Five years later.

Yes... five years are gone by since I started the Windrush Morris panel and seems me an enormous quantity of time maybe because so many things happened and also because my knowledge on embroidery is now very different from that time. I remember so well how hard has been planning for this work and in some moments I really didn't know where to start from...but not now. Now all is crystal clear and those years this has become a multi- tecnique project as involves traditional embroidery stitches, stumpwork, goldwork , appliquè and fabric painting. I can say time has done a good job in this case.

Is still very far to be completed  as have been working on the stumpwork Mirror, on the Elizabethan panel and on a  "secret" project so progresses are not huge, my free time is always limited,  but I can show you what I could get in the last two months. 

Hope you will love it as I still do after so long :) :)

The whole painting, one appliquè and just one of the detached stumpwork leafs.

In the afternoon light !

A bit more on Morris Panel

Have been not working on Morris Windrush panel for ages so now its time has come.
For a while I have been thinking to abandon the project because is such a big and long work... but I couldn't, I like it too much ! a real pity not ending it, one day I know, but want to think to  time as a secondary thing.
When I planned this work at the beginning,  I decided to stitch also the parts that on the original embroidery where only painted but now I'm looking at the piece with different eyes and realized that painted parts will give "a breath" to the mass of stitching and also to my fingers :) Also I love painting and the mix has intrigued me a lot !
I wanted a watercolour effect, something that reminds a good preparatory pattern but how and with what medium ?
The original was painted using silk fabric colours and I have been looking for them but shades available where not good also if mixing different colours, so I decided to go using a transparent fabric paint medium ( Setacolor Lightening Medium by Pebeo) mixed with normal watercolour paints...it worked beautifully ! It was possible to make shades and different overlay of colour just like one does with watercolour on paper but here on fabric but ....no errors are allowed.
Here you can see the main branches and one of the big flowers, photos taken in the evening with a bad light...

The little flowers in the middle of the big one are going to be embroidered soon, have also started to couch gilt pearl purl where possible so I can finally see a little progress...which is never bad !

Also I hope to have done the other big flower on top for this weekend...what do you think about the mix of painting and embroidery ?  I'm curious to know your opinions !

The Pomegranate Mirror

 Here is the project that I have announced you and that I have embroidered during the last Spring and Summer time. Was for A Mirror To My Art Needleprint competition.
It is stitched on a dark cream Italian silk Duchesse, using Devere  silk floss and 2% real gold metal threads, including the surrounding three ply twist which is in real gold too.
I decided to go with real gold threads as I have given to this project a certain importance as was for the competition.
On the back of the work there is an old look mirror, mounted with the same surrounding silk gimp and fine gold twist you can see in the front.
The most difficult thing on this embroidery was working in such a small space as the whole project is not wider than 10 cm so everything needed to be in scale and also the shading effect is not easy to achieve when the size is so small.
The raised part of The Pomegranate is worked in raised stem stitch over string padding, the centre in laid silk threads and Elizabethan Twist, the outer part of the fruit, leafs and petals in long and short stitch shading and the central part of the flowers is made covering the padding with couched Elizabethan twist.
You can also see the hand drawings in shaded pencils and watercolour made to explain the project, stitches and materials; this work was inspired to the Tudor Era and also  the front writing title is hand made.
The embroidery has winned  the third prize of the Needleprint competition together with the work of another Lady.

This and that..

Not a lot made in the last days, I'm spending most of my free time researching about historical stitches and materials used, having lost a lot of time reading and testing uncorrect istructions referred to detached buttonhole/ trellis needlelace that were given for historical reproduction but where in reality modern versions of those stitches and not the original ones.

As possible will post about this with a little polemic....

By now, here is the Tudor rose mounted i the lid box, the Parrot progress and my new,larger, stitching tools case.

Also an idea for a thread waxer made with a real mother of pearl shell container; I did it when I could not achieve a autentic vintage one, have you seen those lovely ivory carved or mother of pearls one ?? love them, but unlucky in auctions, so this works fine too and is unexpensive.

