Snowflakes II: Guest Post with Gioja Ralui

Last year Gioja Ralui, author of the books Sardinian Knot Stitch (in English) and Punto Annodato Sardo (in Italian) appeared here and elsewhere as a guest to present a freebie snowflake pattern, this year she goes a step further to present a project of snowflakes! If you would like to read this post in Italian, please go to either blog: ricamo e... altro or TuttoRicamo. I turn the blog over to her, so she can tell you all about it:

Christmas Table Mat

As was done last year, also for this Christmas 2015 I would like to offer my Sardinian Knot Stitch pattern. It is a table mat on beige Assisi linen embroidered in the classic Christmas color: red.

As you can see it is a cascade of snowflakes of various sizes, each one different from the other. They are all enclosed in a frame of a simple zig zag with the 'gruxittasa' (remember that the 'x' must be read as the French 'j') pattern in each corner and in the middle of each side. [gruxittasa means 'the crosses' in Sardinian] Finally, to complete the project, some drawn-thread work (removing two fabric threads): the simple hem stitch for securing the hem and along the edge, the arches with picots that make up the classic edging of Sardinian Knot Stitch works.

Information on how to realize the hem with the mitred corners and the simple hemstitch can be found in large quantities in the internet. I limit myself to a couple of suggestions:
mitred corners
simple hemstitch
However if these do not seem comprehensive enough, type in a search engine 'tutorial mitred corners' and 'tutorial simple hemstitch' and you will find everything you need.

Some of the snowflakes on this embroidered table mat were published in my book Sardinian Knot Stitch and are not repeated here. I would like to remind readers that in it you will find all the instructions for the work, both with regard to the stitch execution and the needle lace edging. Remember too, that the proceeds from sales go to charity. Last year over $2,500.00 US dollars were donated to the Catholic Mission of Camp Garba in Kenya allowing kids to to attend school in the area. I wonder if this year you will help me achieve the same result?

As I mentioned above, for the execution of the table mat, 28ct Assisi linen fabric in beige with Anchor Ritorto Fiorentino no. 12 pearl cotton, colour no. 47 was used. The dimensions of the fabric are: 41 cm x 33.5 cm which includes the 1.5 cm to be folded back on each side to form the hem.

In the photo below, numbers have been assigned to facilitate the recognition of the snowflakes in relation to the corresponding patterns:

Due to space limitations and in order to not go on too long, the patterns indicated with numbers: 1, 2, 3a and 3b are not included here but can be found, respectively, on pages 55, 53 and 56 of the book.

Below are the patterns of the other previously unpublished snowflakes:

Snowflakes numbered 4, 5 and 6.

Snowflakes numbered 7 and 8.

And finally, snowflake number 9 and the patterns for the frame of zig zag with gruxittasa which is executed 1 cm to the inside of the drawn-thread work hemstitching. 

One last tip: although I realize that each of us has his own method of working: I do the hemstitching first (but the arches I leave until last) because it helps me with the placement of the rest of the embroidery... but it is not written in stone that you must do it this way!

Of course the placement of the snowflakes may be distributed in different ways depending on personal tastes, or the composition may also be reduced with regard to the number of snowflakes themselves. Furthermore they may be used differently: to decorate placemats, for example, or used individually (obviously only in the case of the tiniest ones) to make small Christmas gifts such as bookmarks or Christmas tree ornaments... Projects to achieve all of these suggestions can be found in the book Sardinian Knot Stitch.

Happy Stitching!

Sardinian Knot Stitch in Inspirations Magazine

The new edition (#87) of Inspirations magazine is out and nestled amongst all the lovely projects you'll find a book weight project done in Punt'e nù embroidery from Teulada, Italy.

While a book weight is a break from traditional use for this embroidery, the pattern is authentic and features a pair of cockerels back-to-back with an almond motif between them. The pattern also features the pomegranate motif and the teeth border.

The book weight is also double-sided, done in the reverse colours on the other side:

You can use a book weight to keep your pattern books open when stitching or to keep your embroidery frame on a table while you work on an area that hangs out over the edge.

