World Needlework Day

Since ancient times in Rus', women have been engaged in handicrafts - weaving, embroidery, knitting and braiding The patrons of this type of activity were considered “women’s intercessors” - the goddess Makosh among the ancient Slavs, Saint Tabitha and Paraskeva Friday among Orthodox Christians The great martyr Varvara is considered to be a supporter of women's work, embroidery in particular November 16th marks World Handicraft Day, which UNESCO classified as an intangible cultural heritage in 1975 In the modern world, traditional crafts and applied arts are gradually disappearing No one will remember who a komashnik (a specialist in making patterns for the upper part of shoes) or a shapoval (a master in felting hats) is There are no peddlers walking along the city streets selling materials for handicrafts - pieces of fabric, threads, needles, lace A cooper making barrels from planks fastened with hoops, a squire making nails and staples, an herbalist - these crafts have practically disappeared However, craftswomen continue to engage in embroidery, knitting, weaving using the macrame technique and sewing in the patchwork style Handicrafts throughout history have gone through periods of decline and oblivion, but still returned to fashion Handmade accessories, knitted clothes and other hand made items are incredibly popular today Craftsmen use both ancient techniques of pearl embroidery or lace weaving, as well as modern techniques - scrapbooking, osibana, creating jewelry from polymer clay, etc Masterpieces of handicrafts are presented at regularly held fairs - these include appliqués on fabric, quilted items, embroidered paintings, and wood decorations made using pyrography (burning) Russian and foreign craftswomen engage in felting and hand-paint batik or wooden dishes using the Khokhloma technique To create products, both classical materials (threads, fabrics, ceramics, etc) and modern ones are used - nylon socks and tights, from which dolls are made, and even plastic bags for knitting bags, covers and carpets Craftswomen who do not want to limit themselves to knitting clothes and home decorations create decor for trees in their own garden Yarnbombing is also used to make colorful covers for outdoor furniture and bicycles Fans of Kumi Yamashita's work use nails and black threads to create paintings on a wooden base; Norwegian designer Tone Finnanger uses natural fabrics and padding polyester to make rag dolls Handicraft exhibitions are held not only in honor of World Needlework Day, but all year round The popularity of handmade items is steadily growing Thus, the most ancient oriental skill - carving (carving fruits and vegetables for table decoration) - is beginning to revive and become popular in Europe New types of handicrafts are appearing - creating paintings from coffee beans, postcards using the Iris folding technique and topiaries (artificial trees) Paintings made from fabric folds, sculptures made from lead and pencil shavings, diamond embroidery, and encaustic painting create wide scope for creativity and inspire the creation of masterpieces All fans of these and other activities celebrate World Handicraft Day on November 16th