Next up to share with you is my new design called Italian Tiles. Like the other three, this will debut at the Nashville Needlework Market next week.
When thinking about the designs I wanted to have out for Market this year, I thought a lot about the variety of patterns that I have produced so far. I have an eclectic style, although there are certainly some trends that have emerged. One of them is designs based off of lace – hence the Floral Lace I shared in my last blog post. Another one is designs based off of motifs and patterns found in centuries-old pattern books. It was important to me to make sure I included one of these in my Market releases as well.
In searching online through some of my usual sources of these sixteenth and seventeenth century pattern books, now wonderfully digitalized and available on open access and copyright free websites, I came across this page:
It struck me. The geometry and the symmetry appealed to me. Although the design was on an angle, I began picturing in my mind what it would look like straightened out. Playing around with the basics outline of it on my computer and imagining it as a repetitive tile design, it evolved to this pattern.
Why call it Italian tiles? Well, the book where it came from was published in Venice in 1546. The title is Spechio di penssieri delle belle et Virtudiose donne and the author was Matteo Pagano.
When it came time to stitch it, I struggled with what colors to use. The design only calls for three and because of that, one could really go in all kinds of directions in terms of threads and fabric. Playing around on my computer screen gave me some sense of options to take. I like what I ended up doing, but I also know that different colors would have given a totally different effect.
All of my Market releases will be available in the Hoffman Distributing room in Nashville. If you have a local needlework store attending, send them there! All of these patterns will become available on my Etsy store the week after Market as well.
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