How to Bleach and Overdye Hungarian Embroideries

My Mom is downsizing and I've been helping her make some difficult decisions.  Among them: what to do with all of the Hungarian embroideries?  I was lucky enough to receive an absolutely GORGEOUS, massive, all white embroidery, handmade by a relative in Hungary, as a wedding present.  I immediately framed it before anyone laid their grubby paws on it, but some of the embroideries in my Mom's collection aren't really frame-worthy.  Some are really bright colors that just don't suit her decor, while others have some stains or damage (because they were used - which is a GOOD thing!).  There are a few she really treasures but the colors are too bold, so I decided to try some experimenting.

Could I bleach and/or dye her Hungarian embroideries?

This will be an ongoing experiment, but I started with two that weren't so special.  Some of the thread in the oval one had run after being laundered and the round one had some tears, so I figured I had nothing to lose.  Here they are "before":  

To bleach them, I followed instructions I found online for bleaching fabric: I started with a one part bleach to four parts water concoction but, when the color wouldn't lift like I wanted, added a little more bleach (wearing rubber gloves and working in a bucket in my laundry room).  I kept checking on them every 10 minutes and eventually let them soak a few hours before removing and neutralizing the bleach with a 50/50 water/hydrogen peroxide mix.  Afterwards, I gently hand washed and line dried them.

Here's what the embroideries looked like, freshly bleached:

Interestingly, different embroidery threads have different colorfastness.  The long piece bleached so beautifully.  It's such a pretty color palette of soft muted hues - my Mom barely let me photograph the "after" - she wanted to take it home immediately.

So that one's a success! 

Although we both think it looks so much better, neither of us were smitten with the round one yet, so I decided to overdye it.  I didn't want to purchase a new powdered dye until I had a better idea of how the threads would take the color, so I just used the same Blueberry Procion dye I used for my DIY ice dyed pillows.  I let the embroidery soak in the soda ash fixative required for this brand of dye and then wrung it out before letting it soak overnight in a concentrated dye solution.  The next morning, I rinsed until the water ran clear and hand laundered.

The result is a very deep, inky embroidery but you can still faintly see some variation where the deeper colors stuck around.  I like the overdyed look - this inky blue looks dramatic!  But I think I want to experiment with some different colors.

In one part of the design, the pattern had torn from use and wear, so I tried trimming it out with manicure scissors but it took forever, so I really need to sit down on a cold, rainy day and tidy that up some more.  For now I'm going to pretend the ragged look is intentional because, combined with the deep hue, it's got a Halloween-y sort of vibe.

Currently the house reeks like bleach because I'm still experimenting but, a word of caution: I tried to bleach a very worn, very long table runner and was so excited, envisioning a pretty pastel version but the color wouldn't lift from the red (my least favorite color in the world).  So I let it soak overnight and, when I was convinced it wouldn't lift anymore, removed it from the bleach - only to have it disintegrate in my hands!

Whoops. 

I got over confident.  I should have done the 10 minute intervals.  I knew bleach can eat away fabric but I was just so stubborn.  I hate red.  So, lesson learned: keep an eye on the bleach bath! 

I just wanted to share this little experiment with you.  I'll keep you posted because we're going to be trying some more bleaching/dyeing experiments and also - hopefully - re-purposing some of these table doilies into items we'll use and love.  Even the one I ruined, I hope to turn into some kind of appliqued design.

Wish me luck...

P.S. If you're curious, you can read more about Hungarian embroidery in this post.

Throw Pillows Are Part of My Heritage

When I told Hubby I was getting four new pillows for the living room, he eyed me suspiciously.  He tolerates my love of throw pillows, but he'd prefer that we each have a pillow for sleeping and/or lounging that we carry around with us to avoid absolutely any excess of pillows.  Guests would be required to bring their own.  I tell him that I'm not even that much of a throw pillow enthusiast because other people switch them out seasonally.  But he says that no one does that, that's just madness.

Not to worry, I now have the best excuse ever for a plethora of pillows: having an abundance of decorative pillows is actually part of my Hungarian heritage.

That's right...

Now, if I'm being honest, I still have to do some research on this, but, at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest, you can see examples of dowry displays, which would have been paraded through a town and put on display before a wedding.  As I understand it, the quality and quantity of the handmade pillows was an important part of a dowry and would be judged by fellow townsfolk. 



Here's an older photograph, demonstrating the practice:

Found on Pinterest, unsure of original source

See?  If anything, I've been slacking in the pillow department - a total embarrassment to my ancestors.  Here's an inventory of my embarrassingly small collection, starting with my new Marimekko pillows:

My old Marimekko pillows, sewn by Mom, got the boot from the living room, but I've been toying around with layering them in with the green silk bedroom pillows in the bedroom...

