Embroidery of icons according to all the rules. Recently, the words icon and embroidery have become almost inseparable concepts in needlework. But it was not always so. What is the meaning of the concept of embroidering an icon, and how to approach the creation process correctly? What are the rules for embroidering icons? Let's talk about everything in detail and in order.
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Is it possible to embroider icons with beads without a blessing?
The creation of handmade icons is encouraged, but there are some restrictions.
- You cannot work on holidays - Christmas, Easter, Sundays.
- You cannot sell icons created with your own hands . They are intended only for use at home, and also as a gift to loved ones.
- Women are not allowed to touch church symbols on critical days , the same applies to going to church, but this point is controversial - the ban only applies to contact with icons and other church utensils.
- You cannot display embroidered icons in churches - according to the canons, only handwritten images should be there.
A needlewoman should not start work if her emotional state is unstable - anger, despondency, rage, envy. However, few people control themselves in everyday life.
Is it possible to embroider icons?
Your opinion Cannot
Since ancient times, icon painters prayed and fasted for a long time before starting to create the divine Face.
There is a known case with Matrona of Moscow, who felt that their rural church needed an icon of the Mother of God. She blessed the laity to raise funds to pay for the work. They chose a good craftsman, gave him money, but he couldn’t get to work. Having come to Matrona, he told about his problem: he could not start painting an icon. She asked if he told everything in confession, but it turned out he didn’t. After the master repented of his sins, he painted the wonderful image “ Seeking the Lost ,” which is currently located in the Holy Dormition Monastery.
When embroidering an icon, there are two sides - technical and in-depth, which concerns internal preparation. According to the priests, it is necessary to receive a blessing before work, confess and receive communion, then begin.
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The prayer before embroidering an icon is said before starting work . It could be anyone you know - Our Father, the Virgin Mary, the Jesus Prayer, the Heavenly King. The greatest benefit comes from activities during which prayer is read continuously.
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Is it possible to embroider icons with beads without a blessing? Priests give the answer to this question from needlewomen, read about it in our article. Is it possible to embroider icons with beads without a blessing? Before you begin to embroider the faces of saints, you should know whether it is possible to embroider icons with beads without a blessing. This and all other rules for embroidering icons will be discussed in this article. First of all, to embroider icons, you should ask permission from the priest in the local church. It is unacceptable to engage in this work without a blessing. This is considered a sin in this case and can bring suffering to both your soul and body. There were cases when girls embroidered icons without the priest’s permission, and then their children were born dead and their husbands left. You should also read a prayer before you get ready to embroider this or that icon. The prayer in our article is presented in the picture. It is also required to fast while embroidering. Therefore, if you do not know whether it is possible to embroider icons during Lent, then the priests answer this question positively. During pregnancy, you can also embroider icons, and this will even be useful. Embroidery generally calms, and embroidery of an icon is doubly soothing, which will be very useful for the expectant mother. But during your period you should not touch the creation of icons with beads. During critical days, it is better not to do any work at all, not to visit church or cemetery. In Orthodoxy, a girl with her period is considered unclean, and it would be a sin and disrespect for the saints to engage in such handicrafts as bead embroidering icons these days. It is also not allowed to do embroidery on church holidays and on Sunday. On these days you should pray a lot and visit church, but the church does not recommend working on these days. After drinking alcoholic beverages, you should also not touch holy handicrafts. After a quarrel with your family, you should never sit down to embroider. You should take on this task only in a good mood. You can embroider icons to order, but you should put all your soul and kindness into them. Seeing selfish intent in your embroidery is a sinful activity. God will severely punish you for this. You can take a symbolic payment for your creation, or, if they give a lot, you can use the funds for a good cause. An icon embroidered with beads should be consecrated in a church, then it can be placed on a shelf at home and prayed in front of it. If we talk about forbidden colors, then first of all, we should note the color black. This is the color of evil spirits and has no place on the icon. You can’t use brown either, it’s a grave shade. Gray color is also inappropriate because it mixes good and evil. It symbolizes emptiness and obscurity. In icon painting using embroidery, blue and all its shades should be used. Crimson and red symbolize love and are also used in icon embroidery. Gold and yellow are a symbol of warmth and kindness. He is present on every icon. White color symbolizes purity and innocence, therefore it is also used in the creation of icons. You should also not forget about green, as it symbolizes eternal youth and life. May the Lord remain with you in creating icons with your own hands, and now the question: is it possible to embroider icons with beads without the blessing of the priest, you will not have this permission, because this permission must be taken first of all. Set for embroidery icons
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Embroidery materials and tools
Most often, craftswomen buy ready-made paintings with a pattern applied , which need to be sewn up with certain colors. Beads are used to fill areas of clothing, as well as church symbols, leaving faces untouched.
To work you will need:
- Beads of any color except gray and black - they should not be used in embroidery. It is advisable to buy beads of the same size in order to sew the canvas tightly, without gaps.
- Canvas – selected depending on the technique.
- Embroidery needles.
- Threads . For beading techniques, you can take durable transparent or matching beads.
It is recommended to purchase a hoop or frame to hold the canvas and make it easier to work with.
Features of icon embroidery
Traditionally, icons are embroidered with a cross. The work must completely repeat the entire image, the smallest iconographic details. Before you start, work out all the details of the scheme yourself. To make the saint's face look natural, embroider it using the half-cross technique. It will be appropriate in color transitions and in embroidery of hands. The traditional cross is used when starting to embroider a halo, clothing and name.
