Estense Embroidery in Inspirations Magazine

The latest issue of the Australian embroidery magazine Inspirations is out and it is a really, REALLY nice one. Among the other beautiful projects in this issue are two little Estense Embroidery items from Elisabetta Holzer of Ferrara, Italy.

Elisabetta Holzer's Estense Embroidery projects from the latest Inspirations.

A thimble holder and a small bell-shaped ornament done in the characteristic colours of Estense Embroidery. I translated the instructions and did some stitch diagrams and I have to say it looks wonderful and I am so proud to have been a part of this! Inspirations really is the world's most beautiful embroidery magazine.

As you already know, I absolutely love Estense Embroidery so I jumped at the chance to help make this happen. I had such a good time stitching the projects (I always test out my translations if I can by making the project I'm translating or at least trying out the stitches to ensure that what I've written in English makes sense). I had never assembled something like this before but always admired those little thimble holders.

My own attempt at the thimble holder project.

There was something very enjoyable about putting these together that made me notice and miss that I haven't had much stitching time lately.

I really only needed to check the assembly instructions for the bell so mine is not as ornately embroidered as the one in Inspirations, but I like it all the same.

There is even a little book review of Elisabetta's latest manual:

If you haven't take a look at Inspirations for awhile this is definitely an issue to treasure, it is packed with so many interesting historical articles and the projects are outstanding. You can get a digital subscription or just buy one digital issue from Zinio instead of waiting for the mail.

Estense Embroidery - new book!

At long last there is a second book on Estense Embroidery from Elisabetta Holzer of the cultural association RicamArte of Ferrara. This book is worth the wait since her first book in 2007.

The manual is over 200 pages and weighs in at 1.8 lbs! Elisabetta is not kidding around about it being a "manual". There are 36 embroidery stitches, 8 drawn thread corner treatments, 10 trimmings, 4 frames, 15 filling stitches, 3 borders, 2 decorations, cording and 7 delicious projects – plus photos of other ideas and suggestions for further combining all the stuff that has been diagrammed.

And there are a lot of diagrams.
I know.
I did them.
Did I mention there are a lot of them?

The explanations include drawn diagrams which feature the paths of the working thread showing through so you can tell what's happening on the back of the work, along with a colour photo of the front and back of the stitching.

Sample stitch instruction page

Great pains have been taken to make this manual comprehensible. It is jam-packed with colour photos of examples of ways to execute and combine the stitches, techniques and colours that make up Estense Embroidery.

Il manuale completo del Ricamo Estense [The Complete Manual of Estense Embroidery] is the fruit of several years of labour. Everything has been stitched and tried out and then improved and re-stitched. When I was doing the diagrams I had three fabric doodle cloths going. If I didn't understand something Elisabetta listened and in some cases reworked her instructions, diagrams and/or photo sequences because she reasoned that if I were confused, other stitchers might be too. More often though, I didn't have any trouble working the stitches because Elisabetta's precise step-by-step photos and diagrams are very, very clear.

Hours and hours have gone into the study of the colours used in Estense Embroidery. Taking her inspiration from the ancient Ferrarese graffito ceramics of the 14th to 16th centuries, Elisabetta has found that for the most part Anchor thread colours work the best but she has studied which DMC colours might be substituted and provided a list so that you can start embroidering that much sooner, not having to figure out the conversions for yourself.

There are many things that I love about this manual but one of the top things has to be the explanations for how to turn the corners for all 8 of the drawn thread corner treatments.

Sample corner treatment instructions

Among the 7 exquisite projects (I want to make all of them!) is the exceptionally lovely bomboniera from the 2009 Italia Invita exhibit.

All projects have instructions for the embroidery, the construction and the finishing. Text is in Italian.

For those of you not familiar with Estense Embroidery, I wrote a bit about it here.

You can see a preview of some of the pages on the publisher's website. To order, send them an email and tell them you want to pay with PayPal. Otherwise you can get if from Tombolo Disegni, send them an email to order.

Interesting Embroidery Exhibit in Ferrara

Click on the image for a closer look.

