Two carnations and one country

Olá! Today I bring a story with 40 years history, celebrated last Friday, the 25th April - the 40th anniversary of the Revolução dos Cravos - Carnation Revolution.

"Celeste worked in a Lisbon cafeteria at the time, which on 25 April 1974 was to celebrate its first year of business. The manager had laid on cigars to give to customers, and flowers that happened to be scarlet carnations - "because they were the cheapest", recalls Celeste with a smile.

But when he saw tanks in the street he decided to close for the day and send the staff home, telling us to take the flowers with us.

Celeste was curious to see what was happening, and went to downtown Carmo Street where at 7.30am she came face to face with armed troops who had seized a nearby barracks.

"Do you have a cigarette?" one asked me. Well, in those days it was not usual for a woman to go to a tobacconist. So I said "have a flower" and he took it and put it in the barrel of his rifle. I was happy as I was against the regime, and I walked on and gave the rest of my carnations to other soldiers," she said.

"It was such a simple gesture. I never dreamt it would be something important," "I just did it on the spur of the moment and then I began to see everyone wearing a carnation, and it became the symbol of our revolution." in The Independent, 26th April, 1996

Carnation from Castelo Branco Embroidery

Since those days, the scarlet carnation became the symbol of a people, the Portuguese people, that changed their destiny with a peaceful revolution... And the beauty of the carnations on the barrel of the solders' rifles has inspired many photographers and many artists.

On the left, an image that was hung on the wall of my room when I was a child.
On the right, details of a gift I received at my wedding.

But the carnation has also been, for a much more longer time, an inspiration for other artists... the needle artists from Castelo Branco Embroidery. In the naturalistic imaginarium of this regional embroidery, the carnation is the dominant element. Sometimes it appears flattened, others from the side, with separate petals and cogged edges. In this embroidery the carnation is the man's symbol of love and virility. The silk thread helps to translate the natural beauty of the carnations into art and the stitching, the frouxo stitch and other filling Castelo Branco's stitches, make this nature's representation absolutely unique.

And so we have two representations of the carnation in Portuguese culture, traditions and history... One, the Castelo Branco's carnation, with a long history and tradition that needs to be nurtured and preserved in our days... The other one, the 25th April's carnation, much more recent and that showed that we can choose to change history and that only the traditions we freely decide to keep are the ones that deserve to be preserved...

I wish you all a week full of freedom to make your own choices!

Between Portugal and Scotland on the tip of a needle

 Olá! The Scottish panels are finished and already safe in Scotland!!

Since the beginning, we had in our mind that we should "impregnate" both panels with our Portuguese embroidery soul... And that was the reason why we decided to choose, as much as possible, the stitches that are the most traditional in our regional embroideries... And that ended to be a great decision... 

All the great choices belonged to Méri Almeida and Sofia Amaral M who led this giant effort of many embroiderer volunteers.

At the center of both panels, to fill in the cask, the most popular stitch from Castelo Branco Embroidery was used: "frouxo" stitch (frouxo means "loose), Castelo Branco Stitch or Oriental stitch - different designations for the same stitch profusely used in this silk embroidery but that ended being perfect in wool embroidery. Agulhas da Meri suggests this link about this type of embroidery that can be called laid-work.

But there were many others... Like the Portuguese stem stitch decorating the end of the cask on the Lisbon's panel or the four corners using four different stitches from Castelo Branco's embroidery. 

At some point the embroiderers from Lisbon noticed that the wool yarn would not be enough to finish the four corners as it was supposed to. There would be slight differences in the colors... What seemed to be a problem, ended in such a great opportunity to enrich the panel... And four different stitches ended up decorating each corner of the panel, illustrating the richness and beauty of our Castelo Branco embroidery. Beginning bottom right and going clockwise we have:  rede torcida (twisted net); pé de galo (cocksfoot); velhinhas (old ladies); crivo fingido (pretended openwork) (note: the designations in English  are literal translations and not the real name of the stitches).

It was a very simple pattern, but at the end we had a beautiful panel, so balanced with the stitches' choice for the center and the corners...  

