Bonus days at Ukrainian Museum and Library courtesy of Hurricane Sandy

The Museum was celebrating it's 75th Anniversary inside as Hurricane Sandy created a foreboding atmosphere outside

The calm before the storm... Ukrainian Museum on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, 3:30 pm

These leaves are from a tree near the chateau, but ended up at the far end of the property after Sandy's fury

Marian and Maria dressed for the 75th Anniversary celebration.

Luckily, the College and Seminary, Museum and Library were spared the worst. Stamford was other side of Manhattan from New Jersey. 

However, Hurricane Sandy did leave it's mark on the property. It also gave me extra days as my flight was delayed three times. BONUS!! I devoted this time to researching the vast collection on books on my favorite subjects. Monday was spent in the Library.

 

The Library is located in the former college which my uncle, Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, attended in the 1950's. This is Monday and it's stormy outside. The wind was blowing hard. A fine rain was being whipped around all day. 

Monsignor John Terlecky, the Director and Librarian, catalogued a few more books while there was still power.

A full collection of magazines about Kyivan Rus. Brilliant artwork on the spines.

A magazine issue from the series

 On Tuesday, the Library lost power along with the rest of the neighborhood homes and buildings. I was able to take the books to my "Gerdany" teaching room and continue my research.

Bishop Paul and Maria survey the damage after the Hurricane winds died down on Tues morning 

Library Assistant Anna poses for a photo of the toppled tree

Branches litter the grounds near the pavillion

Freshly split off branches litter the grounds

Other view of the Museum. More tree branches of every description

Monday we had a "Gerdany-making" evening with a free "Hurricane Special" kit for interested participants. I highly recommend such diversions if you're lucky enough to be in a safe building. The winds were whipping around, but our minds were on the beadwork.

Natalia beaded this Textured Net in three hours at our Hurricane Sandy beading night.

Taras, Natalia in her new Pearl Twig Willow and Marian with her Byzantine Cross

I even renamed my INDO Netted X's and O's "Sandy" as I beaded it Monday, Tuesday while on the phone for 1.5 hours trying to change flights, and at JFK on Thursday evening.

"Sandy" Netted X's and O's" with Indonesian lampwork beads

Gerdany Seminar 2012 - Stamford, CT

The weekend at St. Basil College started with a presentation of "Beyond Stringing" as an introduction to different types of beading. We got right into beadweaving on Friday evening with Picots and Ladders and a special Byzantine Cross pendant. 

Easels showing the six different styles taught at the seminar

Pick and choose three colors for playing with picots. Gorgeous results!!

Picot Necklace and Byzantine Cross start off the Seminar

Bishop Paul checks out the Byzantine Cross kit at the start of the seminar

Picot necklaces and braclets by Sue, Helen and Marion - Fri night

Sue and Betty are overjoyed with their beading experience on Friday

Helen F has instant gratification by wearing her new Picot Necklace 

Marion, Helen and Sue's Picot necklaces and bracelets

Marian K not only organized the Seminar, but was a participant

Sr. Nataliya completes the 'X' which cleverly connects the ladders

BRX1 - Bracelet with an 'X' beadwoven by Sr. Nataliya 

Maria P models her Ladder Bracelet with and 'X'

Saturday started with "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine". The Netting Day included Textured Net, Netted 'X's and a Chicklet Bracelet for fun. A trip to the Ukrainian Museum was a perfect afternoon activity. Bead BINGO wound up the evening.

Maria explains the methodology of the Textured Net

Variations on a theme - Netted Bugles & Scythian Gold kits

Lots of kit choices for each technique

Sue and Helen help each other figure out the net

Marion H beads the Scythian Gold Net

Phyllis holds up her Simply Luxurious Net

Seminar participants take a break from beading. We're on our way to see the Ukrainian Museum. It was a gorgeous fall day before Hurricane Sandy.

Spot the beaded adornments: 'gerdany', headdresses, 'zgardy', 'laskunky', 'korali', Venetian beads 

Saturday Night Live: Bead BINGO

Marion & Stefania, lucky Bead BINGO winners

Maria of OH visits cousin Christine of CT for a weekend of 'gerdany-making'

The Byzantine Crosses were blessed at the end of Liturgy on Sunday. After brunch, we learned the Diagonal Weave, a handy stitch for Suspended Swags. Show and Tell brought out a lot of interesting 'gerdany'. There was a great interest in loomwork, a good possibility for next year's seminar. 

