Brazilian embroidery is a form of embroidery that attracts the eye. Sprays of flowers and leaves rise from the surface of the fabric, worked in stitches that create height and texture. Since Brazilian Embroidery is worked in rayon threads the shine these catch the light and create add another dimension. Unlike other forms of raised embroidery that use padding, wire or separately constructed elements called slips, Brazilian embroidery creates the 3D effect with just thread and stitches.
I hate to tell you this but Brazilian embroidery is not actually from Brazil. Not only that it is a rather modern invention. It was developed in Brazil in 1960 by Mrs. Elisa Hirsch Maia (often known as Madam Maia). Brazilian embroidery combines familiar embroidery stitches with rayon threads.
Elisa Hirsch Maia, was dissatisfied with the cotton embroidery threads and colours available and began experimenting with dyeing rayon, producing vivid and often variegated colours. These colourful threads became popular, and the embroidery created with them became associated with Brazil. Elisa Hirsch Maia’s threads were marketed under names including Varicor or Var-I-Cor. They are no longer available and needlecraft enthusiasts source authentic skeins via specialised vintage sellers. Eventually the style of embroidery became known more widely as Brazilian embroidery and a wider range of rayon threads have since been developed catering to todays embroiderers that want to work in this style.
The stitches used in Brazilian embroidery have a much longer history than the style itself. The Bullion stitch, French knots, Stem stitch, Couching and other stitches used in Brazilian embroidery have much older histories and occur in many different embroidery traditions.
What makes Brazilian embroidery distinctive is that the stitches are worked in rayon thread using stitches that have a three-dimensional quality. Instead of keeping every stitch flat against the fabric, you choose textured stitches such as Bullion knots, French knots, Cast-on stitch, Detached buttonhole stitch, Drizzle stitch, and Pistil stitch.
Traditional Brazilian embroidery is associated with flowing designs of flowers, buds and foliage which lend themselves to dimensional stitching. Bullion stitches grouped together are often used as flowers or other organic forms. Cast-on stitches can also be arranged into petals and leaves. Drizzle stitches are fun to work and stand away from the fabric. Contemporary embroiderers have continued to experiment with these stitches, applying the dimensional techniques to a much wider range of imagery and design.
For me, two things are interesting about Brazilian embroidery. The first is the way it demonstrates that a stitch can become a design element in its own right. The stitch is selected because of the shape, texture, direction, or height it creates. The result is embroidery that plays with line, texture, colour, and shine.
The second reason Brazilian Embroidery is interesting is that this style takes familiar embroidery stitches and asks what happens when we stop thinking of stitches as flat and start thinking of them as building materials. The embroidered surface becomes a place where texture and form can be developed.
Brazilian embroidery is an interesting combination of thread, and three-dimensional stitches which offers embroiderers another way to think about what a needle and thread can do.
The Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild (BDEIG) is a non-profit online that provides educational resources and free designs to stitch.
Thread Twisties!
Experimenting with different threads can be expensive. You would normally have to buy a whole skein of each type of thread. My thread twisties are a combination of different threads to use in creative hand embroidery. These enable you to try out stitching with something other than stranded cotton. For the price of just a few skeins, you can experiment with a bundle of threads of luscious colours and many different textures.
These are creative embroiderers’ threads. With them, I hope to encourage you to experiment. Each Twistie is a thread bundle containing silk, cotton, rayon, and wool. Threads range from extra fine (the same thickness as 1 strand of embroidery floss) to chunky couchable textured yarns. All threads have a soft and manageable drape. Twisting them around a needle makes experimental hand embroidery an interesting journey rather than a battle. Many are hand-dyed by me. All are threads I use. You may find a similar thread twist, but no two are identical.
You will find my thread twisties in the Pintangle shop here.
