DMC Natura Just Cotton for tassel making

The last time I went to Italy in October of 2013, a friend from home asked me to get her some Lampo Cotone Povero yarn to make tassels. It proved to be a difficult task and I was unable to get her any.

We've talked about Cotone Povero before here on the blog. It is a 100% pure soft cotton yarn with a matte finish used in Italy to make tassels and for stitching Caterina de'Medici embroidery among other things. At one time in history it came in many colours but now I believe you can only get natural or white though ebay searches still turn up other colours from time to time. The balls are 50 grams at about $3.00 USD each and you can make a lot with one ball. The yarn is made up of 6 threads twisted together. It is available from various places online like Tombolo Disegni, Ricamiamo-Insieme, Bergamasco, etc. but I was unable to find it in any store I walked into in Rome, Florence or anywhere I was in Puglia. This is not to say it's not there, I just couldn't find it.

Upon returning home I was told by an Italian friend that DMC makes a soft cotton yarn which is a nice substitute called Natura Just Cotton. It comes in many colours and is available outside of Italy though not in North America that I could find at the time. I ordered mine from Sew and So in the UK.

The balls are 50 grams and the yarn is made up of 8 twisted threads. I see it is now listed on the DMC US website but internet searches for resellers still result in mostly UK sources. Price is about $4.00 USD.

Lampo Cotone Povero on the top, DMC Natura Just Cotton on the bottom.

Comparing the two yarns, they are not identical but I decided to go all the way through an experiment to see if I liked the Natura anyway. I'm not sure that you can see, but the Cotone Povero is ever-so-slightly thicker and it's hard to tell from the photo but the Natura is slightly less "matte" than the Cotone Povero.

While in Phoenix last October at the EGA National Seminar, I bought a Deruta ceramic fuserola bead that my daughter picked out for herself, she wanted a tassel to match her camera strap. I got DMC Natura in black and Sable to match the bead.

Battery operated cord twister we dubbed the "zip-zip".

Using my fantastic new favorite tool, a battery-operated cord twister developed by a lady in Assisi which we lovingly dubbed the "zip-zip" as it makes cording in a zip - I made many many twisted cords. I think the real secret to tassel-making is that when you think you have enough, make more. Tassels should be full and not skimpy.

Then the knotting process began and I knotted my cording until my fingers were beyond sore. Next step is to string the cut pieces onto yarn as you would when stringing beads, see this tutorial here. Odd numbers are best, so groups of 3, 5, 7 or 9.

7 "legs" are made up of 5 groups of 9 pieces.
There is a cluster at the top of solid Sable and I used Black to string everything together.

I'm pretty happy with the result and I like the fact that DMC Natura comes in so many colours. For tassel-making I think it is a fine substitute for Cotone Povero. Next task will be to do some experiments in using it for Caterina de'Medici embroidery. I'm a little concerned that it may be too thin for the Buratto fabric and that the coverage won't be as good, but that's for another time.

Do you know of a soft, matte finish cotton yarn available in North America that I could investigate as a substitute for Cotone Povero? If so, please leave a comment below!

DMC Italy & Casa Cenina for Charity

It's called A Bag Full of Aid and it is a relief effort for the people of the Emilia Romagna region in Italy who were hit by many earthquakes and strong aftershocks last May. 

Below is a translation of the DMC Italy page:

A Bag Full of Aid: DMC and Casa Cenina for the earthquake victims of the Emilia Romagna.

A few months have passed since the earthquakes that struck the provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Reggio Emilia and Bologna, media attention has diminished but the process of reconstruction will still go on for a long while.

Through Casa Cenina, DMC has decided to promote a charity initiative for the earthquake victims of the Emilia Romagna; a way to contribute to the rebuilding and to keep attention on the difficult plight of the earthquake victims.

"A Bag Full of Aid" is the name of the initiative that will see DMC transfer 20% of the price of each bag and small case purchased through Casa Cenina to the earthquake emergency account set up for the Emilia Romagna Region.

The participating products are:

http://www.casacenina.it/dmc/borsa-shopping.html
http://www.casacenina.it/dmc/borsa-a-mano-big-bowling.html
http://www.casacenina.it/dmc/borsa-a-mano-little-bowling.html
http://www.casacenina.it/dmc/bustina.html
http://www.casacenina.it/dmc/bustina-tonda.html

This high quality collection with detailed finishing is suitable even for those who don't embroider because these bags and small cases were made for the traditional use of these fashion accessories – and at the same time for easily carrying your stitching projects.

