Isobel's bands from Italy and Japanese Embroidery

 Sometime when I am working on a piece, it goes more slowly than I want it to. I am enjoying the process of stitching and need to be patient with the rate of growth. This is one of two bands of Reticella that I am doing. For some reason Reticella has never been my favorite embroidery technique. My friend Diane Clements was a master of Reticella and she talked me into doing Reticella several times and now I am so glad that I did. Using 17th century patterns to design my own bands has been fun but a real challenge. I have also used some techniques from books that I bought in Italy. It is growing and I am pleased with the way that it is looking. It will look so much better when I can take off the paper pattern and finish off all of the stray threads.

I have been working my way through the steps of Japanese Embroidery very slowly. I work on it an hour a day when I can. The braid changes from purple to green and finally to orange and will end up with gold thread embroidered on top of the silk. I have been busy putting in the base threads for the cloud areas of the fan and the pine trees. The orange threads are twisted and ready to stitch.

Trip to italy and France

We were able to take the trip of a lifetime to Italy and France. I went with my husband and two oldest daughters.  It was all so wonderful and my family took such good care of me.                                  We started in Venice and ended up in Paris.  Everything looks like it belongs on a postcard. I could spend days showing you what we saw but will post just  few things.

 Not only is the scenery beautiful but I saw designs in so many places.
We visited the Lace Museum in Burano.  It had not only lace but other types of embroidery in the collection. I thought that the Assisi in red and white was a great design.

I really don't have words to express just how beautiful the lace was.

We visited Florence where these doors are located. Then we ended up in Pisa at the leaning tower.

Here is an Urn at the Vatican that had such wonderful carving.

Finally in Paris we visited the Declercq Passementerie shop. They have been making tassels and trims since the 1852. My family made fun of me and the fact that in Paris I wanted to visit needlework related places but I went and had a great time.

I am trying to decide where and how to use some of the designs that I found on the trip.