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The history of cross stitch. The history of cross-stitch: creation and reference, Russian briefly, emergence in Rus', appearance in Russia. Embroidery as a sign of attention

The art of embroidery has centuries of history. About existenceembroideries in the era Ancient Rus' say finds of archaeologists relating to the 9th-10th centuries. These are fragments of clothing, decorated with patterns, made with gold threads. in gold embroidery distant times decorated household items, clothes of noble people.

The traditions of embroidery art were constantly developing; in the 14th-17th centuries, embroidery became even more widespread in decorating costumes and household items. Church vestments, clothes of kings and boyars rich in silk and velvet were embroidered with gold and silver threads in combination with pearls and gems. Colored silk and gold threads were also used to decorate wedding towels, festive shirts made of thin linen fabric, scarves. Embroidery was mainly common among women of noble families and nuns.

Gradually, the art of embroidery spreads everywhere. Since the 18th century, it has entered the life of all segments of the population, becoming one of the main occupations of girls - peasant women.

Household items - towels, valances, countertops (tablecloths) were decorated with embroidery. Festive and casual clothes, aprons, hats, etc. Products, as a rule, were made from simple, inexpensive materials, but they were distinguished by high artistic skill.

Each embroidery had its own purpose. Embroidery on shirts was located at the points of contact of the human body with outside world(i.e. on the collar, sleeves, hem) and served as a talisman. The embroidery of towels reflected the cosmological ideas of people, ideas associated with the cult of fertility and the cult of ancestors. First of all, this concerns the ornament of folk sewing, in which ancient symbols are preserved until the 2nd quarter of the 20th century.

The most common motif in the ornament of folk embroidery is the "rhombus". In embroidery different peoples he looks different and has various meanings. A rhombus with hooks in embroidery is considered as a symbol of fertility associated with the idea of ​​a mother - an ancestor - the immediate beginning of all births on earth. Rhombus - "burr" in folklore is compared with oak, sacred tree many peoples, and is a metaphor for the heavenly "color" - lightning that strikes demons, protects livestock.

Among the favorite motifs was a "rosette", consisting of 8 petals - blades connected in the center. It acts as a symbol feminine, fertility.

Among the motifs of floral ornament, a prominent place is occupied by the "world tree" - the tree of life. A common motif of facial embroidery is a stylized female figure. She can perform in various compositions: in the center, riders or birds on the sides; holding branches or lamps; with birds in their hands, etc.

All these stories differ in the nature of their interpretation. But in most of them, the female Mother Goddess, personifying Cheese - the Earth, acts as the patroness of agriculture, the fertility of the earth. It was called upon to ensure the blessings of life and the reproduction of the family.

Traditional embroidery is a source of knowledge of the ethnic history and culture of the people and their evolution over time.

Embroidery techniques, patterns, their color embodiment were improved by their generation after generation. Gradually, all the best were selected, and created unique images embroideries with characteristic features.

art products folk craftsmen, decorated with embroidery, are distinguished by the beauty of patterns, the harmony of color combinations, the perfection of proportions, and the refinement of professional techniques. Each embroidered product meets its practical purpose.

The museums of our country have collected many examples of folk embroidery. The most preserved and survived to this day are embroideries of the 19th century.

Embroidery was divided into peasant (folk) and urban. Urban embroidery did not have strong traditions, as it was constantly influenced by the fashion that came from the West. Folk embroidery was associated with the ancient customs and rituals of the Russian peasantry. So, peasant girls by the age of 13-15 had to prepare a dowry for themselves. These were embroidered tablecloths, towels, valances, garments, hats, gifts.

At the wedding, the bride presented the groom's relatives with products of her own work. Before the wedding, they arranged an exhibition of the dowry, which was supposed to testify to the skill and diligence of the bride.

In a peasant family, women were engaged in needlework - they spun, weaved, embroidered, knitted, wove lace. In the process of work, they polished their skills, learned from each other and from their elders, adopting from them the experience of many generations.

Women's clothing was made from homespun linen and woolen fabrics. It was decorated not only with embroidery, but also with lace, braid, and colored chintz inserts. In different provinces, clothing had its own characteristics, differences. It was different in purpose (everyday, festive, wedding), performed for different ages(girlish, for a young, elderly woman).

