The technique of cutwork embroidery is quite simple and at the same time very refined and noble. Handmade – it acquires exclusivity, and creating cutwork with a sewing machine will help you get a more even stitch. You won’t need any special tools. Needle, thread, scissors and fabric – that’s all you need.
The motifs for embroidery cutwork are mainly floral and geometric patterns. Napkins, tablecloths, bed linen are decorated with an ornament made in this technique. It is appropriate both for light curtains in the Provence style, and for heavy curtains. Collars of blouses and dresses decorated with richelieu embroidery look elegant and romantic at the same time. Today, the price of bed linen is made up of the costs of production and transportation of products, whereas earlier the time of the master, who could work on the tapestry for several months, or even years, was included in the price..
This technique was born in Italy in the XIV century and then began to spread throughout Europe. This embroidery owes its name to the famous Cardinal Richelieu, who really liked it, and he decorated all his clothes with it, not excluding the over the knee boots. They even say that the cardinal himself, in his free time from state activities, loved to embroider. There is also another version. In order to surpass Italy in the production of lace, which at that time was a very popular commodity, Richelieu invited Italian lacemakers to France and created excellent living conditions for them so that they would teach their skills to French women. Soon, French craftsmen so surpassed their teachers that embroidery gradually began to be considered French..
What is the technique of making cutwork patterns? The patterns applied to the fabric are sheathed along the contour with dense convex rollers. After that, the fabric between the main motifs is cut out, and the gaps between the patterns are filled with brids..
Classic cutwork embroidery is done on a white canvas, preferably cotton or linen, with white threads, but various color combinations are also interesting. Embroidery with silk threads on silk looks very beautiful and elegant, but this is a rather laborious process, since applying patterns to the fabric requires great accuracy, and silk is a rather slippery material. The pattern also depends on the choice of fabric, the denser and coarser the material, the larger the pattern should be, and vice versa, the more airy the fabric, the more delicate the embroidery can be..