Lisbon's panel and its four Castelo Branco's corners

And the same effort happened in Oporto. The bullion knot, (ponto canutilho) very popular in many Portuguese embroideries from the North of the country and the "soul" of Guimarães Embroidery, beautifully filled in the white wig and one of the Castelo Branco's Stitches brought color and texture to the vine leaf. The choice for the bushy mustache was brilliant: the velvet stitch, from Guimarães Embroidery, was everything George Sandeman needed... And the Grilhão Stitch (Palestrina Stitch), very present in Caldas da Rainha Embroidery (and in so many others...), was perfect to fasten the mast of the Rabelo's boat. 

Portuguese embroidery on a Scottish design, two countries on a panel.

We ended this journey between Portugal and Scotland on the tip of a needle celebrating with Porto Wine... and we are already feeling saudade, such a Portuguese "mood"... 

Wine Port, Portugal and Scotland, a journey on the tip of a needle...

Don't forget to check the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, once each day new panels are arriving from all around the world with incredible examples of beautiful wool embroidery...

Portugal - a living museum of embroidery part IV

Olá! This week I remembered that I had some photos that I've not showed yet.

So... come with me and accept my invitation to continue our visit to a very special museum... to Portugal, a living museum of embroidery...

As I told you in our first visit it is very common in antiques and flea street markets to find someone selling vintage embroidery. These photos are from a street market in Estremoz, but all around Portugal you'll find the same... from the North to the South of our country... this happens in the street... but indoors it is no different. I believe you'll find a piece of embroidery almost in every single home.

And this makes me think of all the women that embroidered these stitches that lasted until today... Can you imagine so many hours? So many women...

If it is still possible to have all these in our days, I can't avoid thinking of how different life was those days when these treasures were stitched...

I really would love to know if in your countries it's as easy to find a piece of embroidery as it is here, in this very special living museum of embroidery.

From Viana with love and cork

Olá! Today I'm continuing from last week's post showing the incredible work of Teresa, from Artesaté, that recreates the Portuguese traditional embroidery of Viana do Castelo, from the Minho region.

Tradition says that the embroiderer must use a cotton thread in blue, white and red. And Teresa uses blue, white and red... but the shining of Viana's jewelry inspired her to use gold, too..

Tradition says that the embroiderer must use cotton and linen fabrics... but the need of modernizing her work inspired Teresa to use felt and, lately, cork fabric, too...

Tradition says that the embroiderer must use hearts, japoneiras, oak leaves and clover leaves as motifs (among others)... but lately the embroiderers have forgotten the leaves... and Teresa, inspired by her wish of being faithful to the genuineness of Viana's embroidery and her permanent desire of knowing more and more, recovered the clover and oak leaves in her stitching, too.

Blue, red and white, the most traditional colors in Viana do Castelo Embroidery.

Teresa argues that the impressive presence of gold jewelry in her home city, Viana do Castelo, was the main influence on her choice of using metallic threads in her embroidery.

Born 100 years ago, the "modern" Embroidery of Viana do Castelo, suited for home linen, is now subject to a certification process that requires the respect of some rules which dictate the non use of golden thread. However, more than 100 years ago, the embroidery tradition was deeply rooted in this region, with a widespread use of wool yarn to embellish women's costumes: skirts, pouches and waistcoats. As you may confirm if you follow the links, this embroidery was profuse in the use of color, including metallic threads. Today these threads are not common, with the exception of their use in embroidered boxes, very popular in Viana do Castelo.

In gold, inspired by the rich jewelry.

The choice of the clover and oak leaves as well as the use of cork are the latest innovations in Teresa's work. And the photos I bring are very recent...

In the traditional embroidery from Viana do Castelo, clovers were popular patterns. Seventy or eighty years ago there were three and four-leaf clovers and their size varied greatly, but nowadays the clovers are rare and very small. In the past, the patterns inspired by nature were stylized by the embroiderers from the Minho region. Driven by emotion, while creating a clover, the embroiderer could not resist to draw it by the joining of three or more hearts, reinventing once and again the love pattern. And that's what we find on the last embroidered heart by Artesaté, that uses this lately recovered motif and the blue from Viana's ocean.

