Beaded Square Project: "Divine Liturgy Online"

As I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, a call for submissions popped up from the Museum of Beadwork in Portland, Maine. First time I'm hearing about this one... I've visited the Bead Museum in Washington, DC back in 1990s, then the one in Glendale, AZ in 2000. Even donated a set of my Beadwork Lesson books to both libraries. Both of these museums are no more, but someone else is trying again! 

The Museum of Beadwork is a new collaborative effort with Caravan Beads who have been around since 1991. The Museum "is mounting a new community project which grows out of a desire to commune on a joint project while safely sheltering; marking this very particular time we are going through together, apart. The end result, which will be exhibited at the Museum of Beadwork, will be a bead based ‘quilt’ visualizing the individual and communal experience of this distinct moment in history." 

They asked for a 6" (25x25cm.) square of beadwork, no matter what style, technique or experience covering more than 50% of the surface. It should be mounted on a strong supporting material to facilitate hanging in the 'quilt' installation. This is where a spare shelf from an Ikea CD/video storage unit came in handy. 

I must support the Museum by participating in the new Beaded Square Project! What can I contribute?? How have I been affected? As everything was totally shut down, so were the churches, places of worship. It was a huge shock, but somehow through online Liturgies, Lenten and Easter services, we persevered.

Finished piece in front of my parish, St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, Toronto

Once I knew that I was going to create a square about the closure of the churches it was time to find inspiration in my collection of beads and beaded objects. 

The wooden bracelet tiles would help to create the interior of a Byzantine church. They would serve as my icons, windows to heaven. They were perfect for creating an iconostasis, the screen which separates the sanctuary from the main part of the church. Closed Royal Doors with a few icons each are the focal point. Services begin when they open, so the camera off to the side is ready to video record the service. Bugles could serves as pews and a few people distanced apart could be added for when the churches opened slowly for a small congregation spaced far apart. 

Icon bracelet will serve a higher purpose

My previous sewing experience came in real handy! I used a royal-coloured felt square for my base. Fortunately, I had a large double-side backing paper handy. Once it was cut to 6" x6" size, I adhered it to the back of my felt leaving wider margins for the final finish later. I basted around the adhered backing to be able to know my boundaries when working on the front of the square.

Basting guidelines

Couching beadwoven netting to the felt

Bead embroidery is daunting! I rummaged through my bead woven samples to see if I had something to fill in the background of my iconostasis between the icons. I was thrilled to find a 8/ gold and navy iris 'Netting with an X' sample which would be perfect to couch down along the top of my square. This set the heavenly tone. 

Another great find was my 'Picot with an X' necklace. If I cut it apart in 3-swag segments it could fill in the left of the Royal Doors, while 6-swag pieces were perfect for the right. This involved adding thread to properly secure the edges of each segment so I could move them freeing without pulling apart.

Cutting old beadwoven necklace into useable lengths

Working on the layout

For the frame of the Royal Doors, I used the Ndebele stitch to bead weave two pairs of herringbone stitches in a length to the top of the icons. Here I split and beaded on one pair at the time long enough to go down the other side of door panel. Repeated this for the other door panel.

To combine the wooden icon tiles into cohesive units, I added an 'O' bead at each hole opening. I use a large silver-lined gold crow bead between the four and two icons. I used a little coral 10/ seed bead as a turn around at the very end of the icon clusters. I used the same end trim for individual icons set into the royal doors on the Ndebele gold door frame was stitched down.

Work in progress with my layout image to guide me

For a better idea of how the square will look, we cut out a 6' window in a sheet of paper. As I overlaid it, I took several photos of my beadwork as I was working. My husband downloaded one and drew out my key elements from my sketch in Photoshop. Since this was a more realistic scene. I wanted to have perspective to draw the viewer's eye in. 

This print was handy for making tailor tacks to mark the positioning of the pews, side tetrapod table, camera. This too was from sewing world when I used to tailor tack marking on patterns for making darts in my clothes.

Beadweaving a cross for the design

I needed to bead weave additional picot swags to fill the spot between the rows of icons and above the Royal doors.