They make great gifts and are a nice size for experiencing a small sample of Punt'e nù embroidery!

Also in this issue of Inspirations is a lovely review of the English version of the book Sardinian Knot Stitch. This book is also available in an Italian version. Both books are available through Amazon.

Thank you Inspirations for doing such a beautiful layout for this little project!

Snowflakes… Guest Post: Gioja Ralui

Today I willingly relinquish my blog to a "friend":

Hi! It's Gioja Ralui, author of the manual: Sardinian Knot Stitch

First, I'd like to thank everyone who has purchased it and especially those who published their book reviews on Amazon. I must admit that I was particularly pleased to hear that many of those who reviewed the book had appreciated the clarity and comprehensiveness of the instructions.

Secondly, for those who would like to purchase it, the book is available through Amazon. Proceeds go to the Mission of Camp Garba in Isiolo, Kenya.

Well then, after this dutiful introduction, let's move on to the reason that I asked a few friends for space on their blogs (see also TuttoRicamo and Ricamo e… altro).

We are already into autumn, by now the summer holidays are just a memory and we are settling down to our usual routines… so I thought: why not give those Sardinian Knot Stitch enthusiasts an idea, a little inspiration if you will, for a Holiday Season gift?

So here they are for you – my snowflakes: a small one for those who are still exploring this technique and a bigger one for those who are feeling pretty comfortable with their ability.

For each snowflake there is a complete design, to give you an idea of the final result, and an enlarged pattern of one quarter of the motif so as to be more readable.

This is the complete pattern for the small snowflake… 

…and here below is an enlargement of one quarter of the same snowflake:

This is the complete pattern for the bigger snowflake…

…and this is one quarter in detail: 

These two motifs can be used separately but also together for a tablerunner or for a cushion or even connected with a zig-zag pattern (that you can find in the book) to become decorations on a Christmas placemat…

Thanks again for the hospitality and attention and good luck! I'll leave you with my email address. 

Sardinian Knotted Embroidery - new book by Yvette Stanton

Today Yvette Stanton of Australia is launching her latest book: Sardinian Knotted Embroidery. If you're already familiar with Yvette's other books, you will know that this latest book can safely be purchased sight-unseen. Yvette makes excellent needlework books. After writing half a dozen, she knew what to do and she did it very well.

She is also a very talented designer and needlewoman. You will delight in her work and the projects she has proposed.

Sardinian Knotted Embroidery - Whitework from Teulada is Yvette's seventh needlework book and this time she has turned her eye on Italy. She and her family vacationed in Italy so she could better research this book and she was able to meet people who embroider this technique, see their manufactures and absorb the tradition and history of it in it's native environment. All of this shows through on every page as does Yvette's talent and enthusiasm. She takes your hand and stays with you every step of the way through learning Sardinian Knotted Embroidery - whether you are right or left-handed. Yes, you read that correctly. There are left-handed instructions for the embroidery as well as right-handed ones. And I'm not talking about just mirrored images, but real, helpful, achievable left-handed instructions as you see, Yvette herself is a left-handed stitcher.

The book starts off with a quick introduction and some background history, there is a bit about materials and equipment then by page 15 you dive right into the beautiful projects that Yvette has designed and stitched herself. There are 11 projects in all of varying degrees of difficulty and time-investment: the smallest item being a necklace pendant and the largest being a tablecloth. Even though the tablecloth is the biggest, it is simple enough that you can see yourself actually stitching it and not having it become a UFO (unfinished object). Yvette's photography shows off the projects nicely and it's easy to just sit and drool for a long while before picking up your needle and thread!

After the projects section are the instructions which fill the remainder of the book. There are not just instructions on the embroidery, but also on hemming which include planning, folding, mitred corners and three different hemstitches with complete right and left-handed instructions as well as a lacy edge treatment.