A perfect gift for every woman ... even at Christmas! In fact, the initiative will be valid from July 28 until Christmas [2012]. Until all of the items are sold out, you can calmly choose the bag or small case that you prefer or that you wish to gift and help us in this initiative.

The total donation will be posted on DMC's website and that of Casa Cenina at the end of the initiative.

You can read the English pages of the Casa Cenina blog for more info.

Which one will you get? I can't decide on just one!!!!!

Italia Invita - 2011

Though I have told you many things about my trip to the Italia Invita Forum in May 2011 in posts about Puncetto, Deruta Drawn-Threadwork, Ars Panicalensis, and Sicilian Drawn-Threadwork, I didn't really tell you much about the Forum itself.

As my thoughts now turn to the next one coming up May 10 - 12, 2013 in Parma, I have been going over some of the things I saw and did at the Italia Invita Forum in 2011.

The theme for the 2011 Italia Invita Textile Forum was: Herbarium. Each exhibitor was asked to create a "herbal" themed piece using their favourite technique. As always, competitions of this kind produce extraordinary things and the exhibit of entries was fascinating. Here are just a few entries which are all photographed and can be seen in the catalogue:

Pescocostanzo Bobbin Lace. Image from Herbarium Catalogue.

Aemilia Ars Needle Lace. Image from Herbarium Catalogue.

Umbrian Embroidery. Image taken from Herbarium Catalogue.

The umbrella of textile arts this time included weaving, quilting, knitting, crochet, felting and cross stitching added to the original embroidery and lace of years before. This was the 5th biennial event which started in 2003.

The Italia Invita Forum 2011 also coincided with Italy's 150th anniversary celebrations so one of the contests of this Forum was to stitch the flag or use the flag's colours. There was also a contest for quilts! So much to do and see, the Italia Invita Forum was divided over two paddocks, the contest entries in one building and the vendors and textile exhibitors in another.

Others took better photos than I, so if you're ready for some eye-candy, sit back and check out these blogs and personal websites of people that were there:

http://veganormal.blogspot.ca/2011/05/italia-invita-bandiere-ed-erbario.html

http://merlettoadago.blogspot.ca/2011/05/parma-2011.html

http://merlettoadago.blogspot.ca/2011/05/parma-seconda-puntata.html

http://ricamoealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/06/parma1.html

http://ricamoealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/06/parma2.html

http://tomboloealtro.blogspot.ca/2011/05/italia-invita-2011-parma-reportage.html


There were even a couple of YouTube videos produced:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAT32nzEkIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl0LpXD_8NI&feature=related


This should give you a good idea of what the Italia Invita Forum is like. There were visitors from all over Europe, Japan, North America, Australia. 46 Textile Schools of Italy were represented by stands of their own but there were even more in mini-stands combined with commercial goods in the vendors section. There were 104 vendors including the four event sponsors: DMC; Fratelli Graziano, Juki and HFT-Filomania. The DMC booth had some of their pieces from the 2009 exhibit which were the stitched designs from their old booklets from the beginning of the 20th century. You can see some photos on their Italian blog:
http://www.dmcblog.it/?p=1024
and more detailed photos of the whole DMC collection here: http://www.dmcblog.it/?p=357

Fratelli Graziano had their first weaving loom threaded up with the colours of the Italian flag as they were celebrating their 170th anniversary (check this link for some photos). Overall there were 150 exhibitors. 8,754 people attended the Forum over three days (May 13-15, 2011) attendance was up 14% over 2009. 17 of Italy's 20 regions were represented with local characteristic textile techniques.

I brought a better camera this time (last time my camera mysteriously stopped working the night before the Forum and started working again the day after it was over) but my photos where not great. Even the automatic movement stability feature couldn't stop my shakiness - too much excitement! This is very unfortunate because many exhibitors were kind enough to let me photograph their things. I wish I had good photos to show you but unfortunately I do not.

Some photos did turn out. Gilda Cefariello Grosso creates wonderful things with colourful Pisan Embroidery and wins many awards with her work:

The Italia Invita Forum offered workshops both free and paid. This time I opted for a paid workshop and took an intensive Puncetto course which I told you about here. There were many others I would have liked very much to have taken, 10 in total: embroidery techniques, filet lace, bobbin lace, needle lace, macramè, crochet lace, tassel-making and weaving. Two were Sardinian techniques that I have never before seen classes offered to the public. It was hard for me to choose which course to take but in the end I chose the Puncetto as I had already made some attempts at it and knew that I would like to improve.

