Counted stitch patterns
designed and worked by
Iryna Varabei
Belarusan Motifs
Collection
Counted stitch patterns published in
magazine
Iryna Varabei is a proud contributor to
A Needle Pulling Thread magazine,
which features Canadian designers in Needlework Arts.
Up to date, there are 33 of my designs (with their patterns along) been published
in the ANPT magazine.
Here, you can see the pages where they appear and read my interview and
articles which accompany the designs.
As I see that Belarus and its culture are quite a "white spot" on the world map for the most of Canadians, I tried to make my articles to slightly lift the curtain on it.
I hope you will enjoy them as well as my designs.
*All patterns are available in my on-line store on the Etsy.com
1) Ripples On Water. Spring 2010
There are many types and styles of needlepoint and each has unique techniques and stitches to set it apart. In this project, needleworkers can set their needles to Belarusan needlepoint, a traditional style from Belarus. The graphic geometric artistry of this framed project is reminiscent of the woven coverlets of the 1800s and the intricacy of the finest tapestry... read more
2) Home Sense. Summer 2010
The origin of the name ‘Belarus’, which means “white land”, is still uncertain. Some historians believe that “white” in the old Slavic languages meant “clean, free”, pointing to the fact that Belarus was never invaded or occupied by the Gold Horde (Mongolian-Tatars) unlike the other principalities in the area in the 13-15th centuries.
Others believe that this name is much older. The nation was identified with “white” after the folk’s favorite colour used for clothing. The Belarusans didn’t dye their homemade fabrics. They loved the natural look of their native flax – the more it was washed, the whiter it got. It was typical for them to embellish their white clothes and linens with red embroidery. Over time red and white have become part of their heritage and are represented in their traditional embroidery and used in their national (historical) flag.
3) 'Dazhinki' - Harvest Feast. Fall 2010
Belarusan embroidery symbols represent the ancient and current philosophy and knowledge of the world. The key to the Belarusan embroidery is to understand that the geometric designs were originally pictographs to communicate with an illiterate society. Belarusans have preserved ancient Aryan symbolic scripts by stylizing them into ornamental stitchery.... read more
4) The Country of Downy Diamods. Festive 2011
As any Belarusan having experienced the northern climates, I love winter and snow. Winter images are very popular in our culture, arts and folklore.
In our very souls, white snow is associated with the name of our country. “Bela-rus” means “white-land”.
What in the world can be whiter, cleaner and purer than first fallen snow?
The solemn, festive whiteness of the first snow evokes in our spirits the feeling of the triumph of primordial purity. .... read more
5) 'Hramavik' - Thunder Spirit. Spring 2011
In our souls, we are all enthusiastic about the elements, and in the spring, after a long boring winter, we eagerly await the first thunderstorm to wash away all the remnants of snow and ice, even though it was, at times, nice.
My Hramavik - Thunder Spirit design is the result of three sources of inspiration: a Belarusan motif pattern, the Trianglepoint stitch technique and the colour palette Ice Is Nice proposed by A Needle Pulling Thread magazine. .... read more
6) United Family. Summer 2011
Among the other symbols in Belarusan motifs representing ‘children’, ‘mother’, ‘boy’, ‘girl’ etc., one in particular represents ‘family’, as in “united family”. In Belarusan language, the word for ‘family’ consists of two roots: ‘seven’ and ‘me’ – ‘seven-of-me’. And such is the symbol for “united family”—the rhombus divided into several pieces, which is also evolved into an intricate pattern within a pattern. .... read more
7) Mushroom Adventures. Fall 2011
Early, early in the morning ... We’re walking through a blue-gray meadow covered with a thick white veil of mist. The morning dew cools your bare feet (we are carrying our shoes to keep them not wet) on the path to the deep part of the birch forest. We are gripped with the sweet, thrilling sense of anticipation adventure which managed to get us up from our beds before dawn for our long walk...
Mushroom Adventure was a thrill to design and convert into a cross stitch pattern.
It’s an image that strongly evokes my childhood and youth memories. .... ...read more
8) Spring Keys. Spring 2012
Who, pray tell, is not bothered with winter yet?
We anxiously watch the weather forecast on TV, waiting for someone to conjure up some sign of spring...
To shorten the time until spring's arrival our ancestors would gather to sing vociferously and without interruption believing their magical songs echoed from one village to another, always reaching further south. There, in distant southern lands, were larks that held the keys in their beaks that locked up winter and unlocked spring. It was believed that the larks returned to their northern home thus bringing spring, using our ancestors' songs to guide them back.” ... read more
9) Special Delivery. Summer 2012
In some cultures it is told that babies are born in a cabbage patch.
