Project: Casalguidi and Lavender
Designer: Barbara M. Kershaw
Type of needlework: Casalguidi
Photos: 3 so far - more to come as I keep working on this project
Barbara on EGA
Barbara on EAC: You can see a group course of hers there
EGA project: http://www.egausa.org/
Taken with EGA CyberStitchers: http://www.cyberstitchers.org/
Comments: This is an unfinished project
I have learned from Barbara that Casalguidi is a village near Pistoia in North Central Italy and that Casalguidi is also the name given to a beautiful form of whitework, which flourished from the late 1800s until World War I, that it is a peasant embroidery. Apparently, the peasants and villagers of Casalguidi first created it to imitate the rich laces of the nobility, which they admired but could not afford. In some cases the ruling classes and governments of the day did not allowed them to own lace.
Ideas and inspiration for the designs were also taken from marble work, carbings and architectural features of the churches and the art of the East and Africa. In Casalguidi and the surrounding countryside, Casalguidi
Embroidery became a cottage industry in part to enable the ladies and girls to supplement the household income. Embroidered bags, purses, pillow covers and cloths were produced to sell to tourists, etc. A school was established in the village to promote and perpetuate the art of Casalguidi embroidery and keep the skill of the traditional embroideries alive.
Thanks, Barbara for providing a bit of background about this beautiful embroidery.
In the photos below, you first see a photo showing what the project will look like when I have completed it. This photo came with the project instruction provided by Barbara.
The second and third photo show the background stitches. I am doing mine using Antique White 32ct Belfast Linen.
I will be adding additional photos right here as I progress on this project.
(Photo that came with the project)
(Photo showing the inner square using four-sided
and modified four-sided stitch)
(Inner and outer square of background)
