INTAGLIO, English and Pisano Stitches

The INTAGLIO embroidery was born in the XVI° century as simplification of Venetian laces, in that time very in demand but also very expensive for difficulty and time of execution (whole job was performed with needle).

The INTAGLIO allowed to get extraordinary results in small time because it consists in substitution of big part of Venetian lace embroideried with needle with cloth base.

In this way are created the zones “floods” of the job, or rather subjects connected among them by little thread bars, simple or enriched by ornamental stitches.

With the simple barrettes the embroidery takes the name of “guipure”, when there are embellishment of ornamental stiches it takes the name of “Richelieu.”

It was in fact the King Luigi XIII's minister, cardinal Richelieu, who loved collars and cuffs elegantly embroidered, to employ for increasing the development in France of such workmanship.

The INTAGLIO embroidery was actually in big fashion till the beginning of the XX° century.

It decayed then for a few decades to return to be appreciated in the last years

Its effects of clear-dark can decorate curtains, tablecloths, bedspreads, towels, collars and blouses.

The Pisano and English stitches make part, with the INTAGLIO, of pierced embroideries .

The English stitch (also says Madeira because native of that island) it consists of holes like drops and little balls with which garlands, hems and flowers are drawn.

It was very used at the end of 1800 but, in shortly time, it was replaced by special Swiss fabrics mottos of "St. Gallen" that reproduced with machines the same sketches.

The pisano stitch, says also staircase stitch, been born to the beginning of 1900 in the homonym Tuscan city, it is similar both to the English point that to the INTAGLIO stitch.

In fact it is outlined by the flex stitch as the English stitch but it is enriched by little thread bars as the INTAGLIO.

All the three stiches are worked in white.

email: ilricamo@libero.it

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