Mate Your Vyshyvanka with Your Soul
Choosing proper vyshyvanka shall only observe two components: true quality and custom approach. No matter how odd it may sound, in decades since Ukraine's Independence buying a true vyshyvanka is still a real challenge. Attempts to safeguard the Ukrainian customs and unfailing urge to explore Ukraine in detail sets the trend for labelling anything embroidered in red and black with traditional cross-scything as a vyshyvanka. Thereby, in choosing your vyshyvanka consider the following tips.
Quality
1. A true vyshyvanka has its crosses stitched directly on fabric.
A homespun cloth would fit as it enables counting the meshes. Otherwise, a special canvas shall apply, which is to be pulled out once the stitching completes. Shirts with sewed-on pieces are readily available. We need to admit that such pieces are incompatible with elegant design and apply for mass, even run-of-the-mill production of such would-be vyshyvankas. Currently, the market provides nice and well-worked clothes ready for embroidering a traditional shirt.
2. Peculiar requirements apply to the cross itself. On the face side all the crosses shall be arranged in same direction, while the wrong side shall have the crosses arranged either horizontally or vertically. Any knots or long transitions of threads should not occur. Queer but true, buying vyshyvanka or any other embroidery starts with examining its wrong side. Perfect wrong and face sides promote a brand new overall product quality.
3. Handmade. A due quality vyshyvanka is always handmade.
ІTailor-made
The history tells us that a vyshyvanka for our roots is both a day-to-day and festival dress. As modern industry provides us with clothing for day-to-day use the embroidered clothings reserve the special events. That is why such items acquire extra value, where they have been tailored exclusively for the graduation, betrothal or marriage day. Getting vyshyvanka as a birthday gift prepared by kinsfolk is a great delight. Just imagine that embroidering a single shirt takes on average a month or a month and a half. Preparing such a gift for you would require your kinsfolk to arrange for it well beforehand, at least two months in advance, guess the pattern you will like right, select your favourite colours, deliver your favourite shirt to the tailoress to take necessary measures. Now tell me please how would you love such a gift?
And how you are going to respond if you are confident that it has been your mother or wife who embroidered this (shirt, rushnyk, cloth) for you. Each time handling the piece of work she thinks of you sending her love, warmth, care to you. Such a vyshyvanka goes beyond a mere festive dressing becoming a kind of mother's pray for your good fortune. Even if you cannot wear it due to any conductances you won't bring yourself to throw or sell it away. You will carefully pull it from the wardrobe, show it to your grandchildren or even grand-grandchildren, telling them with love 'tailored by my mother. She passed away long since, but any time I am holding this shirt in my hands I feel her warmth without limits, her mother's blessing.
Realizing how much time, skill, patience it takes to tailor a single vyshyvanka ensures welcoming adequate price level. Any handmade output made with craftsmanship just must have a decent price. Another handy tip suggests to stitch it yourself, if the store or order price do not satisfy you. Even though it seems to be impossible, enough to try the patience of a saint... Try! Mastering the embroidery is like being a good mother. any dedicated college education will not do, it's just about loving things you do. You are thus able to tailor wonderful gifts to your kinsfolk or even get a cool lifelong hobby.
Sincerely yours, Olga Yanchuk
The Ideas Embroidered Saloon