At the top the three-leaf clover, joining three hearts

It may sound unexpected but Teresa feels that Viana's embroidery and cork, being both famous symbols of Portugal, make a unique combination of textures and colors. It's natural that her words about the joy of embroidering on cork fabric may be overstated due to the excitement of a new love, but still they are worth being translated:

"It's a slow job that needs more attention. Stitches must be perfect at the first attempt, there is no space for errors once if you need to undo your stitching the cork fabric will be damaged. But the final work is special, more perfect, of a smoother texture to the touch and more rustic in appearance, which fits in perfectly with the tradition that I intend to transmit. The smell of cork fabric is one of the things that pleases and fascinates me the most, it spreads through the office making me feel that I'm working with nature and tradition."

In white, like tradition dictates... And recovering the oak leaf (at the top) forgotten in recent years.

Knowing how Teresa works, I'm already curious to see where this unique combination of tradition, innovation and love for Viana will take her...

From Viana with love

Olá! Today I bring you something very special... Definitely this is a Portuguese story... And as we would say in Portuguese: a história de uma mulher do Norte - "the story of a woman from the North"...

Sometime ago I told you how the Traditional Embroidery of Viana do Castelo was so intricately interwoven with the story of many women. And how the birth of what we recognize today as this regional embroidery helped so many of them find a new way of life - that is still deeply rooted in the culture and the traditions of the North of Portugal.

Teresa embroidering and wearing the domingar costume (to be used on Sundays)

The story of Teresa, that I bring you today, bears some resemblance to the one I told you before. This is also a love story for Viana and again a proof that with courage and talent we can change our lives.

An original Christmas crib winner of a contest promoted by the municipality of Viana do Castelo

Teresa was born in Viana do Castelo and the traditions, the culture and the folklore of this region were always present in her daily life since she was a little child. As happens with other women and men from this city, Teresa waited, and still waits, all year for the festivities dedicated to Our Lady of Agony, Romaria da Senhora D’Agonia, one of the most rich and genuine ethno-folklore festivals of our country. These are special days, when Teresa proudly wears the folk costume made by her own hands and holds the famous gold jewelry while the colorful folk dance groups musically enliven the ambiance and invite everybody to dance (be sure to follow this last link and watch how common people follow the dancers and fully enjoy it).

An embroidered brooch inspired by the skirts of folk costumes

Embroidery came into her life, by the hands of her mother, so naturally as all the other cultural traditions from Viana did. Inspired by the lively colors of the costumes - the bright red, the shining gold - and by the embroidery that decorated the linens of the house where she was born, Teresa discovered this new way of living. After some years teaching arts and technology to children she decided to devote her life to reinvent Traditional Embroidery of Viana do Castelo creating embroidered accessories that adorn our days: key holders, brooches, small cushions, beautiful frames, wedding favors...

Details of Teresa's stitching

Viana é amor, a popular saying that means "Viana is love", justifies the massive presence of Viana's heart in the crafts and culture of this city. That special heart is everywhere... In the noble art of filigree, in gold jewelry works, in embroidered table linen. For many, the heart of Viana even became one of the symbols of Portugal. Teresa elected the Viana's heart as the symbol of her work - Artesaté, because in Viana, quem gosta vem, quem ama fica - the one who likes comes, the one who loves stays.

Viana's heart - the symbol of Artesaté's work

Teresa feels that her life is unique and special because she was born there, in that special place, where the river meets the sea under the eyes of the hill of Santa Luzia. And Teresa, believe me, has developed the art of bringing to each piece of her work this uniqueness that only someone who belongs to a special place may have... Each stitch tells a story of joy, color and love...

Viana in gold

"Viana is more than a city, it's a way of living... a way of being that lies deep in the soul and the blood of those who were born there..." These are Teresa's words and she reinforces; "That's what I am".

Note: While writing this post I was thinking about how our culture and traditions are such a supreme form of richness that we must preserve for our own good and for the future happiness of our children. Portuguese history and the story of so many Portuguese women are the living proof of this...

The love blouse...

Olá! The blouse I was working on is now finished.. It was inspired by one of the most popular Portuguese traditional embroidery, the fiancé kerchiefs - lenços dos namorados

I embroidered it for my younger daughter and I have to say that I don't know who was happier... Mother or daughter? I bought this common white blouse and made it unique... And that is always a great pleasure...

Fiancé kerchiefs are very popular in Portugal and very sentimental to us. The symbols used are full of meaning, usually related to love feelings.

