Cross-stitching origin story. The main aspects and significance of Russian folk embroidery. Development of Russian embroidery

Who cares we go under the cut ....

Cross-stitch - one of the most popular types of needlework, the art goes back to the era of primitive culture, when people used stitches with stone needles when sewing clothes from animal skins. Initially, the materials for embroidery were animal skin, veins, hemp or wool fibers, and hair.
Passion for decorating yourself and your clothes, in order to stand out with something from environment, inherent in human nature, even in its primitive, semi-wild state.
The legend of Arachne tells that the daughter of the dyer Idmon in Colophon, having learned to weave and embroider from the goddess, surpassed her teacher in this art and, having challenged her to a competition, won in a large embroidery depicting the adventures of the gods. Minerva, angry at her defeat, threw the canoe at her rival's head; Arachne hung herself out of grief and was turned into a spider by the goddess. The Odyssey mentions embroidery and points to the magnificent cloak of Ulysses, the front of which was richly decorated with gold embroidery. In the same way, Homer says that Paris brought to Troy rich embroideries from Tire and Sidon, already famous in those days for their art, and in the third song of the Iliad, Helen’s occupations are described, embroidering on the snow-white fabric of the battle because of her Trojans and Greeks.

The more developed art of embroidery was borrowed by the Greeks from the Persians, when, during the campaigns of Alexander the Great, they became acquainted with the luxury of the Asian peoples. In the time of Moses, the art of embroidery was highly developed, and Ahaliab from the tribe of Dan was especially famous for his art. The clothes of Aaron and his sons, during divine services, consisted of cloth made from linen, embroidered with multi-colored patterns.
Since the ancient peoples were shepherds, the first fabrics and embroideries were made from wool. Subsequently, when the fibrous properties of certain plants were discovered in Egypt, mainly hemp and flax, fabrics were made from them, which, in their whiteness, turned out to be especially suitable for the splendor of religious rites and were used for this purpose among all ancient peoples. Later, a cotton plant was found in India, and there they began to make the finest fabrics, on which they embroidered with woolen, paper, and, finally, gold threads. Since cross-stitching is done with a needle, which serves as a sharp continuation or end of a thread: woolen, paper or silk, then the needle, until it became metal and reached its modern improved state, was made from the most diverse materials: from wood , bones, and in ancient times, among the savages, wood needles, fish bones, bristles and so on were used for this. They embroider with threads, paper, wool, silk, gold, silver, using beads, glass beads, sometimes real pearls, semi-precious stones, sequins, and also coins.
In our country, embroidery has ancient history. She decorated clothes, shoes, horse harness, housing, household items. The museums of our country have collected many examples of folk embroidery. The best preserved items of the XIX century. In those days, embroidery was conditionally divided into urban and peasant (folk) embroidery. Urban embroidery was influenced by Western fashion and did not have strong traditions, while folk embroidery was inextricably linked with ancient customs and rituals of the Russian peasantry.

All women, young and old, mastered this art to perfection. At the heart of embroidery was ancient rites and customs. This is especially true for cross stitch. The cross has always been considered by the Russians as a talisman that can protect a person and a dwelling from evil spirits and evil eye.
AT pagan times embroidery was mainly used to decorate towels, sheets, towels, tablecloths, curtains and various bedspreads. Clothes were also decorated with embroidery: sundresses, hats, shirts.
After the arrival of Christianity in Russia, embroidered items acquired a new meaning. People began to decorate windows, mirrors and icons with embroidered things. Products embroidered in one day were considered especially valuable. Usually several craftswomen worked on such things at once. They started at dawn, and if they managed to finish the work before sunset, then the product was considered perfectly clean and able to protect against evil forces, natural disasters, diseases and other misfortunes.
The motives of the embroidered works were very diverse. There was a lot of symbolism and hidden meaning. figured human figures with hands raised up, birds of paradise, fabulous animals. In ornaments, for example, a rhombus and a circle symbolized the sun, a hooked cross - a wish for good and mutual understanding.
Initially, embroidery in Russia was an occupation for the elite. Until the seventeenth century, nuns and representatives of the nobility were engaged in it. The materials were expensive fabrics such as velvet and silk, gems, pearls, gold and silver threads.

