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Try a free assisi patternThis free Assisi pattern will give you a chance to try a wonderful embroidery technique from the Italian village of Assisi. Yes the same place that St Francis the patron saint of animals came from.The original pieces of assisi work, or Punto d'Assisi, were created back in the 13th Century for the churches. Near the end of the 19th Century the craft was revived by village women to help them increase the family income. In fact a Convent started a school in 1902 to teach the technique to the local girls, and this started a whole industry!
What is Assisi work?Quite simply, it consists of a voided design, surrounded by a form of cross stitch and double running or backstitch.Cross stitch, long armed, montenegrin, and Italian 2-sided cross stitch can be, and were, used. Sometimes even a four sided stitch pulled work background was employed to give a net like effect. Traditionally designs were worked in red or blue with black outlines. In the 19th Century other colours were introduced such as green or gold. Subjects included mystical beasts, mermaids, nymphs, complex scenes of people and floral motifs.
If you like assisi work you may be interested in checking out my needlecase designs where I blended the idea of assisi work with blackwork and came up with three animal designs.
What will I need?
How do I do it?It is best to start this free assisi pattern from the centre of your fabric to make sure the design will fit onto the fabric. Personal preference will dictate whether you stitch the outlines first in double running stitch (Holbein stitch) or the cross stitched background. There are benefits to each method.Outlines first - this is easier for counting purposes.
As I mentioned above you can work the background areas in either normal cross stitch or long armed cross stitch. How do I do Long Armed Cross Stitch?The diagram (right) shows how to work your free assisi pattern using this stitch. Start with a normal cross stitch following the numbers 1-4. Then continue by making the longer stitches as shown. Make sure that the shorter arm always crosses in the same direction. Stitches 7-8 and 9-10 repeat along the row. I like to finish with a normal cross stitch as shown by the darker blue line.
Where can I find more information?A classic book on the subject is Assisi Embroideries by Therese de Dillmont copies of which are sometimes available from Amazon.
Another treasure I found online was Assisi Work & Italian Hemstitching
A more modern book is Assisi Embroidery: Technique and 42 Charted Designs
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Cross stitch first - working the double running stitch after the cross stitch gives a neater finish (in my opinion).
by Carmela Testa, which was written around 1927. This book covers drawn work also.
by Dover Needlework, which is often available second hand from Amazon.