The shell is one used for making bijoux bought in a little market, just fuse the beeswax in, clean a little and is done !

A Victorian frame for Morris project

Morris project has now a new frame, have found it from an antique store on Ebay and comes directly from England.
Love the "taste" of the old things and the idea that another stitcher in the past was sitting in front of it working on her project.....

Mine is still a long way to go !

Tudor rose completed!

A long time without posting but many things needed my attention, time is never enough!

Here is the little rose, I have preferred a more pink version instead of the traditional red and white; I'm waiting to have back the metal ring that surrounds the lid of the box, I've sent it to made it gold plated, so I'll be able to mount the embroidery and complete the box.

Do you like it ??

It's time to work a bit on the floral panel, another work that has been left back for a too long time...

Tudor rose update

Pensavo di cavarmela rapidamente e invece sto impiegando ore ed ore per terminarla, è piccola ma sembra non finire mai ! Sarà perchè con il caldo è tutto più faticoso e la stanchezza di un anno comincia a farsi sentire....
Ho deciso di utilizzare il filo Japanese per riempiere i petali, il numero 4 per i più grandi e il numero 2 per i piccoli (reperibili da Midori Embroidery), il contorno sarà poi con il Pearl purl, il n.1 oppure il super per i petali esterni e il very fine per quelli interni.
Chip work per il cuore con il Bright check n.7
Continuo a lavorare ....a presto !

I thought this was a speedy embroidery but I'm taking so many hours to complete it, it's small but never ending ! Maybe because here is so hot and I'm tired for the entire year of work...
I've decided to use Japanese thread to fill petals, n. 4 for larger ones and n.2 for smaller ( threads from Midori Embroidery in UK), the outlining will be in pearl purl, n.1 or super for the ouside and very fine for the inside.
Chip work for the centre with Bright check n.7.
Back to work....will write soon !

Tudor Rose

La rosa Tudor è sempre stata una delle mie preferite ed era da tempo che avevo in mente di ricamarne una.

Poi c'era una scatola tonda in vetro satinato con il coperchio da ricamare della DMC che avevo comprato a Milano moltissimi anni fa e che apettava in un cassetto di essere finalmente "vestita", così l'accoppiata è stata vincente, complice anche la rosa Tudor che sta ricamando Mary Corbet che mi è stata d'ispirazione.

E' grande appena 5 cm, le imbottiture per l'oro sono pronte e il punto pittura sui petali procede.

Vi piace ??

The Tudor rose has always been one of my favourite and I wanted to stitch one for a long time.

Plus there was a round DMC satin glass box waiting in a drawer, I bought it so many years ago in Milan and it was waiting to be "dressed"; so the decision was automatic, guilty also the Tudor rose project that Mary Corbet is doing in those days that have inspired me.

Is only 2 inch , padding is done and long and short stitch is proceeding.

Do you like it ??

Fiori in oro e seta - Silk and gold flowers

Mi piace molto questo ricamo e così ho pensato che avrà prima o poi un compagno, ho preparato un disegno, forse vi viene voglia di farmi compagnia ....

I really like this project so I decided that it will have soon a companion; I have made a pattern, maybe someone wants to stitch with me ...

Fare click per ingrandire e stampare a dimensione reale L 17 x H 15,5 cm

Click on to enlarge and print in the correct size W 17 X H 15,5 cm

Morris panel

Potrei definirlo "il tormento e l'estasi" perchè questo lavoro è un vero chiodo fisso, ma riesco a lavorarci solo in momenti di tranquillità trattandosi di un ricamo grande, scomodo da movimentare , per il quale non ho istruzioni pronte per l'uso e devo sempre ragionare su quello che devo fare.

Ma quando poi quando l'ago prende il via, il tempo passa in un attimo ed è un vero piacere !