Since the 17th century, this type of needlework has been included in the category of compulsory activities for peasant girls. Starting from the age of seven or eight, girls began to prepare their dowry for the wedding. It was necessary to embroider tablecloths, bedspreads, towels, tablecloths, as well as various clothes. It was also customary to embroider special gifts for relatives and guests of the groom. On the eve of the wedding, in front of all honest people, an exhibition of the prepared dowry was arranged. This helped everyone to appreciate the skill and diligence of the bride.
Originating in antiquity, the art of embroidery has been constantly improved over the centuries. A person who constantly lived among nature and watched it, already from ancient times learned to create simple patterns, conventional signs-symbols, with the help of which he expressed his perception of the world around him, his attitude to incomprehensible natural phenomena. Each line, each sign was full of clear meaning to him, was one of the means of communication.
Over time, individual figures changed, became more complex, combined with other forms, creating patterns-drawings. This is how ornaments arose - a consistent repetition of individual patterns or a group of them (such a repetition of several elements of a pattern is called rapport.)

In ornament, especially in folk art, where it has the widest distribution, the folklore and poetic attitude to the world is imprinted. Over time, the motifs lost their original meaning, retaining their decorative and architectonic expressiveness. Importance in genesis and further development ornament had aesthetic social needs: the rhythmic correctness of generalized motifs was one of early ways artistic development of the world, helping to comprehend the orderliness and harmony of reality.
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. The embroidery was arranged along connecting seams.
In "free" embroideries, along a drawn outline, floral patterns prevailed.
Old Russian stitches 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 satin stitch. 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.
With the development of new technologies, the release of the latest embroidery technology, the process of creating embroidery has greatly accelerated and simplified. With the help of embroidery machines, special software for embroidery, an opportunity has been obtained for the manifestation of creativity in almost anyone who wants to touch this type of arts and crafts. Machine embroidery has simplified and facilitated the work of embroiderers, leaving more time for ideas and fantasies in relation to embroidery.

The art of embroidery has centuries of history. About the existence of embroidery in the era Ancient Russia 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 peasant girls.
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 in 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.
Women were engaged in needlework in a peasant family - 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(maiden, for young, elderly woman).

This is a method of embroidering a design on canvas using a needle and colored floss or other threads. It is not known exactly where cross stitching was first started. It is believed that cross-stitch appeared along with the appearance of the first stitch. It was first made by primitive people using stone needles while making clothes from animal skins. The following materials were used for cross-stitching: hemp, flax threads, animal veins, wool and cotton, widely used natural hair. Until now, cross-stitch is used to decorate homes, clothes, shoes. Over time, there has been an improvement in the art of decorating fabrics with the help of threads and needles. Today, embroidery can be realized not only manually, but also with the help of machines. Progress is also observed in the artistic design of embroidery. Increasingly, ornament and plot drawing are used.

In Russia cross-stitch was considered to be the occupation of close associates. They included representatives of the nobility and monks. Used for embroidery expensive materials such as pearls, precious stones, gold and silver threads, velvet, silk. Expensive embroidery adorned the clothes of members royal family, boyars and clergy. Only women embroidered in Russia. Girls from 5-6 years old began to accustom to this difficult craft. By the age of 12-13, the young lady had to independently embroider a dowry for herself. It included bedding, headwear, tablecloths. Before the wedding, all the works were shown in public. The richer the bride's attire was, the more she was valued.

Cross stitch kits.

