Correct embroidery of icons using beads

Icons for embroidery - ready-made kits for creating sacred images and subsequent illumination. Is it possible to embroider icons without a blessing, what tools are needed for embroidery, what does the step-by-step process look like? More on this and more below.

The meaning of color in the Orthodox icon

There is no clear meaning of color in icon painting, but each color has a certain semantic load. Yellow and gold colors mean God's presence, heavenly light, eternity and grace. That is why holy faces are painted on a gold background. White color symbolizes innocence with purity, holiness and divine radiance. According to tradition, this color is used to decorate clothes with wings and swaddling clothes of children. Silver color has a similar meaning. According to the psalms, it is a symbol of purity, eloquence and purification.

Red color means feat, courage, sacrifice of Christ, Motherhood and predestination of fate, and burgundy - human nature of the savior. Purple or crimson color has Byzantine roots. It symbolizes royalty with grandeur. It is used to decorate representatives of the supreme power, princes. Often this shade is used to depict the Last Judgment. In this case, it carries the meaning of threat, fire and fear.

The blue shade is presented in icons as a symbol of heaven, divinity, mystery, revelation and wisdom. The apostles' tunics are often depicted in this tone. Light blue is a color that denotes purity and chastity, and green is a color that denotes harmony and unity with God. It is also a shade that symbolizes the struggle of life over death and the attainment of eternal life.

Brown is a shade of frailty, violet is of service, black is of emptiness, death, renunciation of the world of people, humility with repentance. Gray is not used in icon painting, since it creates ambiguity with obscurity and emptiness.

Face of the icon

The face is the face of a saint, a person who has freed himself from the vanity of the world. In traditional icon painting, it is customary to depict the face last. As for other methods of depicting saints, using beads or threads, the face is painted first. In this case, the eyes, being the mirror of the soul, are depicted large and penetrating, and the mouth is disproportionately small, being a symbol of sensuality and meekness.

Gestures on the icon

Gestures on icons are very important because they carry a certain semantic load and spiritual information. Thus, hands pressed to the body denote worry, raised up - the need for repentance and prayer for peace. Hands stretched forward with open palms symbolize obedience and submission, and pressed to the cheeks - sadness and grief.

Apostle Paul is often depicted with the Gospel, keys, and less often with a sword. In the first case, it is a sign of service, in the second - the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and in the third - the word of God. Prophets are often depicted with scrolls of their prophecies.

Is it possible to embroider icons with beads without a blessing?

It is believed that one must receive a blessing to begin writing or embroidering icons with any material, including beads. Without it, this work is considered sinful and can cause mental suffering. In addition to asking permission from the father in the local church, one must fast and read a prayer to the saint who will be depicted on the icon.

Some recommend doing this during pregnancy, but on the day of impurity, touching the delicate bead embroidery is prohibited. It is not recommended to start embroidering the holy face in a bad mood, after a quarrel with relatives, drinking alcohol and other serious sins. You can create icons to order, but you should not take money for it. This is a sinful activity. After creating a holy image, it is recommended to consecrate the resulting icon in a church.

Materials and tools for embroidery

To embroider an icon with beads you will need:

• canvas with a printed design;
• Czech with jewelry beads;
• needle;
• instructions;
• square or round cheap hoops;
• threads with semi-precious or ornamental stones;
• rhinestones with beads.

As a rule, ready-made kits contain everything you need, and you don’t need to look for any tools separately. Icons for bead embroidery are fully equipped kits.

Embroidery techniques

There are many techniques of icon embroidery. However, the most popular and well-known are classical and attached.

Classical

According to the classic embroidery technique, it is necessary to carefully iron the fabric so that the beads lie more evenly, stretch the fabric on a wooden frame or hoop, and arrange the beads in separate boxes. Then secure the first stitch of the thread on the fabric and make a loop stitch of the thread, holding the first bead on the fabric. It is necessary to start from the left, moving from the upper corner to the end. At the end of the row, the bead is secured with a double stitch. In the second row, you need to go from the upper right corner to the lower point on the left, then go to the right corner. This is how the icon is embroidered in the forward and reverse directions.

Attached

According to the technique of fastening, it is necessary to string beads on a thread, and then sew it to the fabric using short stitches. Stitches between beads. The thread with beads strung on it is placed on the fabric, and another thread is used to sew it through each bead. According to the technique, the finished face is sewn with beads.

How to thread a needle correctly

Threading a needle doesn't always work the first time. To make the task easier, there are four simple methods: using varnish, a melted wax candle, a lighter, and water. In all cases, the end of the thread is moistened, set on fire, or dipped to make it more pliable and flat.

