In Eastern Europe, various types of needlework are common, but one of the most beautiful and ancient types is embroidery with a Bulgarian cross. The embroidery technique involves the crossing of a straight and simple cross, which ultimately resembles a snowflake.
The colorfulness and originality of embroidery brought her popularity and love of needlewomen. Unlike ordinary crosses, Bulgarian is more contrasting, embossed and contoured. This is achieved due to the fact that the canvas field is indicated at four corners and four sides. Embroidery with the Bulgarian cross is used to decorate bedding, clothes, decorative elements.
Embroidery Basics
The Bulgarian cross is embroidered by the intersection of two crosses: first, from the lower left corner of the canvas cell, a regular cross is made, a straight line is over it.
Embroidery with a Bulgarian cross for beginners is as follows:
- The canvas cell with which the pattern begins is selected.
- The thread is fixed on the wrong side. The needle is drawn from the lower left corner of the cell to the upper right.
- On the back of the canvas, the needle from the upper right corner goes to the upper left corner, and then to the lower right.
- From the wrong side of the tissue, the needle is pulled from the lower right corner to the center of the lower border of the cell, exactly under the intersection of the diagonal stitches. The needle should enter strictly vertically.
- Through the wrong side, the needle exits from the top point to a similar point on the left, injects into the center of the right side of the cell. The thread is drawn into a horizontal stitch.
- The needle is displayed in the lower right corner.
- The result should be a snowflake - this is what the Bulgarian cross looks like.
The sequence of embroidery with the Bulgarian cross can vary depending on how convenient the needlewoman is: the direction of the needle can be absolutely anything.
From the wrong side, an even and beautiful row of stitches is obtained. If the work starts from a certain angle, then all embroidery is performed in the same sequence. Violation of order can lead to tangled threads and a messy wrong side.
Purpose of embroidery
The technique of embroidery with the Bulgarian cross is most often used to decorate clothes: hem skirts, collars and cuffs for shirts, belts. The Bulgarian cross often decorates traditional outfits, which looks aesthetically pleasing and original.
The needlewomen use the technique of the Bulgarian cross for the following purposes:
- The density of embroidery increases, an additional volume is given to the pattern.
- The pattern made in this technique resembles a tapestry or carpet due to the dense arrangement of crosses.
- Embroidery of paintings using the technique of the Bulgarian cross with a lot of color looks more impressive. The beauty of such stitches is revealed when embroidering geometric patterns that attract attention due to the high density of crosses.
- Needlewomen often use embroidery with the Bulgarian cross in works where the quality of the wrong side is unimportant, since a large number of stitches make the reverse side heavier. The upholstery of furniture is decorated with patterns in this technique: it serves many times longer due to the high density of embroidery.
Materials
Embroidery using the technique of the Bulgarian cross requires a large canvas for cross-stitching - no more than 32 cents. The needle is selected with an oblong middle eye. For convenience, hoops can be used - they allow you to stretch the fabric.
What is embroidered by the Bulgarian cross
Various compositions are embroidered in this technique - icons, landscapes, flowers. The most spectacular look is the geometric ornaments made by the Bulgarian cross: due to the dense interweaving of threads and bright colors, they turn out to be more clear and colorful.
Embroidery with the Bulgarian cross is often done in rich, contrasting shades - red, yellow, green, purple, blue. Black stitches from edge to edge of the pattern give it a special charm and highlight the pattern.
Patterns for embroidery with a Bulgarian cross
Embroidery according to the patterns in Bulgarian technique most often represents a canvas filled with crosses from top to bottom. If desired, standard patterns for cross-stitching can be used - they are also suitable, but the finished ornament will look finished due to the presence of empty areas on the canvas.
A wide selection of kits for embroidery on the Bulgarian cross, offered for sale, allows you to purchase any pattern you like. A variety of ornaments, however, loses tradition: still in this technique are plaids, panels, tapestries, pillows, upholstery. Patterns for a regular cross can also be embroidered with a Bulgarian cross, however such embroidery will require more time and thread, but the result will exceed all expectations.
It is better to embroider the Bulgarian cross with cotton thread floss: they are smoother, which makes it easier to pull the threads and work with their tight weave, and the finished ornament looks more even, bright and saturated.
To master the Bulgarian cross is simple: it is not a complex element and is easily performed when memorizing the sequence of actions when embroidering. Ornaments embroidered in this technique have volume and depth, so it’s worth mastering it to give the products charm and charm of traditions.
Bulgarian cross pattern
The Bulgarian cross, which is interesting, is used not only in embroidery, but also in knitting. It is often used in knitting with needles when performing elastic or the initial stage of the ornament, the basis of which are three lines made by the Bulgarian cross.
Openwork is done in several steps:
- Multiples three times the number of loops plus two additional edge loops.
- In the first row, three front loops are knitted, one of which throws over the remaining two to the left, after which the yarn is made, a similar number of front loops, one of which is again shifted to the left.
- The second row and subsequent purl are performed only purl loops.
- In the third row, one front loop, yarn, three front loops are made, one of which is thrown to the left knitting needle through the two previous ones, the yarn and the front loop.
- The fifth row is knitted similarly to the first. Further the pattern repeats.
This knitting technique is called cruciform, and the finished fabric looks like a dense and even mesh.