By the nature of the patterns and methods of their implementation, Russian embroidery is very diverse. Separate regions, and sometimes districts, had their own characteristic techniques, ornamental motifs, color solutions. This was largely determined local conditions, life, customs, natural environment.

Russian embroidery has its own national characteristics, it differs from the embroideries of other peoples. A large role in it is played by geometric ornament and geometrized forms of plants and animals: rhombuses, motifs of a female figure, a bird, a tree or a flowering bush, as well as a leopard with a raised paw. In the form of a rhombus, a circle, a rosette, the sun was depicted - a symbol of warmth, life, a female figure and a flowering tree personified the fertility of the earth, a bird symbolized the arrival of spring. The location of the pattern and embroidery techniques were organically linked with the form of clothing, which was sewn from straight pieces of fabric. The seams were made according to the number of threads of the fabric, they were called countable. With such seams it is easy to decorate the shoulders, the ends of the sleeves, the slit on the chest, the hem of the apron, the bottom of the apron, the bottom of the clothes. Embroidery was placed along the connecting seams.

In “free” embroideries, along a drawn outline, floral patterns prevailed.

Old Russian seams include: painting or semi-cross, set, cross, counting surface, goat, white small line. Later, there were cutouts, colored interlacing, cross stitch, guipure, tambour embroidery, white and colored surface.

Russian peasant embroidery can be divided into two main groups: northern and central Russian stripes. The north includes embroideries from Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Vologda, Kalinin, Ivanovo, Gorky, Yaroslavl, Vladimir and other regions.

The most common techniques of northern embroidery are cross, painting, cutouts, white stitching, through sewing done on a grid, white and colored smoothness. Most often, the patterns were made with red threads on white background or white on red. Embroiderers skillfully used the background as one of the elements of the pattern. Squares and stripes inside large figures of a bird - peahen, leopard or tree were embroidered in blue, yellow and dark red wool.

Creative teams of art crafts carefully preserve and develop the traditions of folk embroidery.

The works of folk arts and crafts are in unlimited demand, both in our country and abroad.

Cross-stitch is one of the most original and sought-after types of art, which attracts many needlewomen. Since ancient times, cross-stitch has been used to decorate homes, shoes, and clothes. Over time, the art of cross-stitching has improved more and more. Now cross-stitching implies the art of decorating various fabrics and finished products beautiful ornament and beautiful plot pattern. Embroidery can be done not only by hand, but there is also machine embroidery. The surviving embroidery helps to feel the entire transmitted atmosphere of the past and fully appreciate its value for every nation.

Among many craftswomen, cross-stitch is in great demand, however, not everyone knows what the history of the creation of embroidery is. At all times, cross-stitch is in great demand, as it allows you to express your individuality in an interesting way. Embroidery motifs have changed over time and improved more and more.

Initially, embroidery was used for products that served as amulets, the motive for which was:

  • natural patterns;
  • Motives taken from everyday life;
  • Original ornaments.

As embroidery developed, more original and modern motifs, each with its own notation. The surviving motifs of the works allow us to appreciate all the beauty and unusual old embroidery for which expensive materials were used, as well as to have a complete picture of the life of our ancestors.

Important! Before embarking on embroidery, you must first carefully study the history of its occurrence, as well as the peculiarity of each of the ornaments.

How did the history of cross-stitching in Russia begin?

Initially, embroidery in Rus' was an occupation exclusively for the elite, which included only representatives of the nobility and monks.

The material for the work was expensive fabrics, namely silk or velvet, as well as:

  • Silver and gold threads;
  • Pearl;
  • Gems.

Starting from the 18th century, cross-stitch ceased to be the privilege of noble people and became available to ordinary peasant girls. From that moment on, the history of Russian embroidery goes completely to new level, and completely new original patterns appear.

Russian embroidery was very strongly influenced by Byzantium, so the interweaving of different styles can be seen in the works of craftswomen. Now cross-stitch is moving to a whole new level and is in great demand.

Historical information about cross-stitch: features and motives

The historical reference of ancient cross-stitching did not retain accurate information about the emergence of this type of art and the craftswoman who first began cross-stitching. It is only known that women have been engaged in embroidery since antiquity.

Embroidery, like absolutely any other art, is characterized by the fact that it:

  • Displays the culture of a certain country;
  • National traditions;
  • Features of the region.

