Here is a wonderful fiber arts artist, Dorie Millerson who uses the Italian Renaissance technique of "punto in aria" -- "stitch in the air" -- to produce amazing contemporary art pieces. The technique calls for laying down a heavier thread over a parchment design (that is laid down over a piece of ground cloth.) The threads are secured by small stitches -- and the needle then goes to work, filling in the spaces between the design threads. When the pattern is complete -- the small stitches are cut, freeing the piece from its ground. There is a lot of freedom in the design in this style of work and it shows in Millerson's work. I made a couple of pieces many years ago -- but mostly copying old Italian sampler bits. Millerson's work so makes me want to want to do it again.
Midori Snyder is the author of nine books for children and adults, published in English, French, Dutch, and Italian. She won the Mythopoeic Award for The Innamorati, a novel inspired by early Roman myth and the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte" tradition....
