A boutis is one of these invaluable treasures that we inherited from the Provence region of France. It is a type of embroidery made up of two layers of cotton, white according to tradition, but modern demands mean that now accessoires can be done in a variety of colours, Those two layers are stitched together by hand, with tiny stitches, following a previously drawn pattern which can be incredibly complex, it depends what the designer is hoping to create.
Once the entire stitch work is completed we gently separate the material fibres with a small and sharp wooden stick to enable us to introduce a little portion of cotton wool into the cavity created , which gives the final stuffed appearance Afterwards, using the point of a fine needle, we push into place the fibres, to hide all trace of the work that has been done.
This is to obtain a work absolutely identical on both face and riverside of the work of art. This involves of course and extremely long, painstaking and refined work demanding a high level of skill. These days the word "boutis" is often employed incorrectly to name, for example bed cover designs which are simply quilted, composed of three layers, the face, the underside and the wadding, sandwiched in between. These three elements can be quilted elaborately of simply, depending on the design..
Once the entire stitch work is completed we gently separate the material fibres with a small and sharp wooden stick to enable us to introduce a little portion of cotton wool into the cavity created , which gives the final stuffed appearance Afterwards, using the point of a fine needle, we push into place the fibres, to hide all trace of the work that has been done.
This is to obtain a work absolutely identical on both face and riverside of the work of art. This involves of course and extremely long, painstaking and refined work demanding a high level of skill. These days the word "boutis" is often employed incorrectly to name, for example bed cover designs which are simply quilted, composed of three layers, the face, the underside and the wadding, sandwiched in between. These three elements can be quilted elaborately of simply, depending on the design..
Real "boutis" is immediately recognisable. If held up to the light, the transparency between the patterns is evident and the unstuffed pieces in between are translucent, which creates a play between the shadow and light. (source http://www.neiges-dantan.com/en/boutis.html)
When I was in Nantes I did a boutis class. Here is the gorgeous work that my teacher made.
When I was in Nantes I did a boutis class. Here is the gorgeous work that my teacher made.
And here is the tiny piece that I made that day....
If you want to try it yourself, this pattern is available here.