It took three tries to bead a miniature Byzantine cross. I used Right Angle Weave, but found the challenge was how to give it definition. Weaving in microscopic navy iris cylindrical beads at the corners of each cross arm did the trick. I then attached my cross to the top two beads of the door frame in front of the patterned background.

To create the tetrapod, a small table off to the side, I found some chicklet pressed glass beads from retired bracelet and twig necklace kits. I ladder stitched 10mm two-tone silver lined chicklets for the base. Then I stitched together 5mm pearlized ivory chicklets for the folded over cloth. For the tablecloth, I horizontally stitched down longer chicklets going back to pearlized bugles to try to suggest depth. 

I added a crucifix I used to wear as a teenager. In my view, having it as part of my beaded square for the Museum installation, it's gone to a good home.

Signed and ready to be attached to a board

I embroidered my initials in the lower right corner to sign my little beaded work of art. After double, triple checking, it was time to wrap the beaded felt around the sawed down board. 

Test fit

We added double-sided tape along the top edges to anchor the embroidery. Once we turned it around, we added double-sided tape along the back edges to hold in place while I mitered the corners and trim away excess fabric. Again, I had the perfect royal blue thread for stitching down the corners.

Securing to the board

Once I stitched it all together, I went to show my completed square to Rt. Rev John Tataryn, pastor of St. Demetrius the Great Martyr Ukraine Catholic Church. Father marveled at all those tiny beads and the time and eyes it took to created the square. He suggested to call it "Divine Liturgy Online".

Finished and ready for shipping

Here is my statement that I included with my Beaded Square:

When the pandemic hit, the closure of churches was devastating. Luckily, many churches were able to adapt to streaming religious services, so we, the parishioners, could keep our faith alive in our own Domestic Church.

Be creative and stay safe,

Maria

"Pandemic 2020" beaded pysanka

"Pandemic 2020" by Maria Rypan

This beaded pysanka was created for the Toronto Bead Society Spring/ Summer 2020 Palette Challenge. To get members to be creative during the pandemic, beaders needed to create something using colours in the forecast swatches.

Palette, beads, graph paper & coloured pencils

This is my first beaded pysanka ever and a fitting remembrance of how the coronavirus affected our world. My trip to bring an exhibit of North American Pysanky to Ukraine in April 2020 was cancelled. The egg, a symbol of life, is an appropriate background for my story!

Using 3-bead netting I created nurses' caps with Red Crosses to honour the front-line medical workers. A net symbolizes protection. So, the netting technique around the egg invokes safeguarding ourselves from the pandemic.

Red crosses were added on top of the nurses hats before zipping into a tube to slide over the egg.

Colourful homemade masks circling the pysanka are synonymous with caring and sharing protection with family and friends so we can go out safely for necessities.

The red threads were to help with alignment when assembling the beaded sections

The top started with a circle of 7 beads.

Since the repeat pattern worked out to seven nurses hats, that was the magic number for circular netting on top and on the bottom. I found creating motifs helped tremendously in designing the net increases one row at a time. Will it be 3-, 5- or 7-beads to shape the pointy top net or flatter bottom?

White daisy chain being added.

Daisies all around symbolize innocence and purity. These are all the children whose world has turned upside down. 

Another daisy chain to add to the flatter circular net at the bottom.

  14 flowers represent quarantine. As they bloom, they are socially distanced from one another.

Safely pins assist in joining my pysanky sections.

I like how the lilac looks between the daisy chain and the circular net.

The top needed some 3-D embellishing.

Let my beaded pysanka be a reminder of how the whole world stopped still. Going forward, in the NEW normal, let's cherish our freedoms and people more.

Thanks to a COVID blessing, my Rypan Designs website has been updated! There's 25 years worth of inspiration and resources for learning how to bead weave your very own creations.

Be creative and stay safe,
Maria

Beading Tips from an insider

Here are some of the key points from Maria's presentation at the Spring Creativ Festival 2015.

One of the question often asked about making necklaces, other then techniques, is about the correct length for various styles. This image shows the standard length you will need to adjust to ensure that it will fit the wearer perfectly.

