Needlework Challenge - Valtopina 2016

I really like needlework challenges, I think they bring out some great creativity and it is always interesting to see how people interpret a theme differently. This fall, September 2, 3 and 4 to be exact, the Hand Embroidery and Artisan Textile show in Valtopina, Italy (in the Umbrian region) is running a challenge which is open to international entries.

The theme is Embroider Umbria: blades of grass and flowers for women's rights. To remember victims of abuse and violence against women, the celebration of the wildflowers of Umbrian meadows and hills. The "thread" of a message from Umbria to express the value of feminine identity, of women's freedom "to be and to do" and to share in the commitment of the defence of their rights.

Sounds like a great theme, don't you think?

Umbrian meadows - photo courtesy of the Scuola di Ricamo Valtopina.

Umbrian hills - photo courtesy of the Scuola di Ricamo,Valtopina.

To get some ideas of which flowers are found in the Umbrian countryside, you can explore some websites like Castelluccio di Norcia, or there is a list of Italian and Latin names here, or do a Google search for "Apennine wildflowers".

Entries will be judged on September 4th, 2016 during the 17th edition of the Hand Embroidery and Artisan Textile Show in Valtopina. This is a much anticipated textile show every year and there are workshops and vendors to keep you busy aside from the exhibits. If you get a chance to go, don't miss a trip to the Embroidery and Textile Museum.

The prizes for the challenge are pretty fabulous:
1st prize is an all inclusive weekend for two in Umbria,
then, there will be a prize from the Manifattura tessile Sotema who make great fabrics,
a prize from Flli. Graziano who make great fabrics too,
a prize from Grigoletto Filati who make embroidery threads,
a prize of 30 ct Valtopina needlework linen from Bergamasco which is a fantastic needlework shop,
a prize of local products from the ProLoco Valtopina,
a prize from the Municipality of Valtopina,
an Artistic Craft prize from the artist Giulio Piermatti and participation certificates for all who enter.

Click on the picture below for the official rules and guidelines for entering the challenge:

Or you can send an email to Maria Mancini, check out the show's website for photos of previous years' challenges. Your entry must be received no later than July 31st, 2016.

I look forward to seeing the entries to this years challenge!

Punto Maglie - prizewinner

Back in September I told you about the Hand Embroidery and Weaving Exhibition in Valtopina and how some Veronese Crochet Lace split the prize for the lace category with some Punto Maglie needle lace. I'm happy to tell you that I can now show you what the Punto Maglie entry looked like:

Napkin with corner insert of Punto Maglie needle lace. Image copyright Assn. Punto Maglie.

Central insert of Punto Maglie needle lace for the tablecloth. Image copyright Assn. Punto Maglie.

Following the theme of the exhibition: Green Monuments of Umbria - the trees, we can identify the leaves and the fruit of the Olive tree in the Punto Maglie pieces pictured above. Besides occupying an important role in mythology and symbology, the olive is also predominantly present in the two regions of Umbria (where the exhibition was held) and Apuglia (where Punto Maglie comes from) thus, this entry creates a bond between the two areas. Exhibition participants were required to demonstrate the development of their ideas for their patterns on paper and produce pieces of their chosen lace or embroidery for a six setting tablecloth (140 cm x 160 cm) with matching napkins (40 cm x 40 cm). The central insert of Punto Maglie needle lace pictured above measures 30 cm x 21 cm.

I wrote to Liliana Ciriolo of the Associazione Punto Maglie to ask her some details about this prizewinning lace which she made together with Anna Borgia, Mina Saponaro and Renata Skovran from a design by Alessandra M. Chiurazzi inspired by a 16th century model. It took them a month to make the pieces using white DMC no. 80 thread. Stitches employed were the buttonhole stitch, the cording stitch, picots and the net.

Congratulations to the women of the Associazione Punto Maglie and thank you for sharing these pieces with us!

