Assisi Embroidery Characteristics
I saw an unusual style of traditional embroidery the last time I was in Assisi, Italy. St. Francis was born in Assisi in the twelfth century and the town still maintains its medieval character. Traditional Assisi embroidery dates back to medieval times or earlier and some historians speculate that St. Claire invented the style.
All of these gorgeous linens and other items required many hours of needlework by hand . They didn’t have embroidery machines. And even today, real Assisi embroidery is worked by hand.
Assisi Embroidery is a “Voided” Style
Unlike the typical needlework I did as a child where the focus was on embroidering the designs, in Assisi Embroidery only the background is filled and the interior of the figures are left empty or “voided.” The motifs are then outlined with a running or Holbein stitch for emphasis. Working the background only gives the design a stunning effect that causes the figures to pop out of the background.
Unique Characteristics Of Assisi Embroidery
There are many types of voided embroidery. These essential qualities distinguish Assisi embroidery from other voided styles giving it a peculiar yet powerful charm.
The design is created first by embroidering the outlines and fretwork in a darker thread using the double running stitch (Holbein). The center of the designs are left blank; only the outlines are worked.
In traditional Assisi embroidery, the background was densely filled in with long-armed cross stitches. Normal cross stitch is also used. In the earliest work, the stitches were not counted and the design was drawn freely on the linen.
Traditional motifs in Assisi embroidery are filled with grotesque and mysterious shapes of mythical animals, birds, monsters and demons. You can also see examples of this medieval symbology in the Italian churches.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the images were rough and fantastic. But by the 16th centuries, more designs were taken from nature and we see patterns that look like plants, flowers, and fruit.
The main motifs are laid out in symmetrical pairs surrounded by elaborate scrollwork. Often a candelabra design is used to separate the mirrored figures and fill in any empty space in the background.
Often the connecting motifs are skillfully designed to draw the eye to the main subject. The symmetry and repetition of the designs add rhythm and movement to the piece.
The top and bottom of the piece often had a border of geometric or flower motifs which was working in the same stitch as the main motifs. The color of the border design was usually the same color as the background.
Assisi embroidery is worked in only two colors – one color for the background and a contrasting color to outline the motifs. Traditionally red, blue, green or gold was used for the background with black or brown outlines.
Assisi Embroidery In The Home And Church
Italy has a long tradition of embroidery and other handicrafts. In the 13th century, these articles were used for religious purposes such as altar cloths and chasubles. Today, Assisi embroidery is often used to decorate household linens and borders on clothes.
Friendship Bracelets: Craft Thread vs. Embroidery Floss Comparison
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Turquoise Polished 20# Hemp Twine 100g Ball $4.75 Turquoise 20 lb. test (about 1mm) hemp twine dyed with earth friendlier, low-impact fiber reactive dyestuffs. Bright, vivid color ideal for all craft uses where dyed twine is required. Combine with our natural or other colored twine to create beautiful craft projects. Each ball of twine is individually shrink-wrapped to keep from unraveling during use. Just pull the twine from the center of the ba… |
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Pink Polished 20# Hemp Twine 100g Ball $4.75 Pink 20 lb. test (about 1mm) hemp twine dyed with earth friendlier, low-impact fiber reactive dyestuffs. Bright, vivid color ideal for all craft uses where dyed twine is required. Combine with our natural or other colored twine to create beautiful craft projects. Each ball of twine is individually shrink-wrapped to keep from unraveling during use. Just pull the twine from the center of the ball to… |
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Red Polished 20# Hemp Twine 100g Ball $4.75 Red 20 lb. test (about 1mm) hemp twine dyed with earth friendlier, low-impact fiber reactive dyestuffs. Bright, vivid color ideal for all craft uses where dyed twine is required. Combine with our natural or other colored twine to create beautiful craft projects. Each ball of twine is individually shrink-wrapped to keep from unraveling during use. Just pull the twine from the center of the ball to … |
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DMC Color Variations Motif Floss Pack $10.70 Color Variations Motif Floss Pack. Pack contains one each of Variations floss colors: 4110, 4200, 4210, 4130, 4140, 4150, 4070, 4080, 4090, 4010, 4230 and 4030. Also included are ninety exclusive cross stitch motifs…. |
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10 Roped Girls Friendship Hair Clips Extensions Color Feathers Gift Pack Fair Trade Peru $12.95 It’s humbling to see how all the little art-and-craft things I did as a little girl, and my mom did before me, are once again propagated by my daughter. Remember friendship bracelets and these hair extensions, also called Brazilian weaves on the eastern side of the Atlantic? Made by weaving snips and bits of embroidery floss together? Here they are again, available in many assorted colors and in o… |
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Alex Toys Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit $17.95 A Friends 4ever friendship bracelets, made by your kids with this exciting easy-to-use kit, will be a gift cherished by their friends. Packed into a handy carrying case are threads in a rainbow of colors, eight different patterns, floss, beads, beading needle and four color-coded looms everything needed to create the colorful popular bracelets. The Friends 4ever friendship bracelet kit is perfect… |
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Jewelry Design Super Set $18.85 Create your own beaded jewelry and friendship bracelets with this great Jewelry Design Super Set. It includes a storage case with colored beads, sparkle jelly bands, assorted alphabet beads, charms, elastic cord, elastic thread, colored embroidery floss, bead spoon, instructions and more. Store all your beads in the cool clear case. The set makes 200+ pieces of jewelry. This is a wonderful collect… |
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Crorey Creations My Friendship Bracelet Maker Kit $15.99 My Friendship Bracelet Maker. It’s easy to make and share unique friendship bracelets with this handy tool. It features an adjustable Butterfly clip for knotting and securing your string, a String Holder for keeping up to 10 strings organized and firmly in place while you weave your design, plus it’s travel-ready with a pull-out tray for storing all your threads. This package contains 1 friendship… |
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DMC StitchBow Needlework Travel Bag $19.49 The travel bag holds unfinished projects and all the material needed including the StitchBow Floss Holder to stitch while on the go. The zippered case has one outside pocket to hold patterns one inside cover has a plastic zipper pocket the other inside cover has several assorted size pockets with clear covers for storage and ease of finding all your crafting supplies. The storage case doubles as a… |
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Friendship Bracelets (Klutz) $9.59 Friendship Bracelets Kit includes ten skeins of embroidery floss beads handy clip to hold your in-progress bracelets steady built-in clipboard and an instruction book. This is the ultimate friendship bracelet book with directions for designs ranging from simple to simply amazing! Recommended for ages 6 and up. Spiral-bound: 60 pages. Made in Taiwan…. |