The bedroom could actually use a pillow refresh, because I've had the same silk throw pillows and orange paisley print pillow since 2011!!  My plan for a new embroidery one was set on the back burner but I'll get to it this year.  Maybe.  (Who had money on it taking four years for me to finish?)



Apparently I am abnormally committed to my throw pillows. 

It makes sense that I hang onto pillows because I take my sweet time finding the perfect fabrics.  Remember my struggle finding THE perfect print (I'm so picky) to mix in with the existing patterns on the sofa in the townhouse?  I had those for years too, only switching them when we moved to the lakehouse because the fabric was becoming threadbare by that point and I was starting to favor more aqua and blue hues.

I think I should get bonus points, though, because even my office book boasts three throw pillows - a pale pink silk pair sewn by Mom and my little embroidered one.

Hardly enough to impress the townsfolk! 

P.S. If you've been eyeing up something at FinnStyle (can I recommend some throw pillows?), the Dans le Lakehouse 20% coupon code expires on the 24th!  Click here to get it.

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Hungarian Embroidery 101 - Choosing + Transferring the Pattern

While doing a little bit of research about Hungarian embroidery - particularly Kalocsa embroidery - I learned that not every woman who embroidered designed her own patterns.  Some women were especially talented and would design patterns for other women.  They would have sketchbooks filled with designs:

There is an art to designing patterns that are balanced and aesthetically pleasing, but also some technical concerns as well: the size of the motifs, the length of the corresponding stitches, etc., all need to be considered.  In the 1930s, when colourful folks costumes grew in popularity, more and more Hungarian women started to learn the art of designing patterns.  Exceptional pattern makers were still sought after, though, and each had her own individual style.  The demand for this skill has waned, but it still has relevance in Hungary.  Interestingly, while doing my dissertation research I noticed patterns in the earlier issues of Nők Lapja.  I photocopied a few because I am completely inexperienced at designing an embroidery pattern.  The only other project I've done already had the design printed on it (purchased in Hungary):

For this new project I set about pinning motifs (I've started a board dedicated to embroidery).  I was a little overwhelmed, though, and the pressure of designing something good enough to embroider really stalled my project.  Then I stumbled across this image:

It is not a traditional Hungarian embroidery pattern, but it was designed by a Hungarian graphic designer, Lilly Baróthi Zathureczky.  From the 1930s until the 1960s (when she passed away), she designed patterns for needlework and other artistic purposes.  The pattern was shared by Needle 'n Thread, in addition to a short blurb on Lilly's life and work.  This particular design was painted by Lilly in 1956 (you can see the coloured design here), but she left no notes regarding its intended application.  Once I found it, I couldn't envision using another pattern - this was the one!

The rectangular pattern happened to be almost the exact dimensions of the pillow cover I intend to make.  I'm replacing the orange paisley cover with this project - if all goes according to plan.

Regarding the pattern, I had to enlarge the design and I'm worried that in doing so some of my stitches will be too long but I'm just going to roll with it and hope for the best!  Before starting the embroidering, I printed out a few copies and grabbed my coloured pencils to roughly plan the colours.  It took a few tries but I finally landed on something I liked.  I ended up using fewer colours than I initially intended, but I stuck to the same palette of blues, greens and aqua.  It sure was easier to embroider in only one colour! 

There are many ways to transfer an embroidery design to fabric; this article and this article list most, if not all, of them.  I chose to print my design on an overhead transparency and use an overhead projector, simply because I had these things on hand.  Then I just taped the fabric (which is a creamy silk, and much prettier in real life) onto a wall and rooked my Mom into tracing the design.  Szuka seemed really befuddled and wondered what the heck we were up to.

And I'm ready!

If it seems like this project is progressing slowly, that's because it is.  It takes me forever to actually start this type of long, involved project (especially embroidery, it seems), but then I pick up more steam.  I've already begun embroidering (I have the hand cramp to prove it), and once I've completed a substantial section, which will take awhile, I'll show you the basic stitch I'm using - it's like colouring with thread! 

Originally I had thought about adding some purple to the design, but I was on the fence about it.  While I was pondering, Szuka grabbed the spool from my dresser (bad girl!) and started swallowing the thread like one long piece of spaghetti.  I'm pretty sure I pulled half of it back out of her stomach and neither of us were impressed.  On the bright side, it made the difficult decision to add purple moot.  To be safe, I now store the spools I'll be using in a mason jar.  When I'm done, I tuck in my needle and a small pair of scissors and it makes a convenient kit.  The day she learns to unscrew the lid on a mason jar, I'm hooped.

To see read about the progress of my first embroidery project, click here.  If you're curious about Hungarian embroidery, take a look at this post. If you got tips and insights or are a master embroiderer, lay your knowledge on me because I'm pretty much an embroidering newbie!

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Hungarian Embroidery 101 - History

Looking back over my favorite projects from