The historical background of cross-stitch briefly talks about national characteristics every people. Cross-stitch embroidery was distinguished by colors and patterns, which were widely used by craftswomen in their work. In those days, they were decorated with embroidery bed sheets, curtains, clothes, towels and many other things. Embroidery was often used for decoration wedding dress bride.

The most real works of art were embroidered by craftswomen in the East, using the most original and bizarre patterns for this, which still fascinate with their extraordinary beauty.

Hand-stitched cross-stitch is now very highly valued and equates to the value of precious stones and gold.

Cross stitch stories: how it all began

For many, cross-stitch is not only very interesting and an exciting activity but also the opportunity to decorate your home beautiful products. A lot of time has passed since the appearance of this art, however, it does not lose its relevance even now.

Pictures for embroidery in different times differed greatly, because at different times they were popular:

  • Biblical motifs and patterns;
  • Floral ornaments;
  • Original images of various animals and birds.

Each pattern has its own symbolic meaning and embroidered in a strictly defined color. There are many options for cross stitch, however, the most popular and in demand is a simple one-sided full cross. With such embroidery, both the front and wrong side turns out to be very accurate. Observing simple rules embroidery can make the finished product very beautiful and neat.

What is the history of cross stitch (video)

Everyone's favorite cross-stitch has its own enough interesting story origin of this art form. In addition, each pattern and ornament used for embroidery has its own own history occurrence and designation.

It is found on many elements of clothing that make up the design of the house. This is not surprising, because it was always natural for a person to decorate himself, his clothes and his home.

The history of embroidery begins in ancient world, although the question of in which country it first appeared is still controversial among archaeologists. According to some, embroidered patterns first appeared in ancient Asia, according to others - in ancient Greece.

In favor of the fact that richly embroidered clothes and various items everyday life appeared precisely in Asia, according to the records of ancient historians about the wars of Alexander the Great with the Persians. It was here that the young conqueror first saw tents embroidered with gold and ordered his masters to make him the same ones. In ancient times, embroidery testified to social status families. The richer and brighter was the pattern than more expensive materials clothes and thread for embroidery, the higher the position of a person in society. As patterns, mainly stylized plant and animal ornaments or religious symbols adopted by one or another people were used.

The history of embroidery has developed and continues to develop today. Over the hundreds of years of its existence, depending on the peoples, beliefs, fashion for drawing a pattern on fabric or other materials with threads, many seams have arisen and the Pattern can be embroidered in one style, or maybe, depending on the skills and artistic taste craftsmen to be created using various textured threads and various techniques embroidery. This combination gives the embroidery originality and charm.

The most popular embroidery stitch. It can also be different: embroidering a pattern in one color most often goes as an addition to embroidery using the cutwork technique, it is usually done in white and is called white satin stitch. Artistic smoothness with color transitions is very beautiful and quite difficult to perform. Counting surface - the number of stitches is counted, and the length of the stitch, as a rule, equals the distance between the parallel sides of the pattern. The counting surface is usually used when embroidering stylized ornaments that have medium-sized elements in their motif.

The history of satin stitch embroidery dates back to sometime in the 3rd century. Satin stitch was considered to be embroidery for decorating the nobility and their homes, as well as for temple canvases with religious images. For this, gold and silver were used. The rest of the population gravitated more towards ornamental patterns and more simple techniques, such as cross-stitch, half-cross, stalk, etc. The history of embroidery knows a lot interesting facts in its development. For example, the Slavic peoples in Rus' had a belief: if you start embroidery at sunrise and finish before sunset, then a thing with such a pattern becomes a talisman or amulet for the person it was intended for.

In the last century, embroidery with ribbons or braid came into fashion. It is not very difficult to perform, but it requires certain skills and abilities, accuracy and patience from the craftswoman. But think it's new round in the development of embroidery techniques, erroneously. The story begins in 14th century France. Hats and dresses of noble ladies were decorated with ribbons, then such patterns became so firmly in vogue that several hundred meters of silk or satin ribbons were spent on embroidering one dress.

The history of embroidery does not stand still. Talented needlewomen add rhinestones, beads, beads, pendants and other elements to the patterns, which help to add originality and elegance to the product, and fashionistas are forced to look back.




