The designs, as well as the other Isotta’s pieces (Isotta’s Sampler Pillow, Isotta’s Sweet Bag, Isotta’s Biscornu) were created for the International Show of Lace and Embroidery 2007, held in Rimini, Italy, every two years. To honour the town and the show, I studied Rimini’s history and traditions.
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta was the Seignior of Rimini from 1432. He was not only a bold warrior, but also a poet and patron of arts. He was in love with his third wife, Isotta degli Atti, whom he met when she was only thirteen. Sigismondo chose many symbols and colors to represent himself: most of all the four-petal and four-sepal rose, called Rosa Quadripetala or Malatestiana or Fiore Pandolfesco, to claim the descent from the Scipioni family, a famous Latin family, whose symbol was a rose. Inside the Isotta’s Scissors Fob there is a four-petal rose. To remember the Riminese tradition of deying fabrics with rust, and also the colours of Malatesta, the scissor fob and pincushion are tuned on shades of rust, pearl, pale rose and green.
I guess Isotta would have been proud to see her sewing accessories………

Fabric: Cream 28 ct Emiane linen Fratelli Graziano

Threads: the following hand dyed silk threads
- The Thread Gatherer Silk’n colors: 038 Rusty Amber, 100 Rose Blush, 165 Cypress Umber, 9712 Summer Glow
- The Caron Collection Waterlilies: 106 Olive

Silk ribbon: The Thread Gatherer Savoir Faire Ribbon one package of SF4 038 Rusty Amber

Stitches: cross stitch over two, back stitch over two, satin stitch, Norwich stitch

All stitching and original finishing materials are available as a kit from Mani di Donna.

Suggested Retail: €/US$ 10.00