On November 4th, the town of Maglie was featured on an Italian TV program "Ti ci porto io" [I'll take you there]. Around the 8:25 mark of the video below, you can see how they execute Punto Maglie needle lace and see some of the Associazione Punto Maglie's work which includes a bridal gown which took four women more than 5 months to make.
The interviewer says: Four people took five months to make it? Why do you do it?
Anna Borgia answers: For love.
The interviewer then asks how much it might cost and she asks for a ballpark figure.
Anna Borgia: Around six thousand euros.

Veronese Crochet Lace - prizewinner

Every year I long to attend (but never have) the Hand Embroidery and Weaving Exhibition at Valtopina in Perugia. I search the internet for reports from attendees and drool over photos posted on blogs and websites. The region of Umbria is rich in embroidery history and there are so many interesting local techniques. One day I really must attend, if for no other reason than to satisfy my longing to do so.

Along with the various exhibitions at the show, there is always an open competition and this year's theme was Green Monuments of Umbria - the trees. This year, participants were required to demonstrate the development of their ideas for the pattern on paper and then to produce a tablecloth big enough for six settings (hemmed measurement: 140 cm x 160 cm) along with matching napkins (hemmed measurement: 40 cm x 40 cm) with their embroidery or lace ideas applied.

The category of lace was split by two winners using the techniques of Veronese Crochet Lace and a needle lace from the Apuglia region called Punto Maglie.

I wrote to Anna Castagnetti of Ricami a Fili Tesi to congratulate her and asked if she would share some details on the prize-winning piece of Veronese Crochet Lace she made together with Donatella Granzarolo. Here is what she said:

"Donatella made all the Veronese Crochet Lace pieces and I joined them together with needle lace bars covered in buttonhole stitch, after having prepared the holes in the fabric. Each tree is made up of eight pieces (three leaves equal one piece) and the trunk. At the four corners of each insertion there are a further four pieces (the sets of leaves). The insertions are finished around the edges with a cording or overcast stitch surrounded by a row of four sided stitch. Threads used were: DMC Cordonnet Special no. 80 for the buttonhole bars; Anchor Lace no. 20 bobbin lace thread for the Veronese Crochet Lace; Crochet Cotton no. 60 for the rest. I can't tell you how much time it took to make it all, we worked together which doubles the execution time and as we live 50 km away from each other, additional time was required for travel."

Below is a picture of one of the inserts:

Congratulations Anna and Donatella! Thank you for sharing the details of this piece with us and for the great photo!

Upcoming Needlework shows

I have been asked by several readers if I know of upcoming events in Italy relating to needlework. Some are busy planning their holidays and wish to incorporate a needlework event or two into their stay in Italy. It's a lovely idea and makes for a memorable time.

Abilmente presents their Creativity Fair in Vicenza, March 1 - 4, 2012. This is a big craft fair not just dedicated to needlework.
http://www.abilmente.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1764&lang=en

Trecce, Intrecci, Merletti - an exhibition of Braid Embroidery, Cantù Lace and Aemilia Ars Needle Lace at the Villa Smeraldi, 15km outside of Bologna. March 11 - 25, 2012. 

HobbyShow is big craft fair in Milan, March 16 - 18, 2012. Needlework is included but not the dominant theme of this fair.
http://www.hobbyshow.it/milano/

Festa Del Ricamo - sponsored by Casa Cenina, this year's theme is the Sampler. June 2 - 3, 2012. Contest details and other related information can be read here:
http://www.casacenina.com/blog/the-details-about-our-contest-the-sampler-of-my-life.html

The Hand Embroidery and Artisan Weaving Exhibition will be held in Valtopina, on August 31 - September 2, 2012. The theme for this show is: Green Monuments of Umbria - the trees. If you would like to participate in their competition for this show, you must make a tablecloth for six settings, executed in a technique of hand-embroidery or lace of your own design. For more details, see their website:
http://www.mostravaltopina.it/concorso/

The International Biennial Lace Exhibition of Sansepolcro will be held September 8 - October 28, 2012. This year's show is dedicated to the Emancipation of Women. Download the program in English and Italian here (click on the words: "Regolamento e bando di concorso").