I could define it my "trouble and ecstasy" because this project is so fixed in my mind, but I can work on it only in very quiet moments because it's a big stuff, not easy to move, don't have ready to use instructions and always have to think about what I'm going to do next.

But when the needle starts to go, time flows away and its a real pleasure!

Fiori in oro e seta - Silk and gold flowers

E' il progetto di un piccolo pannello che va avanti da un pò, ricamato su un lino antico in seta Pearsall's e filati in oro; non vedo l'ora di terminarlo per potermi dedicare unicamente al "gigante" Morris....


It's a project for a small panel that is going on from some months, is stitched on an old piece of linen in Pearsall's silk and gold threads; can't wait to see it finished so I could be focused on the "giant" Morris.....

Melograno - Golden pomegranate

E' finalmente terminato e incorniciato, che ve ne pare ?

It's finally ended and framed, do you like it ??

Una goccia nell'oceano - A drop in the ocean

E' quello che mi viene in mente ogni volta che prendo l'ago per lavorare su questo progetto e mi domando : "avrò la costanza di portarlo a fine? "....quello che è certo è che di tempo ce ne vorrà un bel pò ma ho deciso di mettere da parte le domande e "godermi il viaggio" senza pensare all'arrivo!

Quante volte nell'organizzare i materiali necessari al lavoro mi ero chiesta : "chissà chi avrà ricamato l'originale ? quanto mi piacerebbe poterle chiedere cosa hai usato quì ? che tessuto è ? " e così via ma come dico sempre " se cerchi e non trovi , prima o poi quello che cerchi troverà te" e infatti.....qualche giorno fa ho ricevuto una email sorprendente.

Mi ha scritto Rosie Taylor-Davies, "le mani" eccezionali che hanno ricamato il bellissimo vestito dell'installazione voluta dalla Artangel, la quale, chissà come, deve aver visto ciò che sto facendo e lo ha segnalato a Rosie. E così mi sono potuta sfogare e tutte le risposte alle mie domande sono arrivate - grazie Rosie per la tua disponibilità !

Ecco la prima goccia nell'oceano....

Mi piacerebbe sapere che ne pensate,

a presto.

It's what I think everytime I pick up the needle and work on this project and ask to myself: "will I bring this to the end?".....surely will take a lot of time but I have decided to put away all the questions and "enjoy the trip" .

How many times when I was arranging all the materials needed for this embroidery I have asked to myself : " who did the original project ? how would I like to ask her what have you used here ? what fabric is this? " and so on .....but as I always say " if you are looking for something that you cannot find, after or later that something will find you" and infact....some days ago I've received a surprising email.

Was from Rosie Taylor-Davies, "the hands" that have embroidered the wonderful gown for the Artangel project; they probably have seen what I'm doing and linked to her.

So I could have all the answers I was looking for - thank you Rosie for your great courtesy!

Here is the first drop in the ocean....

I'd like to know your opinion,

write soon.

Un progetto ambizioso....An ambitious project...

photo from Artangel.org.uk all rights reserved.


Appena vidi il link al video sul blog Needleprint restai fulminata, dovevo assolutamente riuscire a realizzare quella meraviglia.....
Si tratta di un progetto della Artangel, nel quale è stato realizzato il ricamo che vedete e che riproduce fedelmente il modello Windrush di William Morris, collegato al libro The concise dictionary of dress; purtroppo non ho ben capito di cosa si parli nel libro per via della lingua....

video: http://artangel.org.uk//projects/2010/the_concise_dictionary_of_dress/trailer/the_concise_dictionary_of_dress_trailerf_dress/trailer/the_concise_dictionary_of_dress_trailer

When I saw the link to the video on Needleprint Blog, I've been astonished. I absolutely have to realize such beauty...
It's about a project from Artangel, wich has realized the embroidery that you see that is a reproduction of the William Morris design Windrush; this is collegated with the book The concise dictionary of dress; unfortunately I didn't understand well what the book is talking about because of the language....

