BookReports3

TITLE: A VENETIAN LACE MAKER
HEG# 1650
TITLE: TASSELS ITALIAN STYLE
HEG# 1450
AUTHOR VIMA MICHILI

With our show just winding down and the lecture series still pretty fresh in our minds I thought I'd take a look
at two of our libraries newest books, both by Vima Michili. This will be a great refresher for all those that
attended her lecture and a fresh new approach for those unable to attend.

TASSELS ITALIAN STYLE shows the innovative ways Italian lacemakers have for finishing off the ends of
their pieces. For those of you who attended the lecture you may remember how the lacemakers used the
end strands of their pieces to make tiny and imaginative tassels which added so much to the "look" of their
pieces. Used only in certain areas of Italy these tassels differ from the traditional form in that they are
composed entirely of tiny knots. These tassels are usually used to adorn embroidered household linens.
Traditionally the tassels were made with fine cotton or linen threads, but the technique can be adapted to
any of today's fine fibers. Today there are very few people still making these kinds of tassels, but if you are
so inclined to join them, Vima's clear, concise instructions go so far as to show you not only how to master
the knot tying, but how to attach them to your finished piece. With a modicum of practice you can use this
book to give your finished piece a truly new and unique look while learning an age old art.

A VENETIAN LACEMAKER chronicles the biography of a Venetian woman, Lucia Constantini. Once
again those of you who attended Vima's lecture are aware of the long friendship these two women share
long with their passion for Italian laces. This book discusses the different types of Venetian lace from
Burano to Punto in Aria and how they are achieved. Each lace style is broken into the required steps,
covering everything from the design and outline to the way you detach the lace from the pillow and to how to
press it. ( These laces are made on a straw filled pillow, similar to a small bolster, and thus have a specific
way in which they are to be removed.) The types of threads and needles that are used are also covered.
Included are the many patterns specific to each form of lace.
Vima takes you from the very basic stitches on to the more complex needle lace stitches in a clear step by
step manner, complete with diagrams. Remember! This type of lacemaking is sure to be a challenge but
the results will be forever worth it. If one really wants to master this art form, La Scuola dei Merletti, on the
island of Burano near Venice holds classes when the enrollment warrants it. It also maintains a museum
with many fine pieces of this art form.
Like most ancient handwork this art form is disappearing for the usual reasons, most notably the changing
role of women in society and the changing demands made in fashion and home decoration. It is for this
reason that the Merletti School was reopened in 1981, to try and preserve the techniques and to introduce
a new generation to an art form that is truly the foundation of lacemaking.
The beautiful plates showing the different "styles" of lace along with many of Lucia's designs help to
introduce you to the fascinating and exquisite world of this ancient lace art form. It will also give you a
renewed appreciation for those who have gone on before us and left us with a time honored craft.

TITLE: SAMPLER MOTIFS & SYMBOLISM
AUTHOR: PATRICIA ANDRLE & LESLEY RUDNICK

A: is for acorns, that represent strength and prosperity and B: is for bands; those horizontal rows of repeat
patterns............and that's how this new wonderful book is set up...dictionary style! It was intentionally done this way
so that sampler makers can easily find the motifs they are looking for from earlier works of American and European
samplers. All motifs are beautifully illustrated and come with a description and identification of their symbolic
meaning wherever possible. The symbolic meanings are there to enable present day sampler makers in choosing
the correct theme for their samplers or transfer the correct ideas for commemorative samplers.

While most motifs, verses and alphabets were intended to be instructional or a future record for designs, there
were also those motifs that had theological implications, most of which date back to the 17th century. Today, many
of these original meanings have changed, or have been entirely lost and therefore the information contained here
in can
give one a better understanding of the original purpose of a specific symbol, be it just for decorative purposes or
for other significance.

This book is crammed with lots of color diagrams depicting the many symbols that can be used. Lions, bears, birds
and even Jonah's whale are shown along with many of the fruits and flowers used in many of today's as well as
yesterdays samplers. These motifs are shown complete with grid work to enable stitchers to easily transfer these
patterns onto their work. For those of you needing a band or a border for a work in progress, there are many
beautifully presented and like the other motifs, easily transferable because of the grid work. Included in the last
segment of this book are five antique samplers from different eras. A biography of the originator is included, along
with color charts in both DMC and Anchor. This allows those ambitious sampler makers the ability
to reproduce these beautiful works of art in their original form and color schemes. So, if you are looking for a
certain "meaning" for your sampler or just need an idea for a border or band, you can easily look it up in this book
just as you would in a dictionary.
This book has been placed in our library by Debbie Durdin in memory of her mother and HEG member Dorothy
Glass.

Norrene Trama
Librarian

TITLE: STITCHING WITH OVERDYED THREAD
AUTHOR: MARY D. SHIPP
HEG# 1952

How many of us truly "inspect" our threads before or while we are stitching? For most of us, once we pick out our
threads either by matching its' number to a chart or a symbol; or by picking a color scheme ourselves, we probably
don't look at the thread very often. "Why should we," you are probably thinking, it's supposed to be the same color
throughout, and the first row should be exactly the same as the last row....Right? We probably don't even pay close
attention to the color once we start stitching, let alone any variations in the fibers. If you are planning to use
overdyed threads, this lack of attention must cease! Many stitchers who have tried to use overdyes become very
unhappy with their results. This is because many of us just thread up and stitch, oftentimes on pieces or charts not
specifically designed for overdyes. It has not occurred to us that this will probably not work, as overdyes have their
own “personality'”, should we say, and take a bit of manipulating to get them to act the way we would like. One
should think of them as slightly ornery children who need a little extra discipline to keep them in line.

This book is just the thing to teach one the extra discipline that overdyed threads require. It enlightens one on just
what these overdyes need, and how one needs to 'think out' the way they will affect your piece. Mary Shipp, the
author goes into great detail along with great picture samples of just how to work these overdyes in various ways to
achieve different results from the same strands of fiber. One segment entitled "Stitches Suitable for Overdyed
Thread" is helpful, in that it lists a variety of stitches that are best with overdyed threads, as well as stitches that do
not respond or have the correct discipline to deal with these types of threads. To test the various inspirations one
may have, the use of a doodle cloth is greatly encouraged by the author before hand, allowing your creativity free
rein. This will keep you from the unpleasant task of having to use the reverse stitching method on your permanent
piece.

Included in the book are sections on techniques, definitions, and ways to enhance your desire to experiment; all
designed to get your creative juices flowing. I really enjoyed the section on Border Design. It was fascinating for me
to see the different ways a border could turn out, just by manipulating the threads to achieve the many different
"looks" with the same design.

So, for those of you looking for a "challenge" in your stitching career, especially during this long hot summer, you
might just try using overdyed threads and doing some "experimenting." You can check out this book, and learn a
thing or two before you try to discipline those ornery overdyes. This way you can keep them in line and achieve the
"look' you want without having to spend a lot of time stitching in reverse!

This book was placed in the HEG library in memory of Dorothy Glass.

Norrene Trama
Librarian