Stefania Szkafarowsky upcycles black and gold beads for Suspended Swag. First step was to bead a Diagonal Weave band for the swags to be draped from.

Stefania does Show and Tell of her 'gerdany' collection on Sunday

Maria Polnyj brought her gerdany in various stages for Show and Tell 

Two-needle netting in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Netted zigzag in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Maria Polnyj's netted 'gerdan', 2012

Christine models her beaded veil with cousin Maria's approval

Christine shows her own beaded headpiece from the 90's

PHOTOS: Sr. Natalia, The Sower, and Maria Rypan

Diagonal Weave Video

NEW! Check out Maria's video showing how to do the Diagonal Weave. It's a little known 'gerdany' technique with immense possibilities. It starts off with a foundation and then repeats a 3-bead by 2-bead sequence for a really neat diagonal weave. It can be done with the same-sized beads or Maria's version with larger beads for a textured edge.

This was filmed at this spring's Creativ Festival so you get a peak at the grand booth. Besides the close-ups of the steps, its full of beadweaving tips and tricks. Enjoy!


Maria will be demonstrating this technique using Swarovski crystals during the Fall 2012 Creativ Festival at the Swarovski Crystal Rock 'n Roll Pavilion.

A Needle Pulling Thread's Summer Colors

When Maria works on creating a new design or color way of an existing design, she always asks herself, "What if?". For her latest published design, the What if? came from A Needle Pulling Thread's editor Carla Canonico who had a specific color palette in mind for the summer 2012 issue.

The journey started at last fall's Creativ Festival when Carla gave Maria the challenge of her summer palette. The next step was to search for beads. Once found, it was time to test color placement (more What ifs?). With the final placement decided, next came creating the pattern, beading a complete sample and sending it all off to Carla.

Now the summer issue is on the stands and Maria's "Millefiori Mosaic Collar and Earrings" are the beading project.

Finding the millefiori beads with the colors from Carla's color palette was a great find. Taking the time to play and ask What if? with color placement was the creative challenge of this design.

The summer issue of A Needle Pulling Thread is now available. This limited edition kit is, of course, available from Rypan Designs.

"From the Museum's Trunk" Sorochky Exhibit at UNM, Chicago

Bead embroidered 'sorochka', UNM Collection

The embroidered "sorochky" exhibit opened Fri, Jun 9th, 2012, and will be on display for two months. There are 88 chemises from the Ukrainian National Museum Collection brilliantly exhibited on walls and a trunk, dramatically featured in a few frames and shown in full costume with bilingual ethnographic information. These were adorned with traditional beadwork: 'korali', 'gerdany', a Lemko 'kryza', a 'dukatch' pendant. And this the tip of the iceberg! There are about 158 'sorochky' from the XIX to XX centuries in their archives. See their video for an idea of what to expect.

East "sorochky' wall. Zakarpattia, Opillia & Volyn mannequins.

Row of "sorochky' on the east wall

The Dnipro Region, UNM Collection

On the way back from the Bead and Button show Monday we specially stopped in Chicago to view this folk art exhibit. Am I ever thankful we did! This was lucky for me, but I assure you this display is well worth the drive!!

Sorochky Exhibit at UNM, Chicago

Could not believe how prevalent the floral motif was in so many 'sorochky'... And how many interpretations and stylizations there were!! We left with a great respect for the culture, tradition, symbolism and awe at the genius of the creators of these works of art. 

I now have great material for future visual presentations. My next inspirational one is for this October's Creativ Festival. It's called "Nature Reinterpreted: Adornments and Decor".

From the East Wall of the Sorochky Exhibit

Bead & Button 2012

Maria is at the biggest consumer bead show, the Bead & Button Show, in Milwaukee, WI. this weekend.

Maria @ Rypan Designs booth #933

This is the place to meet and mingle with suppliers, magazine & book editors, other designers and of course fabulous beaders. In fact Maria says that many members of the Toronto Bead Society are at the show.

Here are a few more pictures of the booth. Hope to have more photos to share soon!

Beautifully lit booth

Back corner of booth