Sandra Mavaracchio

Sandra Maravacchio is a master lacemaker from Burano, a guardian of an ancient art she learned as a child from her mother, who in turn had learned it from her grandmother. After finishing school, she was given a pillow and, later, a Singer treadle machine—a natural initiation at a time when the craft was passed down from generation to generation.

The process of creating Burano-style needle lace begins with a drawing, often inspired by existing models but modified to reflect the lacemaker's unique signature. For Sandra, drawing and creativity remain the most exciting aspects of her work, as she blends classic Burano floral, animal or religious motifs with personal touches. The oil-paper design is basted on a pillow, and stitching commences using techniques like punto in aria and punto a rede—the famous Burano stitch, reminiscent of the fishermen's nets. The work progresses through various other styles of stitches (sbari), reliefs, and scalloping before the lace is detached from the paper and attached to its destined piece—tablecloths, napkins, bedspreads.