrilled to see the inclusion of the pattern for the blue gentian flower that was part of the display at the 2011 Italia Invita Forum. There are other flowers and plants as well and rounded edges and motifs like this one from the back cover of the book:

I have been privileged to attend a few workshops with these talented ladies and I dream one day to take a "Puncetto Vacation" which the school offers for a week in August.

Tombolo Disegni tells me that they now have all of these volumes in stock.

Hemstitching - New Book!

Anna Castagnetti of Ricami a Fili Tesi has been busy! Her latest book is on Hemstitching and is a gold mine of different stitches and edge treatments.

Over 60 pages of closeup step-by-step photos and diagrams make this volume easy to follow even if you don't read Italian.

Edge treatments include:

• mitred corners (two ways to do it)
• folded hem (including corner treatment)
• rolled hem (including corner treatment)
• buttonholed hem (including corner treatment)
• buttonholed hem with picots made of bullion knots
• long and short blanket stitch hem (including corner treatment and a couple of ways to dress up this type of hem)
• cat's tooth hem (it's like nun's stitch - including corner treatment)
• looped fringes like those used in Assisi Embroidery
• folded fringe hem with one variation and including a tasseled corner
• looped and knotted hemstitch (including corner treatment)
• flystitch hemstitch
• round hem with needle lace triangles
• triple buttonhole arcs with picots
• embellished fringed hem (including corner treatment)
• overlapping buttonhole arcs (including corner treatment)
• bull's head stitch
• fringe with embellished four-sided stitch
• joining two pieces of hemmed fabric together with simple hemstitch (including corner treatment)
• two methods for appliqué borders (including corner treatment and embellishment stitching)
• method for making your own bias tape and applying it to a hem (including corner treatment)

Anna's good taste and expertise shine though in this volume which, as you can see from the content list above, is very thorough.

You also can see more of Anna's beautiful hemstitching in Mani di Fata's latest hemstitching issue: Punti a Giorno 7.

In Europe Anna's latest book is available directly from the publisher NuovaS1 via money transfer. Overseas, contact Anna (she speaks English) and she'll let you know how to get it.

Ars Aesis and Buratto Sfilato - New Book!

Giuseppa Federici's latest book is out and this time she's got a variety of things to show us! She has created some beautiful embroidery designs using a variety of stitches, some specifically from other Italian needlework techniques and others form traditional embroidery including some fascinating research which has lead her to the embroideries of Portugal.

Ars Aesis embroidery takes the Latin name for Jesi which is the town where Giuseppa Federici calls home in the Marche region of Italy. She wanted to dedicate an embroidery style to her local area and Ars Aesis features motifs of local flowers, crops and trees. Inspiration also comes from the beautiful frescos and interior decorations of the local early 19th century Villa Salvati.

Ideal fabric is listed as homespun, but if you don't have any of that handy, compact linens will work just fine. Threads used for Ars Aesis are crochet threads like DMC Babylo or Anchor Freccia. Using these threads results in lovely textured work.

Step-by-step colour photo sequences show the execution of both the embroidery stitches used and the insertion stitches used to join pieces of fabric together. There are also needle lace stitches for open areas and withdrawn thread stitches for borders, hems and framing. The how-to section is quite extensive and is an impressive 23 pages long including a section on tassels. There are over 30 motif designs.

There is a short section of the book dedicated to Buratto Sfilato (Drawn Thread Work done on contemporary Buratto fabric). A lovely Caterina de' Medici border motif is stitched around an area that is withdrawn with a pattern of a rose executed in linen stitch. While neither the Catherine de'Medici embroidery nor the linen stitch is explained, this is still a very important section. The entire withdrawn area is explained in step-by-step detailed photos showing closeups of both the back and the front of the work. There is also an edge treatment explained and if you want to learn more about Catherine de'Medici embroidery, Giuseppa Federici has written three books on it.

This book ends with a photo gallery of embroideries and a valuable bibliography to help you in further study. It is 80 pages long and the text is in Italian.

In Europe you can purchase by bank transfer directly from the author herself. Right now I'm sure she is madly getting ready for the Italia Invita Forum in Parma, so give her a few days to answer you. If you're overseas, Tombolo Disegni will be carrying it. She too is getting ready to go to the show in Parma so you may not get a reply to your email right away.

Aemilia Ars Rose Needle Lace Insert in Piecework

As I hinted a few posts ago, there is an Aemilia Ars needle lace insert in the May/June 2013 issue of Piecework magazine by the Associazione "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli".

The project includes step by step photos which had to be rather small in the magazine due to space constrictions but if you have a magnifying glass handy, they are valuable source of reference when executing the lace.

I had a reader write to ask me if the lace was indeed stitched to the size of the pattern in the magazine and the answer is yes! It is an exquisitely delicate little piece:

I had another reader write to ask me for more details on how to execute the "gruppetti" picots which are placed at the intersection of two overcast bars. As I am only a beginner when it comes to executing this lace, I can't pretend that my "gruppetti" are anything to show off but the ladies of the Associazione "I Merletti di Antonilla Cantelli" assure me that practise, much practise improves them. I know that's not a magic answer but it's all I have for you. These ladies have been doing this lace for many, many years to achieve the high level of expertise in their lace, don't be too hard on yourself if yours doesn't look the same, but don't give up either!

If you're fortunate enough to be going to the Italia Invita Forum in Parma in May this year, stop by and see the ladies at their booth, you can catch their latest book or better yet, take their mini-courses!

I hope you enjoy the article in Piecework, somehow the photos never do justice to what is the most amazing piece of needle lace I've ever been close to.