The Ago Magico show and market will be November 9 - 11, 2012 at the Parco Esposizioni Novegro about 10kms outside of Milan. This show is dedicated to artistic embroidery and sewing.
http://www.parcoesposizioninovegro.it/lagomagico/

Italia Invita has just announced the dates for the 6th edition of their Textile Creativity Forum which will be located in Parma, May 10, 11, 12, 2013. They haven't announced the theme or events and attractions yet as we're still a little more than a year away from this one, but stay tuned, these things will be forthcoming soon.
http://www.italiainvita.it/

That's all that I've got for now. I will post again with any additions that I discover. Please post a comment if you know of an event that I've missed or if you visit any of these events, we'd love to hear about them!

Ars Panicalensis - Purses

What do you think of when you think of Embroidery on Tulle? Do you think of Church vestments? Bridal veils? Christening gowns? How about purses?

Paola Matteucci, the extraordinarily talented needleworker from Panicale in the province of Perugia, Italy, has created an incredibily beautiful batch of purses with her Ars Panicalensis Embroidery on Tulle technique. She hand-dyes the cotton fabrics and tulle with natural dyes.

Purses at the Ars Panicalensis booth at Italia Invita 2011. Photo copyright Ricamo Ars Panicalensis.

I saw some of these lovely creations at the 2011 Italia Invita Forum in Parma last May, there was always a crowd around the Ars Panicalensis booth and during one of the workshops the TV station was there with their video cameras so I hope Paola received some good exposure for her Art.

Later this year at the Valtopina XIII Embroidery and Fabric Show there were more exquisite purses to see, done in Ars Panicalensis.

Ars Panicalensis purses at the Valtopina 2011 show. Photo copyright Maria Bissacco.

The intricate embroidery of Ars Panicalensis and the designs that come from Paola Matteucci are breathtaking and, if possible, they get more so with every new creation!

Detail of a piece of Ars Panicalensis at the EGA National Seminar in 2010.

The town of Panicale has its own Tulle Museum where from October 27, 2011 to January 8, 2012 there is an exhibit on Pinocchio and the most important imitations featuring antique and modern marionettes and toys and fairytales embroidered on Tulle.

Valtopina - September 3, 4 & 5, 2010

If you're going to be anywhere near Assisi in September of this year, you should definitely make a detour to Valtopina which is less than 20km further east.

On September 3rd, 4th and 5th Valtopina will host the 12th annual show of hand embroidery, lace and artisan weaving, this year called: Ricamare l'Umbria [Embroider Umbria]. The theme this year is Medieval Embroidery at the Table, inspired by the decorative elements of Medieval Umbria depicted in the frescos of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. If you go to the website of the sponsoring Embroidery School Filo-Filo, you can download two different pdf files of photos of details from the frescos mentioned above. Click on the two sunflowers labeled "Assisi 1" and "Assisi 2". These photos are provided as inspiration for potential exhibitors.

All entries (designs for a tablecloth setting of six) must to be submitted to the embroidery school Filo-Filo by July 31st and there are six categories of prizes. Wouldn't it be amazing to see the display?

Besides the embroidery exhibition, there will also be booths of various exhibitors of lace, embroidery and woven textiles as well as vendors selling all-things related. Throughout the show there will be demonstrations and instructional embroidery courses, lectures and presentations. In addition, at various other locations there will be theme-related activities like at the Museum of Embroidery and Textiles, the local Youth Centre, Sports Arena and other places. For times and locations, you can download the brochure (text in Italian - click on "Visualizza il Dépliant").

Clicking here will take you to some photos of past exhibitions (make sure to click on the photos to get a closer look). There are also the 2009 design winners on the lower part of this page here. There are some pictures of the 2007 exhibition here. More photos from the 2005, 2008 and 2009 shows here.

I'm hoping that someone will send me photos of this year's show (if they are allowed to take them) so I can post an update in September after the show!