Tips, advice on embroidery icons with beads, schemes.
One of the most ancient materials for handicrafts– beads. Tiny beads made of bone, stone, shells and precious metals have been used to decorate and create a variety of beaded items for many centuries. They are found in the burials of the Mayans, Egyptians, Scythians and Etruscans. Craftswomen weave amazingly beautiful jewelry from multi-colored beads. Beaded jewelry, thanks to the quality, formats and color palette of the material, successfully competes with jewelry. Small beads are used to create flowers and interior decor elements, such as candlesticks. And of course, craftswomen embroider with beads. This can be a collar, which will definitely become the highlight of the whole image, an ornament along the edge of the sleeve or hem, and of course, paintings. A rich color and shade solution and a variety of formats, as well as an abundance of embroidery patterns allow you to create real masterpieces. Embroidery of icons is a separate line. This branch of handicrafts is gaining momentum, and in the articles of our Club we will offer patterns for embroidery, and will tell about some of the nuances of the work.
Provided that you want to get not justa picture with a religious theme, but a real icon, there are a number of features in the work that must be followed. The icon is embroidered using ready-made drawings, on which the face and some details do not require processing. The silk-screen printing method is used for them, there is no need to embroider them. Partial embroidery can be explained by religious canons. According to Orthodox beliefs, embroidering faces on icons is unacceptable for ordinary people. This work can only be done by masters who have high spirituality, and for this, a church blessing is also necessary. That is why fully embroidered icons are the prerogative of professional embroiderers or embroiderers who have a rank and work in monasteries. Also, before starting work, you should visit the church, discuss with the priest the picture you have chosen for canonicity and receive a blessing. After finishing the work, the embroidered picture must be consecrated, only after that it will be considered a real icon.
When embroidering the background, you should make your choiceon regular matte beads, with virtually no shine, transparency or any other spectacular coating. And for the saints' clothing, give preference to iridescent shiny beads, with a pearl sheen or gold plating. Another important aspect is the quality of the beads. Preference should be given to Japanese or Czech beads. They have excellent calibration (all beads are the same size), as well as colors that do not wear out or fade. If the beads are poorly selected, the embroidered fabric may become lumpy and warped. Embroidering an icon is a very labor-intensive and painstaking process. Beginner needlewomen will have to put in twice as much effort to get the perfect result. They should also use ready-made embroidery kits for their work. Icons require a special canvas (the face is already embroidered on them), matching the colors of the painting, fishing line, monofilament or embroidery threads. The choice should be made in favor of special cotton or silk threads. They have high resistance to tearing and friction and low elongation. To prevent the thread from twisting during work, it can be covered with a thin layer of wax. The tone of the thread is selected to match the shade of the canvas. You will also need special embroidery needles. They are very thin, quickly become dull and can break, so it is worth stocking up on not one, but at least a whole pack. To easily thread the thread into the eye of the needle, there is a little trick from experienced embroiderers: Dip the end of the thread in colorless varnish, dry it a little, flatten it with your fingers and wait until it dries completely. Wax the end of the thread more strongly. If fishing line or nylon thread is used, you can singe and flatten the end. You will also need embroidery hoops, as for other paintings. The weight of the beads may cause the embroidery to sag, so make sure the canvas is stretched tightly to avoid any distortions in the work. For icons, a hoop in the form of a rectangular frame made of light tubes is suitable. They can be combined in different ways, depending on the size of the icon. In such frames, the canvas is securely fixed with clips, and their light weight will be an additional plus in their favor. When all the necessary preparations are made, you can proceed directly to embroidery. The work is done from top to bottom or from bottom to top. Embroider in parts. To secure, the first and last stitches are made double. Most of the work is done with a monastery stitch: When the thread is on the front side, a bead is strung on it, a diagonal stitch is made. The thread is on the back. A vertical stitch is made down. The thread is again on the front side and a bead is strung on it again. On the front side you get diagonal stitches, and on the back side you get vertical stitches.
This is how clothes are embroidered.The ornament along the perimeter of the icon can be embroidered with a stem stitch: When the thread is on the front side, string 2 beads. Pass to the back side next to the second bead. Thread on the back side. Pass to the front side between two beads, pass the thread through the hole of the second, string the third bead and again pass the needle to the back side next to the third bead.Another important point is the design.To do this, you should go to a frame shop and choose a suitable option that matches the color scheme of the embroidery. When the picture is completely ready and placed in a frame, it can be taken to church for consecration.
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