Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Four

This is the fourth (and final) part of a series written by Silvana Vannini of Italy and translated into English by myself.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part One
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Two
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Three (project part one)

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Italian Version

Trapunto Heart Pincushion Project
by Silvana Vannini

This is the second part of Silvana Vannini's Trapunto project. For materials, the pattern and stitching instructions, please see the project first part.

This second and final part of the instructions for the project will cover the finishing.

------------------------------

Finishing:

Pillow Flange: Fold in from the edge to match up with the withdrawn thread outline around the centre part with the Trapunto and baste. Whipstitch the corner seams closed. Execute the simple hemstitch to secure the flange and remove basting threads. 

Button flap: Sew the two pieces together with a seam allowance of 1 cm, leaving an opening of about 2.5 cm on one of the long sides in order to turn the piece right-side out. Turn right-side-out, using an awl into the corners if necessary to make a small rectangular piece which should measure 10 cm by 2 cm. Whipstitch the hole closed. Attach the two buttons. Attach the button flap to the embroidered piece on three sides with the simple hemstitch. 

Square back piece: On one edge of the square, measure down 5 cm in from the edge and remove one ground fabric thread, leaving the ends free at 1 cm in from either edge to be buried later inside the pincushion. Fold the edge in on all four sides 1 cm and baste. Fold over the side with the withdrawn thread to line the edge up with the withdrawn thread, baste. Using the simple hemstitch, attach the 2 cm hem at the withdrawn thread. Press. Remove basting thread. Line up this piece with the button flap on the embroidered piece and double check that the buttonhole positions line up with the buttons. Create buttonholes using the tailored buttonhole stitch and carefully cut the centres. Using the simple hemstitch, attach this piece to the edge of the hemstitching of the embroidered piece on three sides, the edge with the buttonholes lines up with the button flap.

Stuffed cushion: Sew the two pieces together with a seam allowance of 1 cm, leaving an opening of about 2.5 cm on one side. Turn right-side-out, using an awl into the corners if necessary to make a small square cushion. Press. Insert cotton quilt batting into cushion and whipstitch the opening closed. Place inside the embroidered pincushion and use the buttons to close the back.

I hope you have enjoyed this series on Trapunto and the Guicciardini Coverlet by Silvana Vannini, don't forget to pop in and see her reproduction Trapunto coverlet at the Palazzo Davanzati when you are in Florence! 

My deepest thanks to Signora Vannini for sharing this incredible experience with us!

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.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Three

This is the third part of a series written by Silvana Vannini of Italy and translated into English by myself.

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part One
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Two
Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Part Four

Trapunto - Silvana Vannini - Italian Version

Trapunto Heart Pincushion Project
by Silvana Vannini

Aside from the charm and romance of the scenes from the legend of Tristan, the Guicciardini Coverlet is also intriguing for the variety of designs on it: four-leaf clovers, grapevines, flowers, foliage, animals, human figures, armour, weapons, naval vessels, architecture, musical instruments, clothing and more, all of which give clues to dating the work and to the political climate at the time it was made. The imperfect hand-drawn designs give a rustic feel to the work and aid in the fascination which draws you in to take a longer look. We present this little heart pincushion with the shields of Tristan bearing the three hunting horns – emblem of the Guicciardini family – and that of Morholt bearing the fleur-de-lys.

Pincushion finished size: 15 cm x 15 cm

Materials:

• 40ct 100% Bellora ivory-coloured linen 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm for the embroidered piece; 12 cm x 14 cm for the square back piece; 12 cm x 4 cm for the button flap; 2 pieces 12 cm x 12 cm for the stuffed cushion
• 100% Bellora ivory-coloured linen gauze 10 cm x 10 cm
• Quilting needle no. 10
• Tapestry needle no. 18
• Long Trapunto Needle (optional)
• Basting thread
• DMC Linen Floss, colours: L779 Sepia, L822 Beige
• 100% Cotton yarn, colour: natural or ivory (Cotone Povero)
• 100% Cotton quilt batting
• Two buttons 
• Awl
• Embroidery hoop
• Pins
• Scissors
• Thimble
• Water soluble fabric marker

Stitches used in this project:

Backstitch, Running Stitch, Simple Hemstitch, Whipstitch, Tailored Buttonhole Stitch.

A note about linen floss: in the interests of authenticity the reproduction quilt was made using DMC linen floss which is difficult to use. It must be cut in short lengths as it tends to unravel. Feel free to substitute DMC cotton floss for easier execution of the embroidery.

Execution:

Use your basting thread to mark the horizontal and vertical centres of your fabric.

Withdraw one fabric ground thread on all four sides of an area 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm on the 40ct linen. Centred inside this area, withdraw one ground thread on all four sides of an area 10 cm x 10 cm leaving a tail at each corner long enough to thread into a needle. Cut out the 21.5 cm x 21.5 cm area along the withdrawn thread channel. Fold over a 1 cm hem to the back side on all edges and baste. Fold the tips of the corners in so that the tips line up to the corners of the withdrawn thread 10 cm x 10 cm area, baste close to the fold. Trim corner seams to 1 cm. Press.

Inside the 10 cm by 10 cm area, centre and trace the design with the water soluble fabric marker. 

Pattern should measure approx. 3.5" x 3.5"

On the back of the fabric pin a 10 cm x 10 cm piece of the linen gauze and baste the two fabrics together. 

Mount your fabric on the straight of the grain into an embroidery hoop making sure to have a taut surface to work on. 

Backstitch all design lines except the heart shape using the embroidery needle and 2 strands of the brown linen floss. Begin and end your thread lengths with a knot on the back of the fabric. Stitch through both layers of fabric. Backstitch the heart outlines in 2 strands of the ecru linen floss. 

Turn the work over and with an awl gently open up the ground fabric threads of the linen gauze and stuff the fleur-de-lys on the shield with the cotton quilt batting. With the tapestry needle gently reposition the ground fabric threads to close the openings you have made. For the hunting horns, use the tapestry needle or a long trapunto needle and a length of the cotton yarn to fill the narrow strips and outlines around the larger ends of the hunting horns. Pass the yarn around the shield outlines and outline of the heart shape. 

When filling with the yarn, choose an angle which will allow you to fill the entire shape with parallel lines. Enter the fabric at the side of the shape just under the backstitches, pull the yarn through leaving the tails a bit outside the entry point and exit out the other side of the shape again, just under the backstitches. Trim the ends but leave tails so you can reposition the yarn if you need to. Begin the next row of yarn filling parallel to the first row and repeat as many times as necessary to fill the shape. Do not overfill. After filling the entire shape, trim all the yarn close to the fabric and work the ground fabric threads closed.  Trim away the excess linen gauze on the back of the work about 1 cm from the heart shape. 

Remove the work from the hoop. With 1 strand of the ecru linen floss and the embroidery needle execute tiny running stitches in evenly spaced diagonal rows on the inner empty parts of the shields. Make the running stitches on the right side of the work very small while the stitches on the back side can be much longer.

Finishing instructions can be found 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.

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.

----------

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.