Today I have some questions for my Brazilian readers, of whom I believe there are a few. I am ashamed to admit that I know very little about the state of the embroidery world in Brazil. And so, I’d like to know more!
Is embroidery done much in Brazil? Apart from the style of embroidery known to me as Brazilian embroidery – I’m thinking it probably has a different name within Brazil – are there other traditional styles in Brazil?
Do you have many Brazilian embroidery magazines? Are there publishers of craft books in Brazil? Do they generate their own publications, or are they mostly translations of other-language books from elsewhere in the world?
South America is on my personal to-do list for travel, but my husband has his own personal list where South America comes a little lower down. So I don’t think we’ll be getting there any time soon, however much I’d like to! (Of course, the Olympics are in Brazil in 2016, but our Olympically-aspiring gymnast will be too young to qualify for those Olympics!)
You are welcome to reply in Portuguese, if that is easier for you. While I don’t speak Portuguese, other than the basics such as obrigada and olá, I can use online translation tools to help me understand the gist of what you are saying.
Obrigada!
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
Hi Yvette–
I’m not Brazilian, nor do I live in Brazil, but I wanted to address your comment about Brazilian embroidery.
It is called that not because it is widely practiced there, not because that was where it was developed, but because that is where the rayon threads used for the stitching were first manufactured.
Many people think that because it is called Brazilian embroidery because that was where it started, but In this case, that’s not the case. I have no idea what would be traditional embroidery in Brazil, but Brazilian embroidery isn’t.
Thanks so much for your comment, Carol! That’s really interesting information and helps build a little of the picture for me. So, I wonder if there is traditional embroidery in Brazil?
Hi Yvette. I am teaching embroidery in Brazil for almost 20 years. In fact we don’t do Brazilian Embroidery anymore. Once upon a time this work here was called ” Bordado Varicor” and lots of people did this kind of embroidery. This history is very interesting and you can find some information in here: http://wdc-design.blogspot.com.br/search/label/Brazilian%20Embroidery and here: http://bde-it.blogspot.com.br/.
Apart from this topic, embroidery in Brazil is very “global”, not so “local”. It is hard to find good quality materials in local market, the magazines are mostly about cross stitch, a few publications in others techniques – the quality is poor. Extremely rare and difficult to find good books in Portuguese, we have some translations, but mostly from Portugal.
Cross stitch is the most known kind of embroidery, but at this point the interest in some free stitchery is growing.
Brazil is hard to put in “general’ because it is big, with great differences and cultural diversities.
I would welcome you im my classroom, after all you are not a stranger to us. Let me know if you want some magazines or other things from here!
Thanks so much Paula – really interesting. I was surprised to find in Portugal that there were many different regional styles. I wondered if that was the case in Brazil too. I think what you describe as very “global” and not so “local” is similar to what we have here in Australia. People do many different styles, all across the country. I think that is because western civilisation in Australia is so “young” – only just over 200 years.
Brazilian books on embroidery are not common? What you have in Portuguese mostly comes from Portugal? That’s going to make the next while very difficult for embroidery books, seeing the economy in Portugal is in such a sad way. I can’t imagine that publishing in Portugal is in a very happy state. 🙁
I’d love to come to one of your classes – I just can’t see it happening any time soon! 🙁
Yvette, nossa origem em bordado vem da Europa. Nosso País é dividido em 5 grandes regiões, Norte, Nordeste, Sul, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste, Umas mais desenvolvidas que as outras, Onde moro que é o Nordeste, o bordado pouco valor tem, É desenvolvido pelas pessoas mais humildes com pouca renda financeira, e geralmente o bordado Ponto-de-cruz e crochê, Os outros bordados mais sofisticados não têm livros apropriados, os meus são todos importados. Linha e tecido não são de boa qualidade, não temos o tecido linho. Temos algumas cidades no Nordeste que as pessoas humildes recebem apoio do Estado e desenvolvem os bordados de Filé, Renda de Bilros, Renascença e Labirinto, porém sem livro, fazem com os gráficos antigos que passou de geração por geração.
No Sul do País, já encontramos algumas lojas de importados, mais o preço é muito alto, importar sai mais barato. A Escola de bordado é muito cara e pouquíssimos podem fazer algum curso por lá. Sempre que faço são com turmas de no máximo 8 ou 10 alunos.
O nosso artesanato é muito pobre e tem pouquíssimo valor de mercado interno. Eu importo quase tudo.
Espero ter ajudado um pouco. Abraços, Algecira
A Google translation of Algecira’s comments (I realise Google translations may not be great, but it does help us to understand):
Yvette, our origin in embroidery comes from Europe. Our country is divided into five major regions, North, Northeast, South, Southeast and Midwest, One more developed than the others, where I live which is the Northeast, the embroidery has little value, is developed by the most humble people with little income financial, and usually the Point-of-embroidered cross and crochet, embroidery other more sophisticated do not have appropriate books, mine are all imported. Thread and fabric are not of good quality, we have no linen fabric. We have some cities in the Northeast that humble people receive state support and develop the filet embroidery, bobbin lace, Renaissance and Labyrinth, but without the book, with the old graphics are now generation by generation.
In the South, have found some imported stores, plus the price is too high, import cheaper. The School of embroidery is very expensive and very few can make some progress there. Whenever I make are in classes of no more than 8 or 10 students.
Our craft is very poor and has little market value. I care about everything.
I hope I have helped a little. Hugs, Algecira
Thank you Algecira. It is very interesting to read. It sounds like those of you who DO do such beautiful embroidery are doing it against the odds! I congratulate you on your care and desire to do embroidery, and at as high a standard as you can.
Meu sonho é visitar algum País da Europa e fazer um curso em bordado. Estou planejando para quando me aposentar. Obrigada pelo carinho que nos dedica, abraços, Algecira
I hope your dream comes true, Algecira! 🙂
Dear Yvette, I was born in the Netherlands, and lived there till the age of 27, then I went to Brasil with my husband to try a diferent life, we are here now for 31 years and built a life as flower growers. We love Brazil and the Brazilian way of life. I brought from holland the custom to occupy myself with embroidery, crossstitch, hardanger, learned from the Burda magazines. In Brasil it was and still is very difficult to find good magazines, materials and books. I buy my books from amazon and most of my materials from the internet or from a trip to Europe or the USA. I am a student of Paula Marcondes, who knows very much about embroidery, she knows the answers to all my questions about every technique. Through her I have learnt a lot about the blogs and sites from around the world ! Embroidery is becoming a global issue, in Brasil the students want to learn the traditional techniques, crossstitch, hardanger, ajour, surface embroidery, and so on. A problem is that english is not a common language here, as it is in Europe. I am learning a lot from the your books. I find the drawings and explanations very good ! I want to thank you for what you are doing for the embroidery world and I thank Paula for teaching and multiplying her imensable knowledge ! Lisette Gruisen Breg
Dear Yvette
I have been trying to find embroiderers in Brazil to take part in a global community tapestry project about the Scottish diaspora. We supply the traced linen and wool so we are just looking for enthusiastic stitchers. I see that you did get a response from a few embroiderers in Brazil so I am hoping that they might get in touch with me and I can send them further details.
Yvonne Murphy