Comment

Comment by Elissa on February 26, 2014 at 5:07pm

Jenny, I just saw your comment now!  Thanks.  Okay, the book I have which is from Lefkara (where I was also lucky enough to go but only got a short lesson) describes it differently.  I've been making three separate knots stacked from the top down to form a picot.  I will now try what you're talking about.  It sounds like it would be easier to move on to the next stitch.

Lorelei, I'm referring to the resources listed at the top of our group page.

Comment by Lorelei Halley on February 26, 2014 at 2:31pm

Elissa: which page are you referring to?

Comment by Elissa on February 26, 2014 at 9:26am

I tried the tutorial given on this page for Basic Tutorial in Punto Antico.  It is pretty easy, although not very detailed.  The little fat rolls in the middle are bullion stitch ("vaporetti"). 

Looking at buying one or more books.  They are pretty expensive (the modern Italian ones).  Any thoughts on which should be the most essential/first book?

Comment by Jenny on February 20, 2014 at 9:15pm

Elissa, I am assuming by 'knots' you mean the picots - the little bumps that decorate the bars. In the class that I did, we made an overhand knot, then a second one & teased it to sit next to the first, then one more completely over the the last two to hold them together.

The fact that our teacher had to been to the little village where this work is produced to learn herself, I am assuming it would have been the original way.

There are a number of different ways to make picots with a needle, I guess you do what you are comfortable with & what looks good. This was the first time I had made them this way.

Comment by Elissa on February 20, 2014 at 7:35pm

It's important to remember that the women on Cyprus were taught the technique by Venetian ladies in the late Middle Ages; so even though they developed other motifs, I think their cutting and binding style must very likely be what they originally learned, and thus very authentic for any kind of reticella.  Other opinions?

Comment by Elissa on February 20, 2014 at 7:32pm

Jenny, when you learned to do the knots did you start with one a small distance from the edge, then do two more behind it to get back to the edge?  That's the only way I can get it to work so far, but it seems to be the opposite of the description in the book.  Would really appreciate knowing how you learned it.  :-)

Comment by Jenny on February 20, 2014 at 7:06pm

Thanks Lorelei, but  I haven't done anything to my blog in a while, except put some new posts up.

As for the Lefkara piece, the workshop was fabulous & I learnt heaps. Doing the Reticella squares that way was a new experience for me. I had only ever done satin stitch or buttonhole edges then cut the fabric away, leaving little fluffy bits. I have only ever worked over 4 threads, or in one case 6, & this was 3 which was really scarry. I thought they would pull out easilly but is is surprising how strong it is. The fabric is pure linen which helps, not a blend with something else.

Comment by Lorelei Halley on February 20, 2014 at 6:16pm

Jenny, your blog has a new look. I like it! A wonderful example of Lefkara.

Comment by Jenny on February 20, 2014 at 5:01pm

I think it all depends on the fabric being used. Back in 2012 I attended a Christine Bishop workshop where the outside was only worked over three threads in satin stitch. No running stitch underneath, & no four sided outline around, The threads were cut in the center of the square, drawn back to the edge, folded back underneath, then satin stitched with a sharp needle. The laid back cut threads were placed at a slight angle so they got well & truely caught by that sharp needle. There is a pic on my blog at http://jennysaustralianneedleart.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/byzantine-...

Comment by Elissa on February 20, 2014 at 7:07am

Thanks!   This method is overcasting without any running stitch.  I thought it would be pretty simple, but I'm learning a lot along the way about how to make sure the fuzz is covered, how to stitch more efficiently, etc.  Also, I have to modify the stitch under each knot into a buttonhole/knot stitch in order to get the knot to sit on the edge.  One thing learned - the square will end up a lot bigger than I thought because the fabric at the edge is extremely compressed by the tight satin stitching.

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