Italian embroidery

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 th...

I'm still in the mood for colourful embroideries today. I want to show you some Ricamo Estense or Estense Embroidery from Ferrara , Italy....

Most days, 50% or more of my readers come from Italy. I find this odd as I started this blog with the idea of exposing "English-speaking" em...

Punto Antico (antique stitch), a type of Italian drawn-thread work, is thought to have its origins in the Levant. The geometric shapes are said to be inspired by the Arab influence that dominated the island of Sicily for centuries.

Fragment | Italian or Greek | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Embroidery on silk faille coat, possibly Italian, ca. 1770-80, KSUM 1995.17.183.

In 1878 Romeyne Robert was born in New Jersey to American parents who traveled quite a bit and during a visit to Rome met her future husband the marquis Ruggero Ranieri di Sorbello. Soon after their marriage in 1902, the couple settled in to live at the 17th century Palazzo Sorbello in Perugia. This breathtaking palazzo is worth a visit as it houses important collections of paintings, prints, pottery, embroideries and one of Italy's most important libraries of rare texts. Marquess Romeyne…

Of all the types of Italian needlework, Assisi Embroidery is probably the most recognized by non-Italians. That is, most embroiderers are at least conscious of it, if they haven't done a bit of it themselves. It is a very attractive counted thread technique that dates back to at least the 13th century, if not before. There are a number of books on the market, some with traditional designs, some with more modern ones. I have quite a few. In my listing of the books that I have, I didn't list…