Starting on November 23rd (this Saturday!) and running until December 1st there will be a very interesting exhibition at the Casa di Stella Dell'Assassino in Via Cammello no. 15 in Ferrara.

Embroidery and the sciences in the hands is a literal translation of the title of this show which will consist of embroidery and lace exhibits, lectures and workshops. The aim of this show is to break down the common stereotypical thinking that embroidery is strictly a woman's activity and, more specifically, that it is only for housewives and homemakers.

I'm translating a bit from the pamphlet that I received:

The events of this show will be all about embroidery: it's anthropological, historical, political and cultural significance across the centuries. Originally this ancient art was exclusively done by men before passing into the hands of women to whom it owes its evolution of styles, techniques, approaches and meanings. Embroidery is intertwined with architecture, painting, sculpture, the human sciences but also geometry, algebra, mathematics, spaces and numbers. These aspects are always neglected and only unconsciously intuitive but they are the basis for embroidery and its perfection. 

This will be an important exhibition of ancient and contemporary embroidery with alternating technical demonstrations by the participating embroidery schools and a series of lectures in support of knowledge relating to the world of embroidery. It is an invitation to schools, citizens, experts, scholars and the curious.

I think it sounds fascinating! I really wish I could be there.

Below is an image of the program schedule in Italian but I'm translating a bit of it just so my English-speaking readers can understand the depth that this show is undertaking. I've never heard of an event like this one. If you go, I'd love to hear from you!

Sat. 23 Nov.:

- Inauguration of the event.
- Lecture: Can the art of embroidery create innovation and work?
- Lecture: The origins of Estense Embroidery.
- Lecture: Aemilia Ars needle lace and the designer with Ferrarese origins: Parisina Schincaglia. The numbers, the geometry, the embroidery.
- The participating embroidery schools present the objects exhibited.

Sun. 24 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop and presentation of the materials exhibited.

Mon. 25 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The embroidery book bibliography of the Bassani Library. The research for the books and the catalogue.

Tue. 26 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The art of painting and that of embroidery. Together.

Wed. 27 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.

Thu. 28 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: Memories of the embroidery school of Sacro Cuore in Via Borgo di Sotto [Ferrara].

Fri. 29 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.
- Lecture: The Estense tapestry weaving mill.

- Burraco Tournament

Sat. 30 Nov.:

- Embroidery workshop.

- Screening of a short film: "Lovers with no luck"(1949) directed by Florestano Vancini and Adolfo Baruffi.
- Lecture: Stories of Lovers: Nicolò III d'Este & Stella Dell'Assassino and Ugo & Parisina.

Sun. 1 Dec.:

- Embroidery workshop and presentation of the materials exhibited.

Click on the image for a closer look.

Italian Finalists - A Mirror to my Art Contest

You have seen several posts here regarding the Needleprint blog's A Mirror to my Art Contest. I was personally very taken with the concept and enthusiastic to invite some of Italy's needleworkers to join.

I'm proud to say that several Italian stitchers stepped up and 4 of them became finalists with the 3rd place prize being shared between two works, one of which was the stunning gold and silk embroidery by Francesca from Rome. Check out Francesca's blog where she describes (in English!) the creative process of her design. Don't miss this post about Francesca's mirror art at the Needleprint blog either.

Silvia from Turin was a finalist with her needle lace/trapunto combination inspired by an amazing tablecloth in Aemilia Ars work held by the Palazzo Davanzati Museum in Florence. She has written about her creative process in this post on her blog as well as being the subject of a spotlight post here on the Needleprint blog.

Elisabetta from Ferrara was named a finalist with her beautiful Estense Embroidery mirror. Attention to detail going right down to the beads on the cording closure which match the thread colours of the embroidery!

Rosella from Milan was a finalist with 2 designs (see them here and here) of the 5 embroideries that she submitted! Rosella has kindly allowed me to show you her other works which were submitted to the contest.

Rosella told me that she was inspired for one of her entries by an old collection of patterns given to her by a 91-year-old friend. These old patterns had belonged to the friend's mother, some of them dating back to the late 1800s. Rosella's friend was pleased that the patterns had inspired one of Rosella's entries for the contest and she was sure that her mother would have been pleased as well.