Instructions on the actual stitch are enhanced by tips, tricks and advice such as right and left-handed instructions on working the knot, changing directions, ending a motif, ending a thread, changing the thread, particularly tricky motifs and how to handle them, typical mistakes and how to avoid them but also how to fix them! All of these things have both right and left-handed diagrams to help you out.

Then there are instructions on damp stretching the work once you are done the projects and finally where to get supplies. A removable envelope of fold-out patterns is glued to the last page. Text in English.

You can purchase Sardinian Knotted Embroidery direct from Yvette's website where you can also get thread and fabric too including imported Italian linen. If you're contacting her right now, give her a few days to answer you, she is at a needlework event in Adelaide launching the book and teaching classes.

Sardinian Knot Stitch - new book English version

As I told you here, I've been working on a book on punt'e nù, a counted thread needlework technique from Teulada, Sardinia. In that previous post, I told you that I'd let you know when the English version was available... so it is now!!

Back cover

I've checked and Sardinian Knot Stitch is already available to order on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk and the other amazon websites will show it in the days to come.

A sample page spread from Sardinian Knot Stitch

Sardinian Knot Stitch is the collaborative effort of four stitchers who set out to learn more about this beautiful needlework found traditionally on men's folk costumes from Teulada. The back cover above shows a close-up of the richly embroidered collar and just above you can see the cuff of a man's traditional folk costume shirt (click on the images for a closer look).

The book is 70 pages and covers some historical background along with technical instructions, some traditional patterns and then a few non-traditional projects of varying levels of difficulty, this being the most complex:

Cushion project from Sardinian Knot Stitch

Sardinian Knot Stitch is intended as a beginner's approach to the needlework. As punt'e nù has traditionally been local to Teulada and handed down by word-of-mouth, there has been very little written about it.

There is a group in Teulada now who has been working to bring this and other embroidery typical of the area to light with needlework shows exhibiting non-traditional pieces adorned with punt'e nù like towels, tablecloths and other household and personal linens. For more information about this group and/or visiting Teulada and seeing this work, contact the owner of this blog.

If you happen to be vacationing in Sardinia right now, on August 5th there is an exhibition in Teulada:

If you get to go, will you leave a comment below?

Sardinian Knotted Stitch - new book!

I can finally tell you about one of the projects that I've been working away on... for nearly the past four years! The result of intense study, research and lots and lots of blood, sweat and tears: Il Punto Annodato Sardo (Sardinian Knotted Stitch) is an instructional manual on the little-known needlework technique called Punt'e nù which comes from Teulada in southern Sardinia, a large Italian island off the western coast of Italy. 

Back cover

This book is the collaborative effort of four stitchers who set out to learn more about this beautiful needlework found traditionally on men's folk costumes from Teulada. The back cover above shows a close-up of the richly embroidered collar and below you can see the cuff of a man's traditional folk costume shirt. 

The book is intended as a beginner's approach to the needlework. As Punt'e nù has traditionally been local to Teulada and handed down by word-of-mouth there is very little written about it. Even Sardinians who live outside of Teulada only get to see it in some museums or on the costumes during religious festivals or on the rare occasion of an artisan exhibition. 

There is a group in Teulada now who has been working to bring this and other embroidery typical of the area to light with needlework shows exhibiting non-traditional pieces adorned with Punt'e nù like towels, tablecloths and other household and personal linens. For more information about this group and/or visiting Teulada and seeing this work, contact the owner of this blog.

A sample page spread from Il Punto Annodato Sardo

The book Il Punto Annodato Sardo is 70 pages and covers some historical background along with technical instructions, some traditional patterns and then a few non-traditional projects. 

It is available on amazon.it (and other amazon websites) but this first version is written in Italian. Very shortly there will be an English version and I'll keep you up-to-date when that is finished and available.

I must get back to work!

UPDATE: here is a review in Italian for those that would like it, and another one here. Also there are now quite a few reviews (in Italian) on the amazon.it website page for the book.

UPDATE: the English version is now available!

