Embroidery is one of the oldest forms of folk art in Ukraine. Every ethnic region has its own unique ornamental style, and in ancient times one could easily identify a person’s origins from their clothes. The embroidery patterns of the Pokuttya region have been preserved from a distant past. While color schemes have changed in the course of many centuries due to the influence of neighboring regions and industrial development, the patterns and ornamentation have remained more static and closely related to the traditional technique of production. Geometric motifs such as the rhomboid, rosette, and different stylizations of the cross are most typical to the embroidery of Pokuttya. When floral motifs are integrated into the pattern, they are subjected to geometric stylization. The rhomboid pattern is also evident in woven materials, which are closely related to the embroidery of Pokuttya in design and color.
Embroidery is still widely used in the Pokuttya region to ornament tablecloths, bed-linens, rushnyky (decorative towels) and especially for clothing. Folk embroidery is connected with many beliefs and myths, and is believed to provide protection against evil spirits.
“Whitework” embroidered shirts and blouses are used for special occasions such as weddings, baptisms, and communions. In these works, white thread is employed with different embroidery techniques, producing a three-dimensional light and shadow effect with shades ranging from snow white to dark gray. While the whitework embroidery of Central Ukraine (Poltava region) is well-known throughout the world, that of my native Pokuttya region has not been fully researched.
In making these embroidery items I used different techniques, such as “merezshka”(border)”, “vyryzuvannya” (cut-out), “vykolyuvannya” (loop), and “zernovy vyvid” (lattice), by which threads are removed and white thread is added to create a lacelike effect. I also utilize a cross-stitch and “nyzynka”, which is executed predominantly on the reverse of the fabric and gives a “tweed” effect. I use only natural fabrics: different kinds of linen and cotton; my tools are very simple- only a needle and scissors; my thread – white and colored Mouline, sometimes silk.
I draw inspiration for my work from museum pieces and antique embroidered work found in villages of Western Ukraine. Many of my designs were copied from works of the 17th-20th Century that I found in the Folk Art Museum in Kolomyia. I not only copy or reconstruct these works, but also create new designs using old techniques, combining colored and white thread. Even though embroidery is a popular craft in my country, new modern synthetic materials and simplified commercially-available motifs threaten to destroy the authenticy of this art form.