Other cultures pick their babies off the sunflowers heads.
Belarusan folklore tells of babies delivered by storks, yet nobody knows from where exactly.
It is a tradition that everybody favours the stork, and attracts them to their household by placing an old wagon wheel high on a tree.
Another option is embroidering stork images on home linens.
"Honey", "Sweety", are names endearment used all over the world, but Belarusans call their children "soneyka mayo" - "My sunny".
Special delivery was a real pleasure to design and stitch, incorporating many folkloric symbols. The image of the cabin reminds me of the peculiar cosiness of our rustic wooden homes. The stork isn't only Belarusan favourite bird; it's the national symbol which came from the very ancient totem.
10) Lucky Charm Bookmark. Fall 2012
In this edition of ANPTmag, it is with great excitement to explore with you this distinctive type of Belarusan stitching technique called "Belarusan Nizanka".
To date, my designing work consisted in transforming Belarusan traditional patterns into modern stitching techniques and stiles. But I have often been asked if there is a specific, distinctive type of Belarusan stitching technique. Today, I am ready to say, “Yes, it exists”, and to introduce it to the readers of the ANPT, bringing it up for Canadian stitchers.
11) Bahach - Spirit of Wealth. Spring 2013
“It’s better to be rich and healthy, than poor and sick”.
Would anybody disagree with this folk saying?
My treasure box is not as large as I might like it to be, and it isn’t really filled with tangible valuables. It is still precious to me of that untouchable, symbolic content kept inside. I store my designing company’s leaflets, little flyers and business cards there. Remember? – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, …but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. My heaven is my stitching world. I embellished my box with the so-dear- to-my-heart traditional Belarusan motif, the Spirit of Wealth.
One of the traditional stitching motifs of Bahach (Spirit of Wealth) is a horn, whose meaning originated from the ancient times when cattle served as a currency. Another traditional motif is a spike of wheat. Both elements are symbols of goodness and wellbeing.
My ancestors believed embroidery to be a spiritual, magical action, so stitching these patterns will surely bring you fortune, wealth and health.
12) Ripples On Water #3. Homeland. Summer 2013
Hypnotical... Intricate... Whimsical...
I have been never tired of marveling these magnificent patterns that were used for traditional Belarusan woven coverlets.
And I can never get enough of these geometrical patterns, and the more I think about it I'm in complete wonder how they were ever designed in the first place!
Taking into account the intricacy and whimsicality of this patterns, yet their hoary antiquity, I try to imagine what way they had been designed at the times immemorial - I see my distant fore-mother working with ...a pencil ...on a piece of charted paper..? or directly on a primitive weaving loom at once? ...read more
13) Kaliada Star. Festive 2013
Kaliady is the pre-Christian celebration of the end of year and the beginning of the new one. It is believed the word “Kaliady” takes its root from word “kola” (wheel, circle) symbolizing the Sun, seasonal cycle and winter solstice. Later is was adopted for Christmas celebration by Orthodox and Catholic churches.
Celebrating this holiday people get together for frivolous fun and feisty frolics called “going kaliadaing”. Belarusans are well known for their love of jokes and improvisation. During three weeks, people dressed up as animals and mythical beasts, wearing masks to hide their identities and to encourage great fun parade through their villages horsing around, playing games and acting plays. ... read more
14) Talisman For Baby. Spring 2014
Embroidered talismans were very popular in the old Slavic culture. A talisman is an object containing the magical power of providing good luck and protection for the possessor. It’s believed to be charged with the magical powers by its creator (unlike an amulet which usually is made by the Nature), and embroidery is considered practically the most significant charging process. Generally, the ancient solar symbols are used for stitched talismans. In Belarusan culture, they were also used on embroidered ritual towels, clothing and home linens. In fact, all our stitched shirts, head wears, belts, etc. are talismans. ...read more
15) Traveń Centerpiece. Summer 2015
The Traveń Centerpiece is inspired by the colour of grass in spring that turns lush in summer. You can call it ‘a patch of of grass. The word Traveń in Belarusan means the month of May and is translated literally as “grass” or “the month of grass”.
This project explores the unique Belarusan Nizanka technique for four-sided item such as a table cloth.
...read more
16) Love And Cherish Talisman Wedding Gift. Issue 46, 2018. Love Birds
Quite long ago, during my first years in Canada, I made a gift for my ESL teacher for her wedding. It was an embroidered piece using the traditional Belarusan symbol of love, Love Doves, a very popular and beloved symbol in Belarusan culture.
