Design Stitch and Color in Abruzzo, Italy was the intriguing description of the tour and class. There were seven of us that signed up and we all had a wonderful time beginning with a five day stay in Venice, a fairyland of gondolas and picturesque islands. Then on to Florence. We enjoyed touring, the arts, dinners on the river, a trip to Pisa to check out the leaning tower and, of course, wine tasting.
Getting around Venice
The leaning tower of Pisa-Linda is in the foreground
We spent 2 nights in Cortona which included a day trip to Assisi and where we treated to a wonderful luncheon in the garden of a local restaurant–the owner was a personal friend of Avril, our tour guide– with an extraordinary view of the countryside,
The Italian countryside
Holly Brackman’s textile collage workshop took place at Laconda Asino (Place of the Donkeys) in the Abruzzo region. We had meals prepared by a word class chef at this wonderful center that has beautiful gardens and a large pond that was covered with hot pink water lilies every morning. They also raised donkeys to be handled by children with special needs. This magical center is owned and operated by a psychiatrist and his artist wife who, along with her sister, served the meals and entertained the guests.
After a couple of days, two couples left for a tour of Pompei and that area of Italy. The rest of us stayed for Holly’s class.
The class was about surface design and, for inspiration, used local maps, signs and other memorabilia of our trip. We learned to use color and discharge in one step, thermofax screen printing, and combining fabric layers with hand embroidery. We left there with a nearly completed hands-on souvenir of our magical trip.
Linda’s final project-a memento of the trip and the class
A collage by Avril Head, the tour leader and an artist
 Part of the surface design process |
 The first trial |
We then arrived in Rome. We stayed at a charming hotel and Holly led us on a tour of some of the cathedrals and churches in and around Rome. St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel are places I’ll never forget! We also toured the Forum and the Coliseum with a charming young man from Sardinia. A true history junky, he was very fascinating and very knowledgeable.
A courtyard near St. Peter’s
Thanks go out to Holly and Roger Brackman and Amoure Tours for an unforgettable adventure.