Merezhka is a technique of openwork embroidery on shirts, which is known for its unusual beauty and aesthetics. For the Ukrainian people, this type of art is an integral part of their cultural heritage, as well as a great opportunity to decorate national shirts. Embroidering with merezhka has gained immense popularity among Ukrainian craftswomen and modern fashion designers. In our article, we will talk about the merezhka embroidery technique, and also analyze the main types of such embroidery on canvas.
Merezhka in Traditional Ukrainian Embroidery
Merezhka is considered one of the most beautiful and exquisite techniques for decorating canvas, successfully combining openwork, relief, and symbolism. In Ukraine, merezhka is traditionally used to decorate sleeves, collars, cuffs, and inserts on shirts. This technique is also applied to decorate rushnyky (ritual towels) and festive elements of national clothing.
Merezhka, like any embroidery, has its own special, sacred meaning for our people:
Order: A folded merezhka on a vyshyvanka is considered a symbol of an orderly life and the wealth of the owner.
Spirituality: Creating white merezhka on snow-white fabric symbolizes spiritual purity.
Festivity: The aesthetics of merezhka have long been associated with festive, elegant looks.
How Merezhka Embroidery Appeared
The history of merezhka embroidery dates back to the times of the Trypillian culture, as archaeologists have found shirts with drawn threads and simple ornaments resembling merezhka. During the times of Kyivan Rus, many frescoes were created depicting clothing with ornamented collars and sleeves. At that time, there were also special schools for girls where they were taught to embroider with gold and silver. This was the impetus for the development of this type of art and the creation of new, more complex techniques, such as merezhka.
In the Cossack era, merezhka embroidery was often performed on men's shirts. It symbolized courage and served as a talisman for Cossacks during campaigns. In the 19th and 20th centuries, merezhka had already become one of the most widely used embroidery techniques, applied to decorate vyshyvankas, rushnyky, and wedding clothes.
How Merezhka is Created on Canvas
Creating merezhka on an embroidered shirt or other item requires careful preparation of materials. In addition, it is necessary to make basting marks on the fabric. Let's analyze in detail how to start this embroidery technique and create an incredible ornament that will fascinate at first sight.
What Canvas and Threads are Used for Merezhka
The best fabric for using the merezhka embroidery technique is considered to be any smooth fabric with a uniform weave of threads that can be easily drawn out. Among the possible canvas options are the following: cotton, linen, batiste, silk, Aida cloth, homespun canvas, etc.
The choice of threads must also be treated carefully. Usually, threads are matched to the color of the fabric, because the main advantage of merezhka is relief, not contrast. So, for example, for white fabric, good thread colors would be light blue, pink, or beige. In addition, the density of the threads should match the density of the fabric. Most often, craftswomen choose mouline (embroidery floss), iris, cotton, linen, and silk.
Among other materials that should be prepared in advance are the following:
A needle with a large eye and a slightly blunted end.
Sharp scissors for cutting threads.
An embroidery hoop for the convenience of creating a wide merezhka on a vyshyvanka.
Bugle beads or seed beads for additional decoration.
Embroidery patterns, which can be easy or complex depending on the technique.
Where the Work on the Pattern Begins
The beginning of creating this incredible embroidery starts with applying basting marks to the fabric and determining exactly where the ornament will be located. On both sides, you also need to trim the threads that will be used for drawing out, and secure their ends on the wrong side of the canvas. You should start merezhka embroidery from right to left, usually starting from the lower right corner. This type of art is also known for the absence of any knots, because the threads are secured by pulling other threads into the merezhka.
Main Types of Merezhkas in Ukrainian Embroidery
This unique embroidery technique has both simple and complex variations, allowing both experienced craftswomen and beginners to create incredible patterns. The Vzhe-Vzhe team has collected for you the best types of merezhka and techniques for their execution.
Simple Merezhkas and Their Features
Single prutyk (Single rod): Threads are drawn out by 5 mm, and the overcast stitching is done only on one side. By itself, this type of merezhka is rarely used; most often it serves as a basis for creating more complex ornaments.
Double prutyk (Double rod): Unlike the previous technique, here the pattern is first made in one direction, and then, returning back, the exact same ornament is made on the other, parallel side.