Guidelines for necklace lengths

Essential tools for most beaders include a design board, needles, cutting tools, pliers, personal lighting and a work surface.

Your work surface can vary based on personal preferences, portable and cost. Here are some that Maria uses; bead on it boards have a contained surface and lap trays can allow you to bead as a passenger on road trips. But Maria's personal favourite is Chinet plates. They contain the beads, are inexpensive and portable (dessert-size will fit into a medium ziploc).

Bead on it Board in use

Lap tray is use

Multiple Chinet plates in use

Tools you will need for basic beadweaving are thread trimmers and various size needles.

Beading threads are generally nylon based. Picture below are the various threads including nymo, C-lon, One G, and Fireline.

various beading threads

Use the colour that best blends into your work. Neutrals such as black, white, grey and ash are essential to have available. Colour does matter. Below are two bracelets, one stitch with crystal Fireline and the other with black nymo.

Thread colour matters

Fireline and other products form the fishing world are used where a stronger material is needed.

Getting the needle onto the thread can be a challenge due to the very small eye of fine beading needles. Try needling the thread. Hold the thread between finger and thumb with just a small end showing. Move the needle onto the thread. If you still have trouble flip the needle as the eye of the needle is punch and one side is smoother than the other.

Needling the thread

At some point in a larger project you will have to add new thread. Here is a great video from Melanie Potter, of the School of Beadwork.



Create a slipknot 8-10 inches from the end of your new thread. Slip it onto the old thread. Tighten and slide down on the old thread to the work. Tie the ends with a surgeon's knot (a square knot with an extra twist).

Adding new thread

You will need to secure the ends into the work using circle knots.

Circle around the woven thread between beads, pull end thru the small loop created and pull tight. Repeat a few times for each end.

Circle knot

A helpful tip for finishing a bead woven necklace is to add an extra bead between the clasp and the beadwork.

Here are some different style of closures you can use to add the last finishing touch to your design. Choose a clasp that works with the style, scale and design of the piece.

Toggle work well for bracelets

Tubular clasp are available in different sizes for wider designs.

Ball & Socket closures are very secure

Working with beading wire requires a different set of tools. Crimping pliers, wire cutters, round nose and flat nose pliers. Choose that best tools that you can afford.

Another small but very helpful tool is a beadstopper. You will likely want to have a number of these little springs in your tools collection. Once attached to the beading wire the beadstopper keeps the beads from sliding of the wire. This is very useful when audtioning the beads for your design.

Auditioning pearls & crystals for a bridal necklace

Auditoning various clay and Tagua nut beads for two different styles

Once you have finalized your design for your stringing project you will need to you crimp beads to attach the findings. Here are the steps for crimping crimp beads.

For a more finished look you can use crimp covers over the crimps which hides the crimp within a hollow bead. Another great finishing component is a wire guard. It will protect the wire as it goes thru the finding.

Detail of crimp covers and wire guard

To create earrings or dangles you will need to use head pins and eye pins. Your basic wire tools listed above are all you will need. Here is the basic steps for creating loops on the pins.

Classic dangles added to a larger crystal to make different earring styles

Follow this link to a folder with the three handouts that Maria gave out during the presentation.

Watch for the highlights of Maria's other presentation "Simply Beadweaving" on the weekend.

Happy Beading!

Сходи Якова (Jacob's Ladder) DVD

Documentary, 53 min. Ukrainian, 53 min. English translation

Three men have met in the rooftop café of an old house in Lviv, Ukraine. They sit high above the housetops, spires, and towers of a variety of architectural styles reflecting the centuries of Lviv’s existence. Age and illness have dimmed the vision of two of the three friends but they can easily recall the historical epochs that they lived through.

In 1944, they were classmates at the First Lviv Grammar School. That year—as World War II raged—spelled a parting of the ways for these three lads from Galician noble families. One wound up in North America; another made a horrific journey through the Gulag Archipelago; the third was able to remain in his homeland.

70 years later, they meet in Lviv: an outstanding Ukrainian oncologist Borys Bilynsky; a monk and former Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Lubomyr Husar; long-term prisoner of Soviet camps Yuriy-Bohdan Shukhevych.

