Meet Brazilian Embroidery: A History, Part 2 of 2
Note: I am a hobbyist who loves arts and crafts! I wrote this post as a brief intro for fellow novices - if you’re intrigued, I encourage you to dig deeper! My sources are listed here to help you get started.
In follow up to “Meet Brazilian Embroidery: A History, Part 1 of 2”…
A pretty slick thread…
One of the distinguishing features of Brazilian embroidery is it’s use of high sheen, Z-twist rayon thread. And although a quick prowl through YouTube shows an increasing shift toward hardier and more colorfast options in microfibers, trilobal polyesters, and even some shinier pearl cottons, purists still prefer the lustrous original, made SO popular by the magnificent Madam Maia.
Twist Talk
Since it’s a “thing” in this type of embroidery, let’s pause a moment to call out thread twists. Z-twist (and it’s compadre, S-twist) refers to the direction a thread is spun during manufacturing to prevent splitting and unraveling, and build strength into the fibers. The project you’re making, your dominant hand, the direction you wrap your stitches, and even how you lay each stitch can all affect how well your thread fibers stay together.
For photos, charts, and an outstanding deep dive into this topic, I encourage you to swing by Needle ’N Thread’s site!
With Brazilian embroidery’s Z-twist rayons, just be aware that wrapping your stitches in a clockwise direction keeps the thread plies from coming untwisted. Advanced embroiderers sometimes buck the trend and spin against the thread twist for an intentionally different look; you can play with this yourself!
And since we’re on the topic of rayon...
By the mid-1800’s, manufacturers had worked out how to chemically re-process wood pulp from the timber industry into regenerated cellulose, or rayon. It was the first man-made fiber to hit full-time production lines. For quite some time, Brazil had the market cornered in rayon manufacturing (thank you, Madam Maia!)
Its slippery, shiny surface made dimensional embroidery’s needle-and-thread gymnastics a breeze. Its vibrant color varieties created dazzling art. And its easy availability and low cost made it a shoe-in for mass popularity. Rayon was a natural fit for Brazilian embroidery.
Nowadays, EdMar Company of Idaho, U.S.A. is the big name in top quality, high luster, hand embroidery rayons. They hand dye small batches in a variety of weights and over 240 color combos, meaning what your rayon colors may lack in consistency, is more than made up for in uniqueness.
A versatile art
Brazilian embroidery is beautiful in so many applications - needlework embellishment, framable art, and accenting everything from clothing to pillow cushions.
It’s considered a freeform surface embroidery (i.e. not counted), so you’re not locked into even weave fabrics. And you have the flexibility to play with placement, size, color, and design. Very beginner friendly, this craft!
Check out my next blog post, where I share tools and materials you’ll need to get your own Brazilian embroidery project started…
