Book tour – Sardinian Knotted Embroidery

Some people go on a book tour when they release a new book. I’ve never done this, but I thought I could instead take you on a tour of some of my books. I know that some of you have been along for the ride since the beginning but some of you are newer to my books and may not be aware of particularly some of the earlier ones. You are all most welcome to join me on my book tour!

Yesterday we looked at Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimaraes. Today we will take a tour of Sardinian Knotted Embroidery: Whitework from Teulada by Yvette Stanton.

Sardinian knotted embroidery, known locally as Punt ‘e Nù, comes from the town of Teulada in southern Sardinia. If you read the book title quickly and your mind registered “Scandinavia” or “Sicily”, you’re not the only one – many make similar mistakes! Just in case you’re not sure where Sardinia is, there are two islands off the coast of Italy. The top one is Corsica and the lower one is Sardinia. It is part of Italy, but the people who live there generally identify as Sardinian, not so much as Italian.

As with all my books, there are step-by-step instructions for all the stitches and techniques. This book was one of the first in which I included both left- and right-handed instructions. Left-handed instructions are in green, and right-handed instructions are in blue. It means that both left-handers and right-handers have instructions just for them.

There are 11 projects in the book, ranging from very small through to very large. They include the Square Mat, Petite Doily and Pendant. The patterns and motifs are formed by working tiny little knots on the surface of the fabric. Yes, they’re all knots! It creates wonderful texture, but can be a pain in the neck when you make a mistake (not that you will, of course, because you’re such an accomplished stitcher! 😉 )

This is what some people have said about the book:

“Sardinian Knotted Embroidery is a delightfully thorough voyage into the world of a little-known Italian needlework technique native to a small area on the island of Sardinia. Grab your passport and explore this embroidery without fear as Yvette is with you every step of the way. She has anticipated your doubts and worries and addresses them all to give you the confidence to complete every exquisite project in this book making it an extremely enjoyable embroidery trip.” Jeanine Robertson, www.italian-needlework.blogspot.com

“Sardinian Knotted Embroidery is another Must-Have for your needlework library!” Mary Corbet, www.needlenthread.com

The supplies used for this form of embroidery are 28 count linen, No 12 pearl cotton, and tapestry needles. Because of the unique way this embroidery is worked, it is best not to work it in a hoop or frame. All of these supplies can be found at the Vetty Creations website.

Sardinian knotted embroidery is a unique form of embroidery, which the people of Teulada are rightly very proud of. So, give it a go, and try this beautiful, traditional form of embroidery for yourself.

You can purchase Sardinian Knotted Embroidery: Whitework from Teulada by Yvette Stanton from Vetty Creations or from your favourite needlework retailer.