Errata - Punt'e Nù article in EGA's Needlearts Magazine

In 2011 I wrote a thesis for the EGA's Legacy Scholarship Program on Sardinian needlework with emphasis on two techniques specific to the area in and around Teulada. The edited thesis and projects became a two-part article series for EGA's Needlearts Magazine this year with the first part including a Punt'a Brodu project in the June 2013 issue and the second part including a project in Punt'e nù in the September 2013 issue.

Due to some unfortunate electronic difficulties the Punt'e nù project in the September 2013 issue has a couple of errors.

• On page 14 the materials list should have 3 1/2" x 9 5/8" for the piece of organza.

• On page 19 the photo J is incorrect and the text at the top of the page explaining how to end the thread at the end of the work is incorrect.

To end the thread when ending the work, take the needle through to the backside in the nearest ground fabric hole and slide the needle under 3 or 4 knots on the backside of the work (use a sharp needle to make this easier) to secure the end and trim the thread. (This is different than ending the thread when changing to a new thread and continuing on with the work. In this case both thread ends are secured under the newest first 3 or 4 knots with the new thread, pulling tightly to secure them and carefully trimming the tails of both the old and the new threads. Pay careful attention not to snip the working thread which will continue on.)

• On page 20 the piece of organza (3 1/2" x 9 5/8") is folded in half to make a 3 1/2" x 4 13/16" bag.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused anyone attempting the Punt'e nù project. Please contact me if you need any further clarification.

Sardinian Needlework - Puntu Vanu, Punt'e Nù and Punt'a Brodu

Summer always has me thinking of learning something new and I usually decide to tackle a technique that I haven't tried yet. This summer though I am thinking of getting to know some techniques a little better instead of taking on a new one.

Lots of Italians head to Sardinia for their summer holidays and since I can't do that, I've been revisiting some of their needlework techniques in the unusually sunny weather we are having at home. There is nothing better than sunlight for visibility when stitching so I've been out on my deck under my own ombrellone.

In the spring of 2011 I visited Sardinia and spent some time getting to know a few Sardinian needlework techniques like Puntu Vanu, a type of smocking and two techniques that are specifically from Teulada: Punt'e Nù and Punt'a Brodu.

I'm running into all kinds of difficulties not the least of which is lack of good eyesight!

Puntu Vanu is usually executed on percale cotton fabric as it is traditionally worked into a shirt or blouse. I honestly tried to perform an evenly spaced running stitch line on a piece of percale but I couldn't see well enough to do more than a few stitches a day without hurting my eyes with the amount of magnification I needed so I switched to a piece of Sotema Batiste cotton.

Using Rosalba Lecca and Ebe Ciampalini's book, I chose a simple heart pattern and then withdrew one ground fabric thread into which I stitched my first running stitch line.

The first stitching line of my Puntu Vanu piece.

It was tough going as even the fabric count on the Batiste cotton is quite high. Eventually I figured out that if I wrapped my finger in piece of dark leather-like cloth and laid the work over it, I could see relatively well and the stitches went more quickly (the leather-like cloth was sent to me by the lovely Elizabeth Prickett for use when making Ruskin Lace. Unfortunately Elizabeth has since passed away so I cannot ask her for a supplier or even what the cloth is made of. If you really want to know, you could try contacting the webstore).

As Puntu Vanu is a kind of smocking, the strip of embroidery must be long as it will be pulled so that the fabric bunches up to form the pattern. Roughly a 36 inch strip of the Batiste of this thread count will produce a 12 inch piece of embroidery. I'll update you as I stitch more.

Photo from: Luoghi e Volti del Punto Filza

For my Punt'e Nù practise, I decided to make a bookmark using some of the colours found on the traditional Teulada man's costume. 

I took some patterns from this blog where you can also find the instructions on how to execute this embroidery. While you're there search Puntu Vanu, Punt'e Nù and Punt'a Brodu for some great photos! 