Thank you Rosella for sharing your photos!

Estense Embroidery on the cover of Inspirations

For those who have been asking about something new in Estense Embroidery from Ferrara, check out the latest issue (#74) of Inspirations magazine from Australia.

Inspirations Issue No. 74. Image copyright Country Bumpkin Publications

A delicious Estense Embroidery biscornu is on the cover!!!

Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli has done it again! An exquisite and colourful example of Italian needlework, the stitching on this piece is superb. Oh how I aspire to stitch like that!

I helped Elisabetta get this ready for Inspirations, translating instructions, info and correspondence, ecc., and all the while I was wondering if they would truly appreciate Elisabetta's singular talent and style. Wow! I'd say they did, not many can say that their work is on the cover of "The World's Most Beautiful Embroidery Magazine". Complimenti Elisabetta!

Needlework ribbons

At the Italia Invita Forum in 2009, designer Guido Fauro requested the collaboration of the lacemakers and embroiderers who were exhibiting at the Forum for help in creating two bridal bouquets, one of needlework flowers and one of needlework ribbons to go with his cut paper bouquet for his display corresponding with the Forum's theme of Weddings Italian Style.

Over 50 exhibitors answered the call and produced some incredible needlework flowers and ribbons.

Guido Fauro's cut paper bouquet:

The floral bouquet:

And the ribbon bouquet:

In the July/August 2011 issue of Piecework, you can find my article on these bouquets and a project of the two intricate needle lace and embroidered ribbons by the maestra Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli which were included in the Italia Invita ribbon bouquet.

Many thanks to Luisa for the use of her photos!

Exquisite Drawn-Thread Work Corners

I showed you some of Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli's Drawn-Thread Work back in May of this year. I meant to show you a few of her corner treatments a lot sooner.

Italian needlework has the most elaborate Drawn-Thread Work that I've ever seen. The possibilities and combinations are endless and mixing in a superb design sense gives breathtaking results.

My photos do not by any means do these exquisite corner treatments justice.


I apologize for the blurry images, but these were the best that I took. There are several more but you only get a sense of what they are, so I won't post them. Poor Elisabetta! This means that I will have to visit her again with a better camera and beg to spend the afternoon oohing and ahhing over her linen closet.


Don't you love the colour combination too? The subtle use of a different colour accents the work beautifully!


Elisabetta has so much patience and skill and is a joy to watch when she's stitching or explaining something. I'm afraid that if I ever got a chance to enroll in one of her classes, I'd just sit and drool!

Ricamo Estense

I'm still in the mood for colourful embroideries today. I want to show you some Ricamo Estense or Estense Embroidery from Ferrara, Italy. Just to give you a bit of historical background, Ferrara was ruled by the Este family for a number of years with particular prosperity and patronage of the arts during the Renaissance. Graffito (also known as Sgraffito) ceramics from this period and area were amazingly detailed and breathtakingly beautiful.

In 2007 I translated an Italian needlework book about embroideries which had been inspired by the Graffito ceramics of Ferrara. You can read a great review of Estense Embroidery from the Ferrarese Graffito Ceramics at Mary Corbet's blog: Needle 'n Thread.

In 2009 I went to visit the author, Elisabetta Holzer Spinelli at her home in Ferrara and met Manuela Barattini, the potter who's work inspires Ricamo Estense. Here is Manuela with a plate after firing and before:


Manuela also participated in the exhibit for the reprinting of Disegni per Merletti e Ricami demonstrating that the antique patterns could be used for other design mediums. This piece is modeled after a Paganino design:


Elisabetta herself also participated in the exhibit with these two borders done in Ricamo Estense:


Since the 2007 printing of her book, Elisabetta has been anything but idle. If possible, she has created embroideries more beautiful than before.


Elisabetta likes to hunt through antique needlework books and revive old forgotten stitches. She is especially talented with colour and stitch combinations giving depth to her embroideries.


Right now Elisabetta is in Dobbiaco in the Southern Tyrol region of Italy teaching a Ricamo Estense course. I can't show you the project they are stitching but I can tell you it's amazing. What I wouldn't give to be at that class right now!

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...