Ovviamente capire COME fare da pochi secondi di un video non è cosa facile, ad oggi è passato un mese e sono "quasi" pronta a mettere i primi punti.

Of course understanding HOW to do from few seconds of a video is not a simple thing, at today one month is gone and I'm nearly ready to put the first stitches.

Vi racconto la mia piccola odissea....

I will tell you my little odyssey....

Ho iniziato recuperando il disegno originale di Morris e stampando le immagini utili del video; ho fatto vari ingrandimenti fino a raggiungere una dimensione che mi consentisse di lavorare i piccoli dettagli, poi l'ho ridisegnato decidendo cosa ricamare e cosa non, facendo attenzione a creare una forma armonica, 3 giorni !

I've started recovering the original Morris's design and printing some images from the video; I did some enlargments untill I had a dimension that allows me to work on the small parts, then I redraw all deciding what to stitch and what not, making attention to obtain an armonic shape, 3 days!







2. decidere il tipo di tessuto, doveva avere una trama non troppo evidente, peso, consistenza e colore giusti : Zweigart Normandy avorio la scelta ,tessuto in lino e cotone, doppiato con del batista.

2. choosing the fabric, it must have a plain wave, weight, strong and right colour; Zweigart Normandy ivory was my choice, a linen-cotton fabric, doubled with a fine muslin.

3. disegnare il ricamo posizionando il disegno sotto al tessuto e facendovi passare attraerso la luce in modo da poterlo tracciare con un pennarello indelebile sottilissimo 0.03.

3. tracing the design onto the fabric, putting the drawing under the fabric with a source of light, tracing it with a fineliner 0.03.

4. montare il tessuto sul telaio.

4. mount the fabric on the frame.

5. preparare le imbottiture delle foglie.
Ho utilizzato del feltro color panna, stabilizzato con il Vliesofix. Ha l'aspetto della carta forno ed ha uno strato biadesivo, si stira sul tessuto e si toglie via la carta, si può lasciare così oppure stirare ancora praticamente a sandwich tra due tessuti. Ha il vantaggio che ci si può disegnare sopra e una volta stirato,lo strato di la carta consente di tagliare il tessuto seguendo perfettamente la sagoma, inoltre la stoffa non sfrangia.
Quindi le imbottiture sono fatte con : sotto feltro, in mezzo Vliesofix, sopra Normandy, tagliate perfettamente a misura e disegno.

5. preparing the padding for the leaves.
I have used ivory felt, stabilized with Vliesofix. This is a self adesive paper that must be ironed, the paper is peel off and is possible to leave it as is or iron it again as a sandwich between the two fabrics. The advantage is that you can draw on the paper and once ironed, the paper allows to cut the fabric following the drawing very precisely and the fabric does not fray.
So the padding are made: under felt, middle Vliesofix, over Normandy.








6. cucire le imbottiture con dei piccolissimi punti nella posizione dovuta.

6. couch the padding in place.





7. decidere i colori e il tipo di filati.
Quì è stata dura, non avendo a disposizione il campionario della Soie d'Alger e non avendo un negozio a Roma che la venda, incredibile vero ??
Così ho dovuto acquistare da A et A in Francia una serie di colori "possibili", un metro per ciascuno in modo da poter decidere, vincolata a questa seta perchè ha una lucentezza media che si adatta a questo lavoro e al fatto che ha un'ampia gamma in cui scegliere.

Altro problema il colore di fondo, importantissimo ! non volevo utilizzare la Soie d'alger perchè comunque non la amo in modo particolare , preferisco il Silk Mori oppure la Pearsall's, ,ma in questo caso non c'era il colore per la prima e la seconda era troppo lucida per un fondo.
Che fare ?? Ho azzardato delle prove ed ha funzionato: lana fina per crewel della Reinassance Dyeing, colore Woad, lavorato a punto raso, successivamente ben stirata per appiattirla.