For instance... The dove that brings a letter alludes to emigration... The Portuguese people have always been a people of emigrants. Moved by very different reasons and in different moments of our history... Sometimes on our own will and others forced to do it... You'll find a Portuguese or descending in almost all countries in the world!! The dove with the letter represents the only way the boy and the girl had to show their love to each other when he was working abroad searching for a better life...

And of course... If we are talking about love, hearts cannot be forgotten...

The key is a very ancient motif already present in the first kerchiefs that were embroidered using cross stitch and represents the union between two hearts. In some kerchiefs you'll find embroidered love sayings expressing something similar to: "I give you this key so you can open my heart"

Hope you like it!!

Back to origins...

Olá! Here in Portugal the weather is changing. The first days of Autumn brought us the rain... And working with wool yarn feels good again.

I'm really addicted to embroidery using cork fabric. Not only do I love the final look - vibrant colors make a beautiful contrast on the natural cork color - but I also enjoy the stitching a lot. I bring you a project that begun being a key ring and ended as a bag accessory... I've adapted a pattern from the book "Traditional Embroidery of Portugal". It was a very small pattern from Azores embroidery where small motifs predominate. I've augmented it many and many times, ending with a very different pattern. But the inspiration is still there...

The same motif - vey small and very big... 

Usually I use tracing paper to embroider on cork, as I explained in another post and this time I chose wool yarn. It's not easy to have the motif traced on cork...

Here you have the final result... Very beautiful to make a unique bag from a very simple one...

Cork fabric is an incredible material! Maybe an unlikely embroidery supply... But as far as I read, leather and leafs were the first "embroidery" supplies in the History of mankind... Maybe this is part of a "back to origins" movement :)

More Guimarães Stitches

Olá! Last weeks I've been talking about Guimarães embroidery. Today I simply bring you two beautiful and charming pieces of embroidery inspired by these regional Portuguese stitches. I seriously recommend that you follow the links and browse the inspired work of these two Portuguese embroiderers...

The first work belongs to Avé Meri. Follow this link and you'll find many more pieces of Guimarães embroidery.

Guimarães embroidery by Avó Méri

Joana from the blog Jubela is the author of these beautiful stitches. Here you'll find more of Joana's Guimarães stitches.

Guimarães embroidery from Jubela

In other blogs like açafate dos retalhos and donalberta you'll find more...
Até para a semana... See you next week...

Guimarães embroidery - from the people, to the people

Olá! This week I'm coming back to Guimarães embroidery... I hope you don't mind :)

Many years ago the stitches that are known today as Guimarães embroidery were used to embellish the rural woman’s blouse and working tailed waistcoats and the shirt of the farm worker (even richer than woman’s). 

The shirts were worked on thick coarse linen, profusely using bullion knot stitch in quite an original manner. White was the dominant color but in the shirt-front red was also used in some details. The same applied to the tailed waistcoat, on which red, blue, or black were used separately. 

Farm worker shirt.

This was truly a popular type of embroidery and by saying “popular” what I really mean to say is that this type of embroidery was made by the people, for the people - do povo para o povo.
Experts argue that this “popular” embroidery is the most original regional embroidery in Portugal. The shirts from the peasants “give us the impression of something absolutely different” from any other Portuguese or other countries’ regional embroideries.

Rural woman's blouse

Maria Clementina found the right words to describe it: 
“of such graceful design and so beautifully embroidered that it could easily compete with a more aristocratic piece. Many peasant embroideries, made for personal use and not for sale, are so carefully worked as to be technically perfect. This works is done during the short intervals between their heavy labor in the fields and in the home, with the loving care bestowed on work destined to last several generations.” 

Tailed Waistcoat.

Today, Guimarães embroidery is used in tablecloths, valances, napkins, doilies, sweetheart’s handkerchiefs and many other pieces that embellish the home, and also in accessories for ladies and children. This work begun in the middle of the 20th century, adapting shirt’s motifs to house linen. Unlike the popular embroidery from which it stems, it is not made by the people, for the people, once it is executed by professional embroiderers. As it is very time consuming it became expensive, not accessible to all purses, ending to be a ”rich embroidery” ... 

