Former Casa dos Linhos owner opens Casa Real de Bordados shop in Porto

The former owner of Casa dos Linhos will open a shop in Porto this Saturday afternoon, where embroiderers will be working in full view of visitors.

Casa Real de Bordados arrives in Porto

Although the morning will remain hectic, as it has been in recent days, the afternoon is set to be celebratory in the small Largo do Moinho de Vento, near Praça de Carlos Alberto. At 3.30 pm, Felisberto Carvalho will open Casa Real de Bordados, bringing the business from Felgueiras to Porto with "embroiderers working live".

He will also be drawing the patterns used on the fabrics, as he has always done. Designed for an area with "a great deal of tourism", the shop will allow visitors to learn embroidery by trying the cardboard embroidery technique from the Terras de Sousa region.

"I wanted to bring the art of embroidery to Porto, and the best showcase is where the tourists are. Porto is essential for promotion and sales," says the businessman.

It is a long-held ambition for the retailer, achieved after he spent more than a decade devoted to the historic Casa dos Linhos, while that shop continued operating at its original location, established in 1860 opposite Bolhão Market. "I have returned to my original project, to my roots, which means being involved in manufacturing, production and working alongside the embroiderers," says Felisberto, who learnt the trade from his mother, a maker of the well-known Lixa embroidery.

A new chapter for Casa Real de Bordados

His wife, Adelaide Campos, is crouched down making the final adjustments to the sign they designed together. It will hang above the shop in Rua de Sá de Noronha, opposite the square, and represents "another chapter for Casa Real de Bordados". For that reason, it carries the title “Atelier 2”.

Inside, embroidery is everywhere, and the eye is drawn from one item to another among the wide selection of products. Some were conceived jointly with Adelaide, who has always supported her husband’s project despite working in healthcare.

Find out more

Certification
Casa Real produces certified embroidery from Terras de Sousa - known as Lixa embroidery - as well as embroidery from Guimarães and sweetheart handkerchiefs.

Embroiderers
More than 65 embroiderers work at the original premises in Felgueiras.

A varied range
Items available at the Porto shop include clothing, blankets, bags and even necklaces with medallions - all featuring hand-made embroidery in a variety of patterns.