Here are their biographies in brief:

Borys Bilynsky, born 1933 in the city of Zbarazh, Ternopil Region. He is an alpinist and a leading Ukrainian oncologist, doctor of medicine, professor, and author of more than 200 scientific works including the first oncology textbook in Ukrainian.

Lubomyr Husar, born 1933 in Lviv. He emigrated with his family in 1944, ending up in the USA. In 1958 he was ordained to the priesthood there. In 1972 he went to Rome and joined the Studite Order.  In 1977 Patriarch Josyf ordained him bishop for the Church in Ukraine. He is a Cardinal in the Catholic Church and was the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 2001-2011.

Yuriy Shukhevych, born 1933 in the village of Ohlyadiv in Lviv Region. He is a Ukrainian politician, Soviet dissident and political prisoner, son of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) Roman Shukhevych. The UPA was a partisan army fighting both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Yuriy Shukhevych was arrested at the age of 15 and spent more than 40 years in Soviet prisons and camps and in exile. 

Film writer and director LESYA KHARCHENKO

Produced by PAVLO KAZANTSEV

SCREEN MEDIA UKRAINE PRODUCTION

This film was created as a part of the “Lubomyr” Project with donations from people from all  over the world.

"SPRING CHORDS" Festival-Contest

Spring Chords Festival & Contest

NEW DATE: May 20, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Ivano Frankivsk, vul Depovs'ka, 97 
20.05.15 о 16,00год.,м.Івано-Франківськ,вул.Деповська,97

While in Ukraine in August 2014,  Maria Chulak, the chair of 'Rossa Karpat' (Cathpathian Mist), a community organization promoting folk art and craft in Prykarpattya invited me to help to promote this festival so there could be an international presence.

I agreed and here are all the details and application form in English and in Ukrainian. 

Maria Chulak, founder of "Роса Карпат" (Carpathian Mist),
and organizer of the the "Spring Chords", III Prykarpattian Festival-Contest

Next spring there will be a III Prykarpattian Festival-Contest of Designer Outfits with Folk Motifs --"SPRING CHORDS" in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine. You can see and read about the first and second festivals on the internet. I'm showing a few photos from the previous shows.

Dress sewn from a fabric with woven motifs.  II Spring Chords

Participation is FREE, however, the shipment of submission garments or travel are at your OWN expense. The application deadline is March 20, 2015.

The Third "SPRING CHORDS" (Весняні Акорди) Gala is scheduled for May 22, 2015. In the framework of the festival -contest there will be master classes, press-conferences about the festival results, formal finale, awards ceremony and a  gala concert.

This is a wonderful opportunity to participate in a festival designed to promote contemporary clothing inspired by traditional folk art motifs. While it's nice that that the producers are gearing this towards students and young professionals in Ukraine, I personally do not see what age has to do with it. It's the love of the folk arts, design and imagination that should be celebrated here.

The idea is to create contemporary fashion with motifs taken from folks arts and embroider, weave or embellish with beadwork (embroidery or beadwoven 'gerdan' accessory).

Outfits modelled at II Spring Chords Festival

There are many parcel and courier services to Ukraine. Shipping time needs to be built in so the submissions arrive in Ivano Frankivsk by May 10, 2015. No entries will be accepted without prior application.

A fashion show and gala will be held May 22nd at Hotel Nadia. There is a contest component to this with judging in four categories: One Garment; Costume; Collection; Accessories.

Collection presented at II Spring Chords Festival

I would like to see many entries from USA and Canada participating in the next Festival-Contest.

This is a very doable project! All it takes is to file an application by Mar 20th; send your outfit(s) to Maria Chulak by May 10th for fitting a model and prep for the show; plan a trip to Ukraine with a stop in Ivano Frankivsk for the Gala SPRING CHORDS Festival-Contest on May 22, 2015.

The personal trip would be an awesome for the Festival and your soul. Need any more excuses?

The benefits are numerous. If you participate, you become an "international" designer, creator and supporter of contemporary folk arts in Ukraine. If you have something suitable, I believe you can send a few outfits (don't forget the application form) to Ivano Frankivsk. There have been many great contemporary embroidery events recently in USA, i.e. at the Ukrainian National Museum. We have been doing this for a long time in North America.

