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Casalguidi stitch icon
Casalguidi stitch

  • Padded raised stem band
Casalguidi stitch main image

This stitch is a version of raised stem band worked over a heavily padded version of trailing which gives a solid, raised line.

As its name suggests, it is part of the Casalguidi technique, a late 19th/early 20th century whitework technique from Tuscany. It is sometimes known by the descriptive name of padded raised stem band.

add_circleMy Stitches
Raised Raised band Solid-line Embellishment Outline Stems Surface

Casalguidi stitch is generously sponsored by Carol Tewes Ganse in honor and memory of Marjorie Farnham Pressly

Method

The padding consists of 10 lengths of Coton perle no. 8, (or 7 lengths of no. 5)
Foundation stitches should be kept a few mm from the ends of the padding to prevent them slipping off.

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1
Casalguidi stitch method stage 1 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Fold the padding threads in half and secure the looped end to the design line with sewing thread. Work along the design line by couching over the padding threads taking the needle back down the same hole.

2
Casalguidi stitch method stage 2 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Stitches should be 6 -12mm apart and of a medium tension so that a smooth rounded shape is formed. Secure at the end of the design line and cut off any excess threads.

3
Casalguidi stitch method stage 3 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Starting at one end cover the thread padding with trailing.

Trailing
4
Casalguidi stitch method stage 4 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Couch over the padding with medium tension stitches, evenly spaced 5mm apart to form foundation stitches for the raised stem band.

5
Casalguidi stitch method stage 5 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Work rows of stem stitch over the foundation bars using a tapestry needle, always starting from the same end with a new thread.

Raised stem band stitch
6
Casalguidi stitch method stage 6 illustration
Casalguidi stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

Completed rows of raised stem band worked over padding known as Casalguidi stitch.

Casalguidi stitch

Structure of stitch

Raised Raised band Solid-line

Common uses

Embellishment Outline Stems

Embroidery Techniques

Surface

Related Stitches

Raised stem band stitch Trailing

References

Examples of Casalguidi stitch

Groves book cover

This book contains a collection of needlework pieces collected by Georgina Groves as she accompanied her soldier husband Brigadier General Groves across Europe and India during the late 19th century.

Unlike most of the contents, the cover was stitched by Georgina Groves. Casalguidi stitch is used on the raised motifs.

The book is part of the RSN Collection.