| BOOK REPORTS AVAILABLE ON THIS PAGE: A Venetian Lace Maker & Tassels Italian Style Sampler Motifis and Symbolism Stitching With Overdyed Threads |
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| 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 |
THE HOUSTON EMBROIDERERS' GUILD Book Reports 3 |