I think I'll trim my fringe down a bit more. This was made on 28ct Jubilee cotton fabric using DMC no. 8 Pearl Cotton:

Punt'e Nù stitching

And for Punt'a Brodu, I've taken part of a pattern off of a lovely vase painted by Marilena Ledda that I saw while in Sardinia in 2011:

The work of artist Marilena Ledda

I'm still trying to perfect my stitching on this pattern that I proposed for the EGA magazine Needlearts, June 2013. In the magazine, I did the pattern using embroidery floss but here I've done it using DMC no. 80 tatting thread. I still need a LOT of practise!

I hope you have enjoyed "travelling" to Sardinia with me. As far as I know there are no instructional books on Punt'e Nù or Punt'a Brodu. The instructions (which start in Febbraio 2010) for Punt'e Nù on the blog I mentioned above are quite good - give them a try! The only book I know of on Puntu Vanu is the one I mentioned above.

Marine Byssus and Chiara Vigo - ebook!

On the 16th of June at the Biografilm Festival in Bologna, Chiara Vigo herself will be on hand at the presentation of Susanna Lavazza's ebook written about Signora Vigo and what she does with the Byssus or Sea Silk fibres that she collects from the Pinna Nobilis in Sardinia.

Happily there is also an English language version which will soon be available from amazon.com for the Kindle but which can be downloaded in Adobe Digital Editions format now from Feltrinelli

The Italian version can be downloaded from a list provided on Chiara Vigo's blog here.

On YouTube you can watch the 40 minute presentation of the book (in Italian and Sardinian). At about the 31 minute mark, there is a Swiss film (dubbed in Italian) which has some great photography of the Pinna Noblis in it's natural habitat.

For more information (in Italian) go to Chiara Vigo's blog. 



Thanks to Rossella for the heads up!!

Sardinian Weaving

In the small comune of Ulassai in the south-east part of Sardinia among the mountains and cliffs there is a small hand-weaving workshop called Su Marmuri next to the Stazione d'Arte Museum which features many of the art works of a Sardinian artist named Maria Lai (you can see some of her art in this YouTube video).

The hand-weaving workshop features many of Maria Lai's artwork designs in their weaving...

and their signage! These little goats show up in many things.

Sardinian hand-weaving is really different, they make little bumps of thread by inserting a metal rod so that when the rod is pulled out only the bump of thread is left to form designs...

The rods are not the whole width of the weaving so many must be used together, it is a painstaking and time-consuming method but the results are very attractive!

Whether there are more than one colour used or just tone on tone, this method is striking:

I got a couple of hand-towels with Maria Lai's goats on them and a peacock patterned one which can be seen here.

After the visit to the museum and the hand-weaving studio, we visited Maria Lai herself but I'll save that story for another day.

Chiara Vigo, Master of Sea Silk

I told you a little about Byssus, called Sea Silk in this post last year, a fibre made from the Pinna Noblis now only found in Sant'Antioco, Sardinia.

Last May I went to visit the Museo del Bisso [Byssus Museum] in Sant'Antioco and met Chiara Vigo, the last master of this ancient art.

The Byssus Museum where you can find Chiara Vigo in Viale Regina Margherita, 111, Sant'Antioco, Sardinia.

This video series explores the Holy Veil of Manoppello found at the Basilica del Volto Santo di Manoppello [Basilica of the Holy Face of Manoppello] in the province of Pescara, Italy. The second part of the series talks about Chiara Vigo and Byssus thread. Signora Vigo travelled to Manoppello to determine that the Veil was made of Byssus.

Inside the Byssus Museum in Sant'Antioco are several areas where you can look at Byssus in it's various forms. There are displays of the Pinna Noblis, raw Byssus as it looks when first collected, the hand-spun thread, embroideries made with Byssus thread and weaving frames with fabric being woven which has Byssus designs.

When enough people have entered the one-room Museum, Signora Vigo explains the history and the technique of collecting, processing and using the Byssus threads. This is not a commercial enterprise by any means and there is nothing to purchase.

The Signora however does not keep the thread from you, she hands out raw, spun and treated thread (it must be dipped in a secret liquid of ancient formula to give it a silky soft texture) for you to touch and examine. Embroideries and woven pieces are also offered for examination.