Sets for thecross stitch- this is a set of devices necessary for embroidery, that is, what will be used in the process of work. It includes a canvas with a pattern, special threads of certain colors, a needle and instructions. The kits are suitable for both advanced and beginner needlewomen. The difference between simple embroidery is the presence in the set of up to 10 floss colors and drawing the pattern only in the middle of the canvas. Simple children's embroidery is one of these sets. Embroidery kits for advanced craftswomen include a variety of shades of floss threads, as well as embroidery techniques such as half-cross, cross, backstitch. Cross stitch kits distinguished by other criteria. For example, the quality of threads. In cheaper versions, synthetic floss may be found. The best choice be cotton or wool. Closer attention should be paid to this nuance, since the quality of the thread affects the result of the work done. The schemes in the sets are divided into color, black and white and color iconic. It will be easier for beginner needlewomen to work with a color iconic scheme, because details are better visible on it.

These are auxiliary drawings to speed up and simplify the needlework process. They, as mentioned above, are conditionally divided into several types: color patterns for cross stitch, black and white iconic patterns for embroidery, color iconic patterns.

In size, the schemes are large (30X40cm), medium (20X30cm), small (10X15cm). To understand how much you are interested in needlework, try to embroider a small simple embroidery pattern. If the process itself seems tedious, boring and mundane, then you should do something else, less monotonous.

Consider cross stitch patterns in more detail. There are several types of patterns: light patterns for embroidery with one element, medium simple patterns with a small plot and complex cross stitch patterns which include landscape, people and animals. The background in the case of using a complex scheme is completely filled with small details and elements. Cross stitch patterns are subdivided according to the amount of floss used. AT simple circuits, the number of floss reaches 10 colors, the average includes 10-20 colors, complex schemes use about 20 or more floss colors. When buying a scheme, pay attention to the drawing. It should not have too many halftones, otherwise you will have a hard time in the needlework process.

According to the thread density, embroidery patterns come with the same thread density for the entire embroidery, embroidery of the plot and the background of the pattern with threads different density adding and embroidering individual elements in the drawing and the background of the drawing with different additions of floss. Kit manufacturers indicate how much to fold floss when embroidering certain details. Work when embroidering in several threads seems more voluminous, when embroidering in one thread, vice versa. If there is an alternation of embroidery styles, then the pattern, as it were, plays with highlights, constantly shimmering.

By number of stitches cross stitch patterns are divided into several types of stitches, a couple of types of stitch and one type of stitch. For beginners, it is better to use a pattern with one or a couple of types of stitches. Otherwise, interest in work is lost.

We list the main types of embroidery: bulk embroidery, beadwork, satin stitch embroidery, ribbon embroidery, cross stitch. Most simple views embroideries that can be recommended for beginner needlewomen are volumetric embroidery, beadwork and cross-stitch. Often there is a combination different types embroidery. For example, beadwork and cross-stitch.

The most important thing is to start the embroidery process! It may seem very exciting, entertaining and interesting to you. Try to get necessary skills work. If something is not clear, you can always read the forum on the Internet or find the article you need.

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, capable of protecting from the effects of evil spirits, the 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 Russia, 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 Russia, 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 taken to be bleached - it was no less laborious work: first they were washed in ashes, then they were 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 they were accepted at gatherings or at home to “paint” patterns.

Embroidery and folk beliefs.
Ideal wrong 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

History of Russian embroidery originates in the 9th-10th century. This is evidenced by various finds of archaeologists. These finds include fragments of clothing, which are decorated with patterns and made with gold threads. Gold embroidery was very popular in those days. Noble persons decorated their clothes and household items with them.

Development of Russian embroidery

The art of embroidery did not stand still and constantly developed. So in the 14-17 centuries. decorate household items and costumes. Church vestments and clothes were embroidered with silver and gold threads, while adding gems and pearls to them. Wedding towels, scarves, shirts were also decorated with embroidery.

Of course, such an occupation was the prerogative of wealthy ladies. However, starting from the 18th century, almost all segments of the population began to engage in embroidery, mainly peasant girls. As before, it was decorated with clothes, aprons and so on. Each embroidery at that time had its own special meaning. Most often, embroidered on clothes, it served as a talisman. To do this, it was applied on the sleeves, hem, collar.