Russian embroidery has very deep roots. At the heart of this type of needlework, and in particular cross-stitch, are the customs and rituals of our people. The cross for a Russian person has always been a symbol of protection, able to protect from the effects of evil spirits, evil eye and other troubles. The pattern on the hem of the shirt, on the sleeves and the neck served as a talisman for a person.

With the advent of Christianity in Rus', embroidery acquires a new meaning. Now embroidered items were seen as a symbol of the Christian faith. Embroidered towels began to be used to decorate the iconostasis, mirrors, windows and doors of the dwelling.

When embroidery appeared in Rus', it was considered needlework of the upper class. This was explained high price materials used for embroidery. Nuns and representatives of the nobility performed their work on velvet and silk with silver and gold threads, pearls and precious stones.

The veil intended for the decoration of the royal throne, which was embroidered by one of the most skilled craftswomen of that time, the daughter of Tsar Boris Godunov, has survived to this day. Xenia embroidered the bedspread in 1601. The plot of the embroidery is the kneeling of the holy men Nikon and Sergei of Radonezh to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

Gradually, embroidery ceased to be a privilege of the nobility and became a common occupation of peasant girls. The materials used were cheaper.

The history of the preparation of linen for embroidery.
The embroidered towel began with the sowing of the field with linseed or hempseed. The grown hemp was threshed and separated into seeds and stems - poskan. The seeds were beaten for oil, and the frog was dried in a heated oven on a tripod (the front leg is small, the rear ones are larger). Then they squeezed it with their hands, swept away the dry leaves, and began to crush the poskan in a mortar or crushed it with a masher. Then the fox was put on a large comb and combed (mumbled) with a small comb, and only after that they began to spin. From good thread canvases were woven, and what was left of the “good” went to the tracks.

Woven canvases were bleached - it was no less laborious work: first they were washed in ashes, then steamed in a hot oven, bleached again and went to the pond to rinse. The canvases were dried on a sunny day, spreading them over mounds on green grass or in winter on a frosty day in the snow. The finished canvases were rolled up on a rock and, grabbing with a rubel, ironed, then cut into towels, and only then were they taken at gatherings or at home to “paint” patterns.

Embroidery and folk beliefs.
Perfect back side embroidered product- a requirement that has its roots in the depths of centuries. Our ancestors believed that the inside is the main indicator of the quality of work. If, turning the work to the wrong side, people saw a labyrinth of knots and tangled threads, the needlewoman was expected to be universally reprimanded. It was believed that a sloppy wrong side would anger the patrons of crafts and deprive her home of peace and protection. Fearing to anger the spirits, embroiderers came up with a lot of ways to hide the threads under the pattern on front side. Due to this, the wrong side of the products looked more like a tapestry made in an unusual technique.

“One day made” items had the highest value. It was believed that a towel embroidered in the period from dawn to dusk of one day acquires pristine purity. As a rule, several craftswomen performed such embroidery. With the first ray of the sun, they took needles in their hands, and the last stitch was made at the same time as the sun set over the horizon. If they managed to finish the work on time, the result of joint creativity was a talisman that could ward off a deadly disease, prevent a natural disaster, and protect against evil spirits.

Previously, for the wedding, as a dowry, the girl embroidered from 40 to 100 towels. They were intended for different cases life. For example, a newborn was wrapped in his towel-amulet, and he did not part with him until his death.

Patterns in Russian embroidery.
Embroidery was not only decorative element, it was a kind of symbol of the worldview, often preserved from pagan times. For example, two birds facing each other and the tree of life between them are the birds of happiness, personifying the morning and evening dawn.

In embroideries, images of leopards and bears, amulets of the house, are often found, and the image of a woman is always a symbol of a woman in childbirth. In towels there is often an image of a pair of women with lowered and raised hands - the Mother and the Virgin.

The mother turns to the earth, takes juices from it so that the harvest is good. Virgo asks for rain and sun - also for good harvest. Towels with an open sign of the Sun were usually given to women in labor to facilitate childbirth.

According to the materials of the online magazine "Sudarushka" http://handmade.sudarushka/?page_id=62

IN primitive society, when people still lived in caves and hunted mammoths, it already appearedneedlework. One event served as a prerequisite for its occurrence. After a successful hunt for mammoths, the meat of the killed animal was eaten, and the skin was used as clothing, or insulation of the monastery. Thus, when the need arose to fasten the skin of a mammoth, the first stitch was made, which marked the beginning of an art that has been living and developing for many centuries.