Our group had people from many far away places and she gave each of us who were from other countries a length of Byssus thread and instructed us to tell people and especially children about Byssus. She promised me that if I could get a group of children to write to her from Canada, she would produce an embroidery in Byssus thread for them. The walls of the Museum are covered in letters from children around the world.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the sparkle that this thread has from this scan. It sparkles like gold and changes colour depending on the direction of the light. It is so very soft and makes you understand instantly why it is called Sea Silk.

Photo by Roberto Rossi.

Go to Roberto Rossi's website to see more great photos of Chiara Vigo, Byssus and the Museum or go to Chiara Vigo's blog to learn more.

San Vero Milis

I met so many talented stitchers on my last trip to Italy. I have to tell you about a fantastic lady from San Vero Milis in Sardinia. Her name is Rossella and she invited us to her lovely home and showed us lots of her needlework of which I can only show you a few pieces today as unfortunately most of my photos did not come out well.

Rossella is curious about all kinds of embroidery and needlework and she has tried many different techniques!

Punto Madama or Catherine de' Medici Embroidery

Fantastic Macramé fringe!

These last two Filet Lace pieces are designs by Maria Lai a famous Sardinian artist who uses textiles in her art. Rossella arranged for us to meet her but I'll tell you about that in another post.

After showing us her needlework and offering us coffee and delicious typical Sardinian pastries, we all piled into our cars and drove to Bosa, for a meeting with the ladies from the association La Foce which practices the ancient art of Bosa Filet Lace. Rossella had arranged for us to visit during one of their sessions where many ladies were working on fine pieces of Bosa Filet Lace.

I wish we could have spent more time in San Vero Milis, they have lots of artisan traditions and the scenery is breathtaking. I'll have to go back!

Filet Lace Jewelry

An interesting and attractive approach to wearable art! Filet Lace Jewelry made in Sardinia.

This necklace was a gift to me, it is hand-made Sardinian Filet Lace from Cagliari which has then been coated with fabric glue and then painted with fabric paint so it is durable and can get wet without destroying the work.

Each piece is made on a frame in the traditional Sardinian way, the Filet Lace is then embellished with coral, Swarovski crystals or other semi-precious stones and then treated with non-toxic fabric paints and glues. The hardware is made of silver or gold-plated brass or other non-nickel metals.

These Filet Lace Jewelry creations are the work of Mariangela Porcu, an embroiderer and teacher of Sardinian Filet Lace.

She makes pendants, earrings, bracelets and sets from traditional Sardinian Filet Lace as the base of the designs. All of her creations are exquisite!

Click here to see an exhibit of some of her brooches and other Filet Lace Jewelry.

While you're visiting Mariangela Porcu's website, don't miss the gallery of photos of her lovely Sardinian Filet Lace works!

The Parish of San Giovanni Suergiu

Parish photo copyright by giorgiodiana

While in San Giovanni Suergiu in Sardinia this past month, I visited a stitching group which calls the Parish of San Giovanni Suergiu home.

These ladies donate their earnings from embroideries sold at two exhibitions a year to six children adopted from the Garba Catholic Mission Camp Isiolo in Eastern Kenya.

The were kind enough to let us join them, once in the afternoon and once in the morning for a bit of stitching. The range of work that they do goes from classic embroideries like works of cutwork and counted threadwork, to knitting and crochet and everything in between.

They also do work on commission like the bomboniere for weddings, first communions and other special events.

The ladies also proudly showed us the embroidery of the Parish itself, there were so many beautiful works!

This is "false cutwork", the red part is painted with fabric paint and the design is executed with chain stitches.

Of course they do works of Bosa Filet:

With one of the ladies from this group, we went to Bosa to visit with La Foce, a group of women who study and work this ancient Sardinian technique, but more on that later...

Visit the blog of this group from the Parish of San Giovanni Suergiu to see all of the beautiful things they make!