Bargello: Florentine Canvas Work

The sriking, repetitive patterns of Bargello embroidery occur in the indigenous needlework designs of many lands. Its origin is very old and no one can say with any certainty where it was first created. Known by many names: Flame Stitch, Florentine, and Hungarian Point, for example, it has been used in combination with other surface embroider stitches, particularly in Middle European border motifs. Working on mono-thread canvas, using the same stritch in specified geometric arrangements, Elsa Williams has designed and adapted 55 different and individual Florentine Canvas Work patterns. All of these are reproduced as large as possible, each on a separate page with 15 in brilliant full color. Every design is provided with a list of suggested colors, keyed to a full-color chart of seven tapestry yarn color families and the various hues you will need from dark to light, plus three different grays and, of course, black and white. Suggestions for the best uses of each of the particular patterns such as chair seats, decorative bands, pillows, tapestries, and wearable accessories, etc. are also given in each instance. In an interesting, short introductory chapter the author recounts the history of the Bargello stich as she traced it back as far as she could to the Middle Ages in a recent trip to Florence after it was ravaged by the flooding of the River Arno. Starting with the Bargello Museum of the Museo Nazionale in that city, the story moves to Hungary, Poland, and back to the Medici in Italy. One glance through the vivid patterns which make up the bulk of the book will tempt you to begin to embroider something at once in this easy, yet fascinating, stitch.