Decide clearly for yourself which embroidered icons of the saint you want to use: the Mother of God, Jesus Christ or personal icons.
How to thread a needle
If the eye of the needle is too small, threading it may be difficult. There are several ways to simplify the process:
- wet the tip of the thread with liquid nail polish and wait for it to dry;
- dip the thread into melted wax;
- if the thread is nylon, scorch it a little with a lighter;
- use a special device - a needle threader .
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It is important that the eye of the needle and thread are of the appropriate size . If the thread is too thick, it will fray during the process, which will affect the quality of the finished image.
Embroidery technique
Embroidered icons really look like if the face and hands are painted in oil, and all the other attributes are cross-stitched. It is believed that it is not appropriate to pierce the face of a saint with a needle. You can also decorate the saint’s clothes with pebbles, sequins, beads and rhinestones. Start cross-stitching it; during the period of fasting, you should not drink alcohol. On major religious holidays, it is better to put icon embroidery aside. During the process itself, the embroiderer puts her whole soul into this work; it is a spiritual process. You are undergoing internal cleansing.
After finishing the work, you need to insert the canvas into a wooden frame. If you can’t do it yourself, then take it to a workshop, they will help you. Then, go to church and undergo the rite of consecration.
If you go through all this, then the cross-stitched personalized icons will protect your home and family for many years.
Embroidery techniques
embroider an icon using any technique - satin stitch, cross stitch, beads, gold and silver threads. The most difficult thing to master is the technique of sewing on beads. The beads should lie equally evenly and be located in the same direction. To get an even row, you need to insert the needle into the upper right corner of the cage, then string the beads and then make a puncture in the lower left corner. To avoid mistakes, it is recommended to always keep the hoop in one position without turning it over.
There are two techniques for sewing beads:
- Sew on individually , making a puncture after each bead. It takes more time, but the work will be durable. Only the first and last bead are stitched twice.
- Cast on a whole row at once , then go back and attach beads or one at a time.
You can create icons from the center. In this case, the beads are arranged in a spiral. Another method is called chaotic - the workpiece is embroidered in pieces: first the main lines and sections of the same color, then the secondary ones.
Tips for preparing to embroider icons
You must prepare yourself mentally. This is a kind of religious ritual. People who make embroidered icons are called icon painters. Put aside your bad mood or resentment. Try to feel and let the spiritual world through yourself and the embroidered icons.
First, you need to show the diagrams and embroidered icons to the priest so that he can make sure that she is Orthodox and give you his blessing. And after finishing the work, consecrate it in the temple.
Embroidered icons with a cross can be made by a deeply religious person. Before you start, read the prayer you know, study the diagrams and go ahead. May God help you.
Description of the process step by step
It is better for beginning craftswomen to try themselves on ready-made sets . Even if you have the ability to draw and a person can make a design on fabric himself, a little technical training in embroidery will not hurt, but will make the finished image better and smoother.
Step by step process:
- Find the desired embroidery kit.
- Prepare the beads . It must be even and the same size, otherwise the picture will come out sloppy.
- After threading, work begins from the upper left corner - it’s more convenient, although some people prefer to start from the lower right and move up.
- When the work with beads is finished, the hands and face on the icon can be embroidered with floss threads , choosing the right color.
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The size of the beads must be selected based on the size of the cage. If the beads are smaller, the design will turn out bad and the fabric will gather together. Before embroidering, it is recommended to soak linen fabric in hot water and dry it so that shrinkage occurs before starting work.
Required material
To embroider an icon, we will need:
- threads;
- needle;
- icon embroidery kit;
- wooden frame.
Focus especially on choosing a color palette. You may not know all the nuances, so purchase a high-quality cross stitch kit. They have already worked out color combinations and rules of icon painters.
Read
Embroidering roses using the counting cross technique
To make the image and embroidered icons look like ancient ones, they are embroidered with gold and silver thread with lurex. Silk thread was always used in the church. It shimmered in the light and gave it a special shine. Woolen and floss threads are also not suitable for embroidered icons; they have a loose structure.
Where and how to consecrate an icon
An icon created with your own hands must be taken to church . The priest who gave the blessing will bless her after the craftswoman confesses and receives communion on Sunday during the Liturgy.
In some cases, the priest may refuse consecration:
- The image on the icon is not Orthodox , but Catholic . Unknowingly, a craftswoman may buy the wrong set.
- A woman cannot receive communion for any reason.
- The priest did not give his blessing and considers embroidery of icons to be a displeasing task.
To avoid unpleasant moments, it is recommended to first consult with a clergyman, ask what is the right thing to do, and then get to work, following all the instructions.
Priest's comment
Archpriest Father Alexy answers the question about icon embroidery:
“Icon embroidery is only welcomed by the Orthodox Church.” Before starting work, you must pray, or better yet, fast for three days. There is no need to ask for blessings before starting work unless you have a special desire to do so. When work is going on, you need to think only about the good, the bright, the pure, avoiding anger and bad thoughts. After completing the embroidery and its design, the icon must be consecrated. If you don't do this, it will just be an embroidered picture. After consecration, the embroidered icon can be placed next to other icons and prayed at.
