Brazilian Embroidery
Onwards to Brazilian embroidery!
I bring you bright bursts of color that almost stuns you with its beauty.
Heads up: This post has a lot of pictures to show the different embroidery stitches used.
Brazilian Embroidery is a style of hand embroidery that is highly textured and dimensional and uses a variety of stitches to create floral and floral-related designs. Brazilian dimensional embroidery does not limit itself to specific stitches: it uses stitches from all types of needlework.
What really sets Brazilian Embroidery apart from other types of surface embroidery is the use of specific threads. The signature look of Brazilian Embroidery comes from the specific thread that is used, which is made from rayon, has a very high sheen and is z-twisted.
An interesting thing to note is that the stitches aren't Brazilian and rayon isn't Brazilian, then why is it called Brazilian embroidery? Well, Brazil popularized the rayon threads and started producing multicolored rayon threads in several weights. They showcased the threads by using it in colorful embroidery and the popularity of the thread spread rapidly throughout Brazil to the point where variegated rayon embroidery became know as vari-cor embroidery. Soon the rest of the world noticed its popularity and immediately adopted it as "Brazilian".
I tried the rayon floss first time on this project and it’s not a very easy floss to handle and use because of its silky nature. Since I am not very experienced in using the rayon threads, I went back to DMC embroidery floss. This project was done using DMC embroidery floss that is made from Egyptian cotton and is double mercerized to give it sheen.
Stitches commonly used in this very dimensional embroidery and stitches include bullion knots, woven picots, french knots, cast-on stitch, drizzle stitch, and pretty much any stitch that can be used to produce dimensional floral elements.
Brazilian Embroidery is different from surface embroidery or even stumpwork. Unlike stumpwork, which is also dimensional, Brazilian Embroidery doesn’t rely on the use of wires for supports of various parts of the design (which is typically done in stumpwork for flowers and leaves), and you don’t see padded areas or covered foundations (like wooden beads). Brazilian Embroidery relies on the stitches alone and the build up and layering of the design to create its dimensional effect.
Another noticeable difference between specifically Brazilian Embroidery and other dimensional and surface embroidery techniques is that Brazilian embroidery always features flowers and foliage as its subject matter, and nothing else. You don’t see, for example, people embroidered in Brazilian embroidery techniques – or animals, or inanimate objects, etc. You see only foliage and flowers.
If you are thinking of trying Brazilian embroidery, do use Milliner needles. The eye of the needle is the same size as the sturdier shaft, which helps when pulling the needle through wraps of thread (bullions) or cast-on stitches. A bulging eye with a thinner shaft would make it very difficult to pull a loaded needle through the fabric.
I started this flower wreath as a learning piece. But I am definitely inspired to work on a painting style of Brazilian embroidery.