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Reticella (also called Reticello) started as a form of drawn thread embroidery.  Some fabric threads were removed, both horizontally and vertically.  The boundaries of the cut areas would be stabilized in various ways with: satin stitching, 4 sided stitch, Italian hemstitch or square edging stitch.  Then diagonal threads would be laid in to help keep the holes in the fabric from becoming too large or stretching, and then the holes would be filled with fancy stitching.  As time went on the holes became larger and larger and a temporary scaffolding  became necessary to stabilize the cloth while it was being worked.  Eventually somebody realized that no woven fabric was needed as a permanent part of the work.  Initially designs were geometric, but eventually became more curvilinear.

I've worked several geometric pieces and the diagrams below show how I laid the foundation threads using the fil de trace and aemilia ars method.    First I pricked pairs of holes straddling the design lines.  Then I threaded the outline thread under the little bridges and tried to work out a pathway that would have all the trace threads connected so the lace wouldn't fall apart.  I find that the most difficult part is trying to figure out the best pathway to take. 

Each major line of the design must have at least 2 outline threads on it initially.   But each of these lines must have a minimum of 3 foundation threads before it is finished with overcasting or buttonholing.  

• Start by laying 2 passes of the outline thread around the outer perimeter. 
• Then, once you start on the internal scaffold lines, remember that going from the starting point and returning back to that starting point produces 2 passes along that line. 
• Going from that same starting point again, towards the far point is the 3rd pass.   When you have made the 3rd pass you can start overcasting the line which just received the 3rd pass.  But do the overcasting from the farthest point only to the center.  Don't do the overcasting too tightly because you will want to pierce this bar with your needle later, when you are connecting subsidiary foundation threads to it.
• From the center lay in 2 passes of the other major structural lines: verticals, horizontals and diagonals. 
• Select one of these and make the 3rd pass.  Then finish it with overcasting. 
• Do this for all the others, except leave one line with only 2 passes.  This will be your escape route.  While you are doing the overcasting on this last bar, throw out foundation threads for whatever subsidiary lines connect to it. 
• The only lines which need only 2 passes are the lines which outline an area that will be filled with corded buttonhole stitch or some other filling stitch.

So here are the pathways I chose.  These are not the only possible ways. 

See http://needlelacetalk.ning.com/photo/albums/reticella-reticello-style-needle-laces for some other reticella needle laces.                     *

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	2 passes around outer perimeter	Make 3 passes of the foundation thread along the major diagonal line, connecting it to the outer perimeter foundation threads.	The 3rd pass leaves you at the far end, opposite to where you started.  From here start the final overcasting on this diagonal.  I also worked the subsidiary buttonholed bars, and connected them to the perimeter outline threads.
	When the overcasting reaches the center throw out foundation threads on the other major diagonal line.	When you have 3 passes of the foundation thread on the upper right diagonal, start the overcasting and subsidiary buttonholed bars.
	The you reach this point, at left, you run 2 foundation threads for the center square and the final diagonals.  These will be filled with solid stitches.

For this one see Silvia's blog for a simple reticella design worked in the aemilia ars method. There are 5 parts, and here they are sequentially: http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/07/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico.html  http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/07/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico_11.html  http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/07/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico_18.html  http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/07/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico_27.html  http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/08/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico.html  http://merlettoadago.blogspot.com/2011/08/tutorial-merletto-ad-ago-geometrico_31.html

I made this design by combining 2 small motifs from C. M. Ricci, DISEGNI DI TRAFORI, and I added the looped edging.                  *

			* This pattern is from Cleofe Mingarelli Ricci, DISEGNI DI TRAFORI, page 24. http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.html#books  Look among the R's.

© Lorelei Halley 2011        Created November 24, 2011.