Split prutyk (Split rod): This merezhka embroidery resembles the double prutyk, but half of the threads of one prutyk are stitched together with the second, forming an ornament in the shape of an inverted "V" (or Cyrillic "Л").
Nastyl (Flooring): This merezhka embroidery is considered a fairly complex ornament, because you need to draw out 10–12 threads, and then make a Double prutyk. The next step is to pull the prutyks together, 3–4 at a time, into columns.
Zhuchok (Bug): The pattern is performed by joining three prutyks with a working thread to form a pattern in the shape of the Cyrillic letter "Ж" (or a star/bug shape).
Pavuchok (Spider): The ornament is created by joining the prutyks into a "Ж" shaped ornament, and after that, two more circles of thread are made inside the pattern.
Complex Decorative Merezhkas
Stovpchyk (Column): Is performed by placing a Single prutyk at the top, a Stovpchyk in the middle, and a Single prutyk at the bottom. The threads are drawn out alternately, resulting in small squares filled with threads.
Shabak: Is usually embroidered with colored threads. First, threads are drawn out alternately; in the first and last rows, a Single prutyk is added, after which a Nastyl is performed in 5 rows.
Zatyahanka (Drawn-in thread): This merezhka embroidery pattern is a process where a working thread is drawn in place of the drawn-out thread. It consists of 9 rows, where a Single prutyk is performed in the first and ninth rows. Then the embroidery is done according to the pattern.
Hrechka (Buckwheat): Is created on the basis of the Nastyl; a Single prutyk is added in the first and last row. Square figures here are arranged not in a row, but in parallel, without overlapping each other.
Lyakhivka: This type of merezhka and the execution technique are considered the easiest of the complex variations. The top and bottom of the pattern are created using the Single prutyk. The pattern represents pulled-together prutyks in the shape of the letter "Ж", which are separated by rhombuses.
Combining Merezhka with Other Embroidery Techniques
Merezhka is often combined with other techniques of Ukrainian embroidery. For example, merezhka with cross-stitch creates a canvas where openwork lightness is successfully combined with colored ornaments. Such embroidery gained popularity in the Podillia and Poltava regions. Combining merezhka with satin stitch is great for creating floral motifs, where satin stitch adds smoothness and color, and merezhka adds lightness.
In addition, merezhka on a vyshyvanka goes well with beads and bugle beads to create more festive and elegant looks. Such decoration of national clothing gained great popularity in Zakarpattia.
How to Read Patterns for Merezhka Embroidery
Merezhka embroidery patterns are a combination of graphic hints that show which threads should be drawn out to create the desired ornament. Such patterns are often very useful for both beginners and experienced embroidery masters. To make it easier for you to understand how to read patterns, we have prepared a table with the main designations:
How Merezhka is Used in Vyshyvankas
Merezhka on an embroidered shirt is used for decoration for festive events or simply for a more stylish look during everyday wear. Most often, sleeves, collars, cuffs, and shoulders are embroidered with merezhka. Modern fashion designers experiment with this type of embroidery, so it can be seen not only on standard clothing details.
Today, just as many years ago, merezhka is a cultural code of the Ukrainian nation, a great achievement that is passed down from generation to generation. Wedding shirts and festive vyshyvankas are also decorated with such embroidery.
What Makes the Merezhka Embroidery Technique Special
The main feature of merezhka is that, unlike other types of embroidery, it turns the fabric itself into an incredibly beautiful pattern. This technique successfully combines functionality and aesthetic components, strengthening the edges of the product and adding openwork and lightness. Merezhka embroidery is an ideal tandem of easy thread drawing and their masterful interweaving. Canvases with merezhka are valued in Ukraine and all over the world, because they attract attention with their luxury and lightness at the same time.
Merezhka Today: A Tradition That Remains Relevant
Merezhka on a vyshyvanka today is a special part of our culture, a legacy given to us by our Ukrainian ancestors. Modern designers widely use this technique in their new collections, and fabrics for creating merezhka are replenished with such canvases as silk, organza, and even denim. Often merezhka can be seen on wedding attire, because white openwork patterns look great on both men's shirts and brides' wedding dresses. This technique, whose history stretches back centuries, has won the hearts of millions of people with its extraordinary beauty and elegance. That is why, nowadays, merezhka remains one of the most desired types of embroidery.
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