Christmas around the world: Italy

In 2010, designer Lenna Green experienced a white Christmas in Italy (she says: "Seeing snow fall from the heavens was something very new"!)  She and her family, who make their home in Tasmania, swapped houses with an Italian family and spent eight weeks exploring the snow-covered hills, farms, and villages of Northern Italy.  The scenes from this memorable trip inspired Lenna's outstanding "Christmas in Italy" quilt.

Christmas in Italy, detail, by Lenna Green at Stitching Cow (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)

Red and terracotta brick farmhouses, a bell tower, and a church with a rose window have been re-created in exquisite detail. The project included Moda Rouenneries fabrics, as seen in the snow laden hills, star, and border above. The full quilt, which measures 130cm x 145cm (52"x56") is shown below.

A hand-embroidered Santa, complete with sleigh and eight reindeer, flies over the villages...

You can see the original photos of Italy that inspired the quilt at Lenna's Little Green Cottage Designs blog.  Here are the links: New Christmas in Italy Quilt, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 2, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 3, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 4 and Ready to Enjoy New Christmas in Italy Quilt. For a video presentation of the quilt - plus purchasing information - visit the Christmas in Italy Block-of-the-month page.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Lenna Green. She is the founder and principal designer at Stitching Cow, where you can find original patterns for quilting, embroidery, and other textile crafts. If you are looking for a beautiful quilt for a child, check out Lenna Green's inspirational Nursery Rhyme Quilt.