Questa ditta tinge artigianalmente una bellissima lana merinos utilizzando ancora estratti naturali, in particolare il Woad che è proprio il tono di blu usato da Morris.
Così ho mandato alla ditta il campione della matassina che avevo per far preparare 500 mt dello stesso bagno di colore, sicuramente saranno troppi ma meglio non rischiare.
Se volete dare uno sguardo è interessante: http://www.renaissancedyeing.com/





7. choosing colours and type of threads.
Has been a hard work because I don't have a colour card for Soie d'Alger and in Rome there isn't a store that carries it, incredible isn't ??
So I had to buy from A et A in France some "possible" colours, one meter for each so I could make my choice; this was the only silk I could use because has a medium shine that well fits on this kind of embroidery and also has a large selection of colours.

Another problem was the background, that is so important! I didn't want to use Soie d'Alger because I don't like it so much anyway; I most like Silk Mori or Pearsall's, but the first didn't have the right shades and the second was too shining for a background.
What to do ?? I made some try and one worked well: fine crewel wool from reinassance Dyeing, Woad colour, long and short stitch, after well ironed.

This company hand dyes a beautifull fine merinos wool, still using natural extracts, in special way the Woad that is the blue used from Morris.
So I have sent them a sample of the skein that I have purchased in the past and they will dye for me 500 mt of the same shade, will be too much but more is better than less.
If you want to have a look is interesting: http://www.renaissancedyeing.com/

Gli altri materiali che utilizzerò sono:

The other materials are:

- Soie d'Alger: vari toni di giallo, long and short stitch per le foglie.

- Soie d'Alger: various shades of yellow long and short stitch for the leaves.

- Silk Mori : due toni di azzurro, long and short stitch per il gambo del fiore grande e le venature delle foglie grandi.

-Silk Mori: two shades of blue, long and short stitch for the stem of the big flower and veins on the leaves.

- gilt pearl purl n.1 per il contorno dei rami in giallo

-gilt pearl purl n.1 outlining branches in yellow

- Substitute Japanese T 70 rame per i rami bruni

-Substitute Japanese T 70 copper brown branches

- Gilt Twist n.1 per il contorno delle foglie e del fiore grande

-Gilt Twist n.1 outlining of the leaves and big flower

- Gold 2% Paillettes

-Gold 2% Spangles

- Mill Hill Magnifica glass beads colore 10080 rame, cucite sopra le spangles

-Mill Hill Magnifica glass beads colour 10080 copper, to couch over the spangles

- Gold 2% Elizabethan twist, ancora non sono sicura, forse per il contorno delle foglie piccole del ramage a punto raso.

-Gold 2% Elizabethan twist, I'm still not sure about it, maybe for the outlining of the small leaves in satin stitch

e poi si vedrà strada facendo.....e di strada ce nè un bel pò da fare, ma non vedo l'ora !
Speriamo di aver scelto bene, che ne pensate ?? Mi farebbe molto piacere sapere la vostra opinione.

A presto !

And then I will see going on.....I have a lot to do but can't wait to start!
Hoping that I have made a good job, what do you think about it ??
I will be really happy to know your opinion.

will write soon !

Goldwork

photo da Inspirations magazine n. 61

Mi piace molto la pianta del melograno con i suoi bellissimi frutti, forse perchè mi ricorda mio padre che l'amava in modo particolare; così quando mi sono imbattuta in questo ricamo non ho potuto fare a meno di provare a realizzarlo, anche se ho dovuto cimentarmi in una tecnica a me del tutto nuova.

I materiali sono arrivati e il tessuto è un bellissimo raso di seta ecrù; questo lo stato di avanzamento.

Che ve ne pare ??

I really like the pomegranate plant with its beatifull fruits, maybe because it reminds me my father that loved it so much; so when I saw this embroidery I could not evitate to try to make it, also if this tecnique is new for me.

The materials are arrived, the fabric is a magnificent Italian silk satin ecrù; this is the status.

What do you think ?

Quasi finito.....

Nearly finished....