One of the most common and popular motives in embroidery is a rhombus. At the same time, each nation could portray it in completely different ways. In some cultures, it was seen as a symbol of fertility. If we talk about floral ornaments, then the tree of life or the world tree is in demand here. Also very often on embroidery can be found female figure which symbolizes the Mother Goddess.

Studying embroidery in time, you can explore and learn ethnic history , as well as the culture of almost any nation. and motives, though improved over time, but, nevertheless, their content and essence were passed down from generation to generation, selecting and preserving the best. Each handicraft, will undoubtedly be distinguished by beauty, harmony, perfection. A technique, professionalism and precision.

In museums, you can now see many examples of folk embroidery. Of course, the embroidery of the 19th century is best preserved. Strong traditions had folk embroidery, in contrast to the city. The city was more influenced by fashion, which did not apply to the folk. In the villages, girls prepared their dowry by the age of 13-15. This dowry included embroidered gifts, tablecloths, towels, garments, and so on. Shortly before the wedding, in order to assess the level of skill of the girl, an exhibition was organized. Then, at the wedding, everything that the girl embroidered with her own hands, she gave to the groom's relatives.

AT peasant families needlework was developed. Women spun, weaved, embroidered, sewed, i.e. engaged in all kinds of needlework. The more they practiced it, the better their skill became. Clothes in the villages were also sewn with their own hands. At the same time, it was decorated not only with embroidery, but also with lace, braid or inserts. various colors. The clothes had different purpose. It could be festive, casual or wedding. It is worth noting that it differed in different provinces. Clothes were also sewn for people of different ages, which means that one more characteristic can be given to her, that is, she could be sewn for an elderly woman, for a young woman or for a girl. Patterns also pleased with the variety. They could also differ from each other depending on the area. All these differences were influenced by life, customs, natural environment.

Russian embroidery is unique

If we compareRussian embroidery and embroidery of other peoples, you can notice a huge difference. In Russian embroidery, very great importance have ornaments and patterns. As a rule, they are geometric and represent rhombuses, birds, trees, female images. The solar motif in Russian embroidery was depicted with the help of rhombuses, circles, rosettes. If they depicted a female figure or a flowering tree, then this meant that in this way the needlewoman wants to indicate the fertility of the earth. And the arrival of spring, as a rule, was symbolized by a bird. If the embroidery was free, then, as a rule, floral patterns prevailed.

Speaking of patterns and embroidery techniques, you need to remember that they were directly associated with the form of clothing, which was sewn from straight pieces of fabric. The seams were called countable and they were made according to the number of threads of the fabric. Such seams served to decorate the ends of the sleeves, the shoulder, the hem of the apron, the slit on the chest, the bottom of the apron or the bottom of the clothes. The pattern itself was placed along the connecting seams. Cross, counting smoothness, painting, half-cross, small line are considered ancient Russian seams. white color, goat. Over time, Krestetskaya line, tambour embroidery, colored and white smooth surface appeared.

All Russian peasant embroidery is divided into the northern group and the group of the Central Russian strip. They differ in embroidery techniques. The embroideries of the following regions belong to the north: Yaroslavl, Vladimirov, Vologda, Kalinin and so on. It is dominated by a cross, white stitching, painting, through sewing and other embroidery techniques. It is worth noting that the background was very skillfully used by the embroiderers. It performed the function of part of the element.

Russian embroidery is very popular

Of course, our time embroidery is still popular and relevant. It is also appreciated, like any handmade. You can decorate absolutely everything with it. It depends only on your taste how it will look: vulgar or elegant. Today, the most popular techniques are cross, half-cross, petite, ribbon, bead and satin stitch embroidery, contour embroidery, and black work embroidery. Today, the process of embroidery is extremely facilitated, since you can buy a kit containing absolutely everything: threads, canvas, pattern. You just have to put in a little effort. Although, until now, in the outback you can meet grandmothers embroidering classic patterns. Yes, and there are simply lovers of classical Russian embroidery who follow all the traditions.