'Sorochka' chemise at I Spring Chords Festival

Final walk of outfits and costumes at the II Spring Chords

HISTORY
The competition originated with the goal of developing and simultaneously supporting young talent, creativity and growth professional level of a fashion designer.  The festival enables an interregional exchange of artistic values, preserving of traditions and acquaints youth with Ukrainian folk culture. This form of artistic competition strengthens the love of folk arts and creativity, preserves spirituality, ethnic independence, and is a renewal of moral values.

The main goal of the festival-contest is to give students and young professionals opportunities to express their fantasy, demonstrate expertise and visualize garment styles based on folk traditions. “Spring Chords” helps applicants make the first steps in a professional career, enables the development of a nationally-focussed creative individual. 

Participation in the competition gives youth a chance to demonstrate their artistic potential to professional designers and is a natural starting point for further cooperation with well know fashion designers.

SPRING CHORDS Festival creates the conditions for creative collaboration between collectives and master craftsmen – representatives of the traditional national culture; enables the rebirth of national holiday rituals and customs, propagation of better spiritual  values of the Ukrainian people,  love of the native land; helps connect youth to Ukrainian folk art; encourages the preservation and support of the historic-cultural and natural riches of the Carpathian land. 

Participation in the  “Spring Chords” Festival-Contest is free.

Participant’s work and information about them will be included in the Festival catalog.

The creative work of the designers will be evaluated by a competent jury:  designer, art scholars, craftspeople, artists, expert-analysts.

    Categories:

One garment;

Costume;

Collection;

Accessories.

Entries should be created on the basis of folk traditions and be adorned  by  embroidery, weaving, bead embellishment.

Entries should demonstrate the designer is aware of the current fashion trends and direction.

Entries should be created using quality materials, in keeping with the technological requirements.

Entries should be oriented for the consumer.

EACH PARTICIPANT COVERS THEIR OWN SHIPPING and TRAVEL EXPENSES

All participants will receive certificates from the festival-contest “Spring Chords”; 

Contest winners (in each category) will be awarded with memorable souvenirs.

Information about “Spring Accords’ will be available through the internet; in the press, media, information services, other mass media with rights to feature the event. 

Here are all the details and application form in English and in Ukrainian. 

In the framework of the festival -contest there will be master classes, press-conferences about the festival results, formal finale, awards ceremony and a  gala concert.

International Road Trip

It has been a while seen either Maria or I have posted on the blog, but watch from upcoming posts as Maria is going on an international road trip.

As I am writting this she is doing last minute packing and getting ready to head to the airport. First she will be in western Ukraine for family visits, genealogy research, presentations about beadwork and teaching her Ndebele Motif Cuff. There is also the screening of the documentary, Three Muskateers which is related to documentary about her uncle Lubomyr Cardinal Husar.

On August 14, in Kolomyya at the National Museum of Hutsulschyna & Pokuttya she giving her presentation Embellishing Your world: Beading & Surface Designs - Examples from World Cultures and also teaching the Ndebele Motif Cuff.

Poster for museum event

Ndebele Motif Cuffs

After her tour around Ukraine she will be heading to Czech Republic to tour the glass bead industry in Prague. Her tour guide will Czech beadwork designer Adela Kodonova.

Once she returns to North America she will be part of the Meet the Teach event at beadfx on September 13. She will be teaching the Ndebele Motif Cuff there later in the fall.

Maria will be sending me pictures and updates from her trip. I will be sharing them here and on our Facebook page.

Happy Beading!
Jo-Ann

Rising Curtains Necklace

Beadwork Magazine Jun/July 2014

In the Jun/July issue of Beadwork Magazine includes Maria's swag necklace. This classic style is made with size 11s and 8s seed beads. Here it is in the classic colors.

Swag Necklace in classic black & copper

 Or you can try it in a monochromatic color palette, like the purple version.

Purple version

Hope that you enjoy this elegant design in your own color combinations.

Happy Beading!