Step by step description of the process

To embroider an icon with beads, you need to start with choosing a technique. The only rule is that you cannot change the direction to get a neat work. To make the final image strong, you need to secure each embroidered row with a double stitch. That is, a step-by-step description of the process looks like this:

1. Read the instructions;
2. Lay out all the materials on the table and sit comfortably;
3. Select equipment;
4. Secure the first bead to one of the corners with a double stitch;
5. Embroider one row and secure the result with a double stitch;
6. Continue making the following rows until the work is completely finished.

Then you need to insert the finished work into a baguette, passe-partout or frame, give it as a gift or attach it to the wall.

Working on the icon of Saint Helena

The icon of Saint Helena is one of the rare ready-made embroidery kits. It depicts Helena with her son Constantine. Each of them holds a cross in their hands. The icon serves as a symbol of support and revival of Christianity, faith in the kingdom of heaven.

Embroidering the icon "Tenderness of the Most Holy Mother of God"

The icon of the Mother of God's Tenderness symbolizes the triumph of Orthodoxy, the joy of motherhood, and the Annunciation. It depicts Mary as ecstatic and happy, with her hands crossed in prayer and her head bowed. She is depicted on the icon at the moment of the descent of Archangel Gabriel, who tells her about the immaculate conception. The icon features yellow, white, red, and often blue tones. The crochet embroidery of the holy image, as in the first case, must be done with full responsibility and understanding of the matter.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is the most common shrine, which is considered the easiest to embroider with your own hands. As a rule, there are only six colors, so inexperienced craftsmen begin making icons with beads from this shrine.

We embroider personalized icons

Personalized icons are a great gift for a birthday or angel's day. As a rule, they are depicted on a plain background with a thin gold or black outline. The name of the depicted saint is always present. To embroider a personalized icon, you can use a ready-made template or make it yourself.

Peter and Fevronia

Peter and Fevronia are among the most revered saints among married couples or newlyweds. They symbolize purity, holiness and Christian love. As a rule, they are depicted most often in full growth against the background of a temple. Jesus is depicted in the center. It is considered that this is one of the most difficult subjects for painting images, since there are many small details and colors.

Embroidery of icons with beads: Charivna Mit

Charivnya Mit is one of the most revered shrines, which today can be made with your own hands, complemented with beads. This is a complex plot to create, which requires special attention and accuracy.

Nicholas the Wonderworker

Nicholas the Wonderworker is one of the favorite saints of all Russians. Today, his image can be decorated by anyone using beads for handicrafts according to a ready-made pattern or their own designs.

Everlasting color

The most beautiful shrine that you can make with your own hands, embroidered with beads, symbolizing innocence, unfading and purity. On it, Mary is presented with Christ and they are decorated with flowers, a rainbow and angels.

Unexpected joy

Unexpected Joy is one of the revered Christian themes, which depicts a man worshiping the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ in her arms. A very rare shrine, which is extremely rare in an embroidery kit. In terms of complexity, this is one of the most difficult themes to write.

Saint Sophia Icon: Beadwork

Saint Sophia is the most revered martyr of the Christian world, the patroness of wisdom and spiritual purity. On holy images, she is most often depicted with open palms, a cross and a scroll in her hand, and in a gesture of blessing. Very often, she is depicted in full growth together with her daughters Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov. Bead embroidery of the icon of this saint can be done either with a ready-made kit or using your own patterns.

How to choose an embroidery kit

As a rule, the embroidery kit has everything you need to create a full-fledged icon. You need to choose based on the price, the manufacturer, the complexity of the embroidery and beauty. For example, the company crochet bead embroidery icons has proven itself well. Beginners are best off starting with small kits that have simple lines.

How to frame embroidery

It is not difficult to insert embroidery into a frame. It is enough to cut off the protruding ends with threads, select a frame with glass according to the size and insert the finished work into the corresponding compartment. You can also use a passe-partout for this. You can take ordinary plywood or a chipboard sheet and stretch the canvas tightly, securing it at the ends with buttons.

How to consecrate

An icon embroidered with beads can only be blessed by a priest during the liturgy with sprinkling of holy water. He reads prayers over it and pours holy water over it. After the rite is completed, the icon of the craftswoman can be placed on the home iconostasis or any other appropriate place.

In general, you can embroider icons from ready-made kits only with a blessing, so that you can subsequently insert the finished product into a frame and bless it. In this case, you can work in two techniques: classical and in tacking. It is important to do everything according to the sample, so that you get not only a beautiful icon, but also an exactly repeating image of the saints without distortions.