But we have good news… The interest in learning traditional stitches from Guimarães is growing and we hope that, soon, it will return to “the people’s” hands…

*In this post I've used four books on Portuguese embroidery - Traditional embroidery of Portugal; Guimarães Embroidery - a renewed tradition; Bordados e Rendas de Portugal; Embroidery and lace in the house linen of Entre Douro e Minho

Guimarães embroidery - a renewed tradition

Olá! This week I'm back to traditional Portuguese embroidery, bringing you one of the most famous Portuguese regional stitches. Guimarães is an incredibly beautiful and historical city known as the "birthplace of the Portuguese nationality" or "the cradle city" (Cidade Berço in Portuguese).

Guimarães Embroidery is known worldwide and I believe that it is due not only to the beauty and originality of its stitches but also to the work carried out in divulging it. And a very special book has its credits... It's not easy to find information about Portuguese embroidery in English and this special book not only is written both in Portuguese and English but is also available online. You'll find Guimarães Embroidery - a renewed tradition here. And if you want to know even more don't forget to read here, where you'll find instructions on the stitches and some videos.

I'm not going to review the book... I don't dare!!! Because two of my favorite embroidery experts have already done it!! What a coincidence!! After buying this book, Avó Méri explained, both in Portuguese and English, why she believes this is a great book to have in your library. And some months later, while visiting USA, Avó Méri mailed it to Mary Corbet allowing her to review what she calls a "gorgeous book".

I leave you with some photos of this incredible book - beautiful pictures, great design and thorough information. I'm happy to share the photos with you and even happier knowing that you can read the book, at least online... Hope these pictures help to make you curious...

Some weeks ago I've showed you some beautiful stitches made by modern embroiderers and inspired by Guimarães Embroidery. They are worth of a new visit... Check them here...

Hope you'll accept my invitation to get to know Guimarães Embroidery better...

New Stitches With Portuguese Soul - part III

Olá! This week I bring you one of the most famous regional embroidery from Portugal - Guimarães Embroidery. I've not yet reviewed it here on Feeling Stitchy, but I'll be doing it soon. Today I'll only be showing some very beautiful "re-interpretations" of this traditional embroidery made by inspired Portuguese hands...

Bárbara begun "blogging" last Summer and soon she decided to devote her embroidering days to learn Guimarães Embroidery. As in old times she thought of making a sampler. Her blog, ponto cereja  (cherry stitch), written in Portuguese, is like a diary on that journey of learning the stitches of Guimarães Embroidery where you'll find many photos of the stitches and illustrated step by step instructions. Now we can say she is an expert and her new works show it, like her brooch or keyring.

But she never forgets which is the best stitch in the world...

Guimarães Embroidery, by Bárbara, blogged.

Vânia, from dedal no dedo (thimble on finger), proposes an incredible "reinvention" of Guimarães embroidery... These pieces belong to a project that were shown in the city that gives name to this regional embroidery. The neighboring embroidered little boxes are so cute and original - I simply love them and they were my first choice among Vânia's work. But you must see her "embracing the rain collection" and many other creations. You can get to know more about her work here...

Embroidered little boxes by Vânia, blogged.

Donalberta is an incredible example of how families can work together passing traditions from generation to generation and gathering different knowledge to make something new. In this case, mother and daughters use their skills in stitching and communication to take their project further. You'll find some traditional pieces of embroidery, like the fiancé handkerchiefs or the handmade bowls, but also original applications of old stitches like the dresses of Berta (the doll) inspired by Guimarães or Azores Embroidery or the beautiful bookmarkers. And here you'll find more...

Berta's dress inspired by Guimarães Embroidery, by Donalberta

This amazing neckwarmer is also a great example of how joint efforts can have unpredictable results. The mold of Alice's charming neckwarmers and the stitching of "the girls" (also mother and daughter) from ponto margarida (daisy stitch) created something unique. As always, Alice could not resist to follow all the production process of this piece, beginning in the linen fields. As she usually says" the process is an end in itself" and I believe this was the inspiration for an incredible project (really worth reading - some are translated into English) named "Saber Fazer", where she describes and beautifully illustrates artisanal and semi-industrial production techniques in Portugal. You can get to know Alice better in her blog, noussnouss.

Embroidered neckwormer by Alice e Ponto Matgarida, blogged.

Each week I'll be more and more proud to show you all these inspired stitches with Portuguese soul! Feeling happy!!!

