Each year summer in the South of France is ushered in by the return of "Les Cigales" (cicadas). The strong, steady "chirring" of the male cigale, as he sings his lovesong and yearns for his mate, is a constant reassurance of the hot, dry days to follow, and as such, their return is anticipated and welcomed. To pay homage to these heralds of summer, their image has been immortilized in a variety of forms: ceramics, ironworks, paintings and of course, needlework in it's many different applications. In many ways, "Les Cigales" symbolize the hot, dry days of summer and are part of the fabric of life here.
" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t
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