I decided to stitch them once again for this very appropriate lovebirds issue.
To leave room for your creativity, you have the opportunity to choose to make it in one of two colourways: Belarusan traditional colours and in alternate one in pastels. This is a flexible design where with a small amount of effort, you can substitute even these suggested colours to those to suit your personality, décor and accessions.
Besides the Love Doves in this design, the overall piece is very symbolic, where every item has a meaning:
Fern Flower is a magical flower which blooms only once during the night of the summer solstice: it is believed to make wishes come true for those who can find it deep in woods...
Vase is the symbol of woman’s destiny.
Harmony and Compliance are beneath birds’ feet symbolizing the reliable base for a durable marriage.
Child Star, ... read more
17) 'Hramnicy' Candle Talisman. Issue 47, 2018. Chakras, mandalas, meditations...
My design is dedicated to Haramnicy holiday that is celebrated in Belarus. Hramnicy can be akin in some way to western European Candlemas Day and Imbolc holidays.
One of the characters worshiped and featured at this holy day is a holy candle. Its traditional symbol is in the center of my design.
People light up their blessed Hramnicy Candles during the church service and carry them home in the hopes the candles wouldn’t go out, so it can bring goodness to their homes.
From a Belarusan perspective, the Hramnicy Candle symbolises the dual nature of humans. The candle corpus made of wax given by the nature represents a human body; and the wick made of handmade linen fabric represents a human soul.
It is belived that humans receive their bodies from God (or Mather Nature) the same way as we take wax from bees. We grow our souls during our lifetime the same way as we grow flax, weave linen and twist a wick with our own hands.
The Hramnicy Candle recalls the great opportunities and latent energy of life in a man. Like fire, the energy of the soul can be destructive. And it can also warm up, heal, illuminate and guide.
The tamed fire of the soul can be called a will. A man with an awakened will is able to maintain and revive the culture and way of life.
It is possible to light up a Hramnicy Candle blessed at the Hramnicy service at any time of the year and pray for wishes in front of it.
Or we can pray while stitching its image. Because, according to Belarusan beliefs, stitching is a magical action and connects the stitcher to the spiritual world.
18) Belarusan Nizanka Snowflake. Issue #48, 2018. Ornaments
As easy as beautiful, as well as unique and intricate to do
The ancient technique Nizanka was very common in Belarusan lands for making sacral embroidered items such as ‘roushniks’ which played an important role in old rituals and customs.
There are two Nizanka stitching rules that meet sacral requirements. ...read more
19) 'Pavouk' Talisman. Issue #49, 2019. Rainy Day fun
The idea of stitched ‘Pavouk’* came from the 3D straw decoration very popular in Belarus.
“Salamiany Pavouk” – 'Straw Pavouk' – is one of the oldest Belarusan traditional talismans made of straw.
It is considered a sacred thing because its shape and the process of its making repeat God’s geometrical way of the Universe creation. A 'Straw Pavouk' is done at the beginning of a new year believing it to serve as a protector for a home and family for that year long. It can catch an evil power and destroy it. ...read more
20) Serendipity. Colour Play. Issue #50, 2019. Cherish, Reuse, Recycle
It happened quite by serendipity. Suddenly, I found myself with a heap of leftover yearn. I also found a forgotten piece of evenweave fabric with an attractive texture to it, shortly after. The cloth is a great backdrop for Nizanka embroidery and if I gave the design some pop of colour, it will be quite the topic of conversation.
I thought, cushion cover! All the pieces came together at the right moment...
21) The Lure of Birchwood. Issue #51, 2019. Destinations
From afar, details disappear and only silhouettes remain.
Sharp corners of my memory have softened over the time.
From afar, everything is seen differently.
Although, I remember everything.
The birches and the beauty of the birchwood are one of the natural symbols of Belarusan culture besides the cornflower, the stork and the zubr (European bison). The Belarusans love their forests, especially birchwood, the same way as the British love the ocean, the Arabians love their desert, or the Tibetans love their mountains.
My design is a tribute to my memories and love for the splendor of Belarusian nature, which I remember with all my heart.
22) Talisman for Good Luck. Issue #52, 2020. Projects inspired by favourite relatives
I made this Talisman for my son who is an athlete. He takes this good luck charm to all cycling races, keeping it in his pocket. I taught him how to use it.
Within the Talisman, there are three ancient magic symbols.
*My great thanks to Carla A. Canonico, the Editor-in-Chief, for edditing my awkward :) English