It is one of the most important and traditional hand made Sicilian embroidery and it is part of the most precious dowry handed down from generation to generation, although it proceeds from embroidered nets popular all over Italy. The first production of Sicilian drawns in Sicily traces back to the year 1000 and 1100 under the Arabic domination and was diffused throughout the eastern part of the island (Siracusa, Ragusa and Catania, especially in Acireale) where it spread thanks to the conditions of women who were secluded at home with no options of work or studies. The first embroideries had a Moresque style, in blue and white. The most important models are those of the 15th century in the area around Comiso, and of 16th and 17th in Ragusa. There also used to be an additional stitch from Vittoria around the 16th century, which has now disappeared.
It is only used on canvas of fine linen with precious flosses and is worked on a loom.

How to work it:

The first thing to do is unthreading the canvas, in both directions, thus creating a “net”. The remaining floss are then united in the form of a drawstring thus forming a grate and create the pattern, in different ways according to the drawn used. The Sicilian stitch of the 16th century is different because the pattern is embroidered on the canvas and the surrounding cloth is unthreaded.