For some time it developed only as a means of sewing clothes, but over time it began to be used for decorative purposes. Women have always had problems with clothes. Really, who wants to look like everyone else? In an effort to look more original and stand out from the crowd, women began to master embroidery and bring something of their own to it. At first, they simply fastened the skins to their liking, thereby compiling new models, and then they began to decorate clothes with such stitches.

Since then embroidery is defined as the decoration of various finished products with ornaments made by hand. The most ancient embroideries were found by scientists in Ancient China and dated to about the fifth century BC. The drawing on these embroideries is made with hair, gold and silver threads. From China and other countries of the East, embroidery spread to the countries of Europe along the Great Silk Road.

Each country developed own way. IN Eastern countries portrayed fabulous birds and animals, using the most bright colors and most intricate ornaments. IN Western Europe the most common theme of embroidery was church. They brought out Bible texts and stories. Each nation depicted its own concept of beauty in embroidery. Through embroidery, one can understand dreams about the future, worldviews. As for Russia, in our country embroideries were given the importance of amulets. Each embroidery pattern had its own special meaning.

History of cross stitch in Russia

Needlework has always been a favorite pastime of Russian women.Embroider everyone was able: from the youngest to the old women; from the richest to the ragged peasant women. In Rus' embroidery always attached special meaning, because embroidery is associated with the traditions of the Russian people. This is especially true of the cross. The cross was considered a talisman that could protect against the evil eye and evil spirits. During pagan times, the main products that were painted with embroidered patterns were towels, sheets, and curtains. Shirts, sundresses, wedding dresses were also embroidered.

When Rus' adopted Christianity, windows and mirrors began to be decorated; when a child was born, an indispensable attribute was great work needlewomen. Each symbol in the pattern hid a special meaning. A circle, for example, meant the sun, and a hooked cross meant a wish for good, happiness and other blessings of life. Often embroiderers depicted mythical animals and birds of paradise. The clothes of noble people were embroidered with silk, gold and other insanely expensive materials.

In the royal palace there were workshops that made clothes for the royal household. The queen was also engaged in needlework. The daughter of Tsar Boris Godunov, Xenia, embroidered a veil in 1601, which was intended for the decoration of the royal throne. This veil was embroidered with silver and gold threads, velvet and precious stones. Due to the careful care of this work of art, it has survived to this day.

At the beginning of the 18th century, peasant women also began to embroider. Of course they used ordinary threads, not silk, but this did not make the work worse. The skill of peasant needlewomen was not inferior to the skill of court craftsmen. From the age of seven, girls peasant families began to prepare a dowry for themselves. This could be, bedspreads, clothes for several years to come. Before the wedding, all the works made by the bride over several years were exhibited to the public. Thus, the skill, diligence and accuracy of the girl were evaluated.

There are two groups of embroideries:embroidery the middle zone of Russia and embroidery of the northern part of Russia. Each group has its own characteristics. So, for example, the embroideries of the middle strip are distinguished by their brightness, variety of colors and patterns, while the embroideries of the northern part were made with red threads on white fabric. Since at the beginning of the second millennium Rus' was in a very close relationship with Byzantium, this country provided a huge impact on the culture of Russia. Thus, the development of such art as embroidery gradually took place, increasing the cultural wealth of our homeland.

The history of cross stitch in modern times

Currently, the development of one of the oldest arts that has survived to this day continues. Many craftswomen continue the work of their ancestors, not forgetting old traditions and creating new ones. Millions of people admire the huge, terribly expensive tapestries, which took many weeks and weeks to create. great amount thread. Absolutely everyone dreams of standing out from the crowd, but do not forget that you can simply decorate your clothes with embroidery, which will give it originality and sophistication to the envy of others. Fashionistas are not afraid of the complexity of caring for this priceless jewelry, they carefully follow all the instructions and instructions for caring for such beauty.

Now it has become much easier to embroider patterns, because in stores you can buy any shade of thread, any needle, even gold-plated. You can buy a canvas with a pattern, where half of the work has already been done - the drawing has been applied and all that remains is to embroider it, which is what thousands of people are doing.