From previous experience I knew that the days would be hectic and exhausting but exhilarating as well. Meeting up with old friends and making new ones in an atmosphere where most of us felt like kids in a candy shop makes for an amazing three days. There are meetings and appointments and gatherings where everyone excitedly goes over purchases and experiences. I will be sad to miss the Italia Invita Forum in 2013. Finances will not allow a trip to Italy next year for me, but if you have the chance to go, you should do it!

So far details are scarce on their website but as soon as they can, I know they will announce everything. They do know that those of us who must plan for trips in advance are out here waiting for news!

Check over the other editions to the Forum that I have talked about:

Italia Invita - Part One - 2003

Italia Invita - Part Two - 2005

Italia Invita - Part Three - 2007

Italia Invita - Part Four - 2009

Retors D'Alsace - DMC Alsatian Twist Thread

In Italy in the spring of 2009, DMC re-released the thread they call Retors d'Alsace or Alsatian Twist.

It is available in two weights, no. 8 and no. 12 - similar to Pearl Cotton but twisted more and slightly different in thickness, and comes in 82 colours for the no. 8 and 65 colours for the no. 12. DMC states it is suitable for embroidery, cross stitch, crochet and lacemaking.

The skeins are 20 grams each and sell for around €4,20 which is about $5.60 USD using today's exchange rates. The thread is made of Egyptian long staple cotton which has been mercerized twice - this makes it both strong and shiny. Retors d'Alsace is made at DMC's plant in Mulhouse in the Alsace region of France.

DMC's Italian website says it is the return of a thread they made in the early 20th century. I looked in the back of my Italian 1926 copy of L'Uncinetto (Grosso Uncinetto) from the DMC Library [Grosso Uncinetto is Large Crochet in Italian] and I found a listing of Retors d'Alsace threads in weights ranging from 5 to 100!

I don't know when they stopped producing this lovely thread. If you search around on the internet, you can find some old spools of different weights of Retors d'Alsace, there are quite a few no. 50 weight ones here.

At the Italia Invita Forum of 2009, DMC had an impressive area to display their wares complete with stitched pieces from the old DMC Library of booklets. They were giving out samples of the "new" Retors d'Alsace. If you'd like to see what their display looks like when they visit shows in Italy, check out their blog.

Mary Corbet over at Needle 'n Thread did a review of Retors d'Alsace if you'd like to take a closer look.

Retors d'Alsace is widely available only in Italy. DMC had plans to distribute it in other European countries - but last I checked, it still wasn't even available in France!

Punto Avorio - Puncetto needle lace

Puncetto as it is commonly known today, has many other names, Punto Avorio being one of them. This needle lace is very attractive and though more commonly done in geometric designs, it can be used by the more advanced lacemaker to make curves. It is done in monochrome or even in bright multi-colours as on the traditional costumes of the Valsesia area in Italy.

If you've got access to Thérèse de Dillmont's Needlework Encyclopedia (also known as DMC's Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework), look under 'Needlemade laces' and check out the part on 'Knot Stitch Laces'. Look for Punto Avorio.

The best way to begin is to use the edge of a piece of fabric to attach to. Later you can try starting the way this lady does in her video.

There are a few books on this lace though all the ones I know of are in Italian and are difficult to find. Check out my library listing for titles relating to Puncetto. I have to admit to collecting everyone I have found so there are quite a few... to get you started I would say either the Manuale del puncetto valsesiano or the A scuola di Puncetto Valsesiano but if you are itching to give it a try right away, the Dillmont instructions are good or there are even some instructions in the Anchor Manual of Needlework under "Puncetto Work".

This is the corner of a fine linen handkerchief with Puncetto work that I purchased in Italy:


For free download of an Italian book from the early 20th century, go to Tuttoricamo, under the 'Books' section, then 'downloadable antique books', then under Amelia Brizzi Ramazzotti, click on the word 'Puncetto'.

UPDATE: Unfortunately the Tuttoricamo website is no longer active. You may search ebay for this book, it's called: Il Puncetto, insegnamento pratico illustrato.