Giuliana Ricama is an Italian needlework magazines that focuses largely on embroidery of all kinds, as well as a good amount of needle lace and other techniques associated with Italian needle arts.

In its Italian editions, it is a beautiful magazine packed full of a lot of needlework inspiration. The abundance of photos made navigating through a language barrier easier than you’d think.

But now, for those of us in the English-speaking world, the magazine offers an English language edition, and that’s jolly good news!

Between the pages of an edition of Giuliana Ricama, you’ll find a variety of content.

In each issue there is a good selection of projects to embroider. Most of the projects are finished into things – household linens, ornaments, needlework accessories, favors, boxes, and so forth – rather than framed wall art.

The magazines also offer an overview of several other embroidery projects or collections of projects, with information about those projects, who stitched them, and where you can find more information (books, etc.). In this way, the reader is exposed to new designers, new books, and new project ideas.

You’ll also find a couple popular or up-and-coming Instagram stitchers highlighted in each issue, along with advertising for a variety of needlework businesses (many in Italy, but some from abroad as well).

I’m especially fond of the projects that highlight traditional Italian techniques, like the Reticella project above…

…which comes with step-by-step photos for the needle lace elements. The project makes a nice introduction to Reticella.

I also love seeing projects that are intended to beautify the home – on a grand scale! This curtain and valance set is stunning!

The current issue has a whole set of needlepoint-like (worked on linen rather than canvas, though) Easter eggs that are really pretty.

There are full charts in the back of the magazine for the egg ornaments. I really like the combination of the bargello with the other counted elements.

There are both small and large projects throughout the magazine, that are accessible to every level of stitcher.

Most of the projects assume a knowledge of embroidery. Aside from specific techniques (like the Reticella project above, a Tamari project, and similar technique-specific explorations), there are no stitch instructions in the book for the surface embroidery that’s featured. There are stitch layouts that tell you what stitch is used on what element of a design, but the reader is expected to either already know the stitches or to have resources for learning them. A good stitch dictionary or a favorite online site with embroidery stitch instruction would get you through!

Find Out More…

You can read more about Giuliana Ricama on their website, here. There’s an option to translate the website, and the resulting English translation that I used was pretty good.

You can read about subscriptions to the magazine here. Right now, with the current health crisis, there will likely be some delays in response to inquiries and subscriptions. It’s a good idea to put them on your radar now, though, if you’d like to get in on the current issue of the magazine, which is the first English edition.

And Giuliana Ricama is also available on Facebook, if you’re on Facebook and want to follow them. They post some fabulous pictures of beautiful embroidery.

So that, my friends, is another needlework magazine available today that’s devoted to embroidery. It’s a rare thing, and it’s always good to know when there’s a new resource available!

Needle ‘n Thread News

On this side of the screen, I’m working hard to get some things ready for you, including the voided monogram and cheerful heart projects I’ve been sharing with you recently. I’m still finishing up one more stitched model, so…!

I’ve had a number of requests for The Leafy Tree project in e-book form, so I’m hoping to have that available for you very soon. I need to make a number of adjustments in the e-book, since it was written to accompany a kit, but the kits will not be available again. I’m substituting DMC thread throughout the instructions, because it is more widely available to most stitchers, but I’ll also include the original color list for those who want to use Madeira cotton.

I’ve also started production on a few rounds of ready-to-stitch towel sets. I’ve found a solution for putting those together again, I’ve purchased new equipment, and if all goes well, I’ll be stocking them once more fairly soon.

Finally, just so you know, there have been some updates in my shop that reflect a change in sales tax, to go along with new tax laws. Sales tax is based on your destination, and it will be applied as necessary to all purchases, based on your location.

I hope you’re hanging in there! Stay cheerful!