Modern and Traditional Embroidery Dress

Olá! Passing by to announce the winners of last week's giveaway.

I'm very happy to inform Crystal Prior that she will receive a pack of Portuguese embroidery supplies with pure linen, a box of "vibrant" (her words...) pearl cotton balls from Limol and two Portuguese patterns. And I look forward to see how she will use them on her wool felt embroidery...

I believe that receiving a box of pearl cotton balls inspired by Guimarães embroidery will remind Deb H of Portugal. She was the lucky winner!!

And I was so happy with her comment... Knowing that Deb already visited Portugal was very special to me. She stayed in Ericeira, a little town near the sea, very well known among surfers... I have to quote her words: "Oh, how I loved that little town and it's people. Every morning, I would take a walk and talk to shopkeepers and residents. How lovely it was. I long to go back."

Pastel colors,  another choice from agulha não pca - not so traditional but still beautiful

Both winners gave the correct answer about the Portuguese traditional embroideries that inspired my color choices for the pearl cotton boxes... Guimarães embroidery has precise definitions on the colors that should be used in order to preserve the tradition: red, blue, gray, black, white and ecru. And these are the colors in the box that Deb H will receive.

Love or fiancé' embroidered handkerchiefs were the inspiration to the color choice of the pack won by Crystal. Although they do not have a rigid color palette and many colors can be used, primary colors predominate.

But Crystal and Deb were not the only winners... I was so surprised with all your kind comments, that I'm feeling like a real winner...

I loved to know that you think these pearl cotton balls look divine and have a pretty shine, that these collections are amazing and great color combinations that make you smile, that the traditional Portuguese embroideries inspired the work for an art lesson, that some of you recognize similarities between regional Portuguese embroidery and the stitching traditions of your country, that you've been learning and feeling inspired by my posts and look forward to reading more. And, of course... I was even happier to know that some of you have already visited Portugal and others will do it soon (contact me if you need some help...)

Portuguese heavy weight linen by agulha não pica

I loved your care... And how you took your time not only to apply for the giveaway but also to leave some kind words about my new products an my work...

You made me feel like a winner... Thank you so much - Muito obrigada!

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...

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

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...

Guimarães Embroidery, by Bárbara, blogged.

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.

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