AMOR - My best wishes for 2013

Olá! I'm passing by only to wish a great 2013 and to offer you a late Christmas gift...

After reviewing the book "Traditional Embroidery of Portugal" I begun adapting and recovering some vintage patterns that came in the design sheets. To end 2012 I decided to share with you one of my favorite patterns, already embroidered in my cork fabric book cover...

This pattern belongs to Azores embroidery (that I will review soon), called the Long and Short stitches embroidery, usually embroidered with two shades of blue.

Embroidery pattern adapted from "Traditional Embroidery of Portugal".

Design sheet from "Traditional Embroidery of Portugal"

Book: Traditional Embroidery of Portugal

I believe that in 2013 "all we need is love"... And as the Portuguese word for LOVE is AMOR, this is my way of wishing you all the love in the world!

See you next year!

Picado - Appliqué embroidery from the Northeast of Portugal

Olá! Today I'll talk about a very specific type of needlework technique: "appliqué". I really don't know if it is rigorous to consider this technique as a type of embroidery, but in Portugal we do it. As I've already talked about, we find these embroideries in Nisa - Bordado de Aplicações (Appliqué embroidery) - and as you'll see today we also find them in the North of Portugal. There, in the north, this technique is called Picado (the best translation I find is "punched").

Picado work,  from here

I couldn't find too much about the historical perspective, but I decided to publish it anyway once the images talk by themselves and I truly love this type of embroidery. At the same time, and continuing last week theme, I believe it would be fun to show more embroidered pieces wear by men.

All the embroideries I will show come from Tras-os-Montes (behind the hills), a region in the Northeastern corner of the country. Facing a very hard climate and isolation, people that live "behind the hills" maintained many folklore forms preserved up to our days among which are included these embroideries on wool cloth, really needful in cold winter days. Burel, saragoça and surrobeco are the fabrics used, but distinguish from each other is not easy, once they are all made of wool.

Picado work,  from here

I believe the origin of this type of embroideries was the Capa de Honras (Cloak of Honours). Many consider it the most luxurious Portuguese costume. Traditionally they come for Miranda do Douro and are brown male cloaks with a pendant on the shoulders, open in the back and decorated with appliqué embroidery, Picado. It was worn by cattle keepers and shepherds to be protected in coldest days and by the wealthy men. It's a work of great complexity, taking 20 days to get done. A long time ago they took more than 60 days once all the decorations were hand trimmed and then hand sewed to attach the apliques to the cloak. 

Beautiful photo of a Capa de Honras, by Ana Rojas

The "honor" in the name does not refer to the fact of being used by noble people but instead to the fact of being so elaborated. There are still some artisans that dedicate their lifes to this art. Follow the link and you'll find a video about one of those tallented tailors, check and don't worry about not understanding Portuguese once the images of his work speak for themselves.

Nowadays Capas de Honra are used in important cerimonies. Recently, a renowned Portuguese stylist, Nuno Gama, brought them to his 2010/2011 winter collection and fashion show.

Another application of Picado are the charmimg decorated vests from Pauliteiros de Miranda. I would say they are one of the most original piece of Portuguese traditional outfits. And they gain increased beauty when we see the whole costume. 

Vest decorated with Picado, from Pauliteiros de Miranda

"Pauliteiros are the dancers of a Portuguese folklore dance, the warrior dance of Terras de Miranda, called “dança dos paus” (“the stick dance”), which represents local historical moments. It uses bagpipes, a snare drum and a bass drum, and it’s traditionally danced by eight men that wear a skirt and a linen shirt, a brown vest, leather boots, whool socks, a hat that can be decorated with flowers and finally, a pair of sticks that they use in a diverse series of steps and coordenated movements that simulate a fight." (1) 

Check here and see the beatiful photos of Pauliteiros de Miranda and again here to watch a performance.

Beautfiully decorated vests with the Picado technique, photo from here

Recently some artisans begun using the same technique with different applications, in home decoration, accessories, handbags, clothing...

Home decoration using Picado, photo for here

Home decoration using Picado, photo for here

Would you say that the Picado technique is a type of embroidery? I promised myself that soon I'll learn how to do it, and then I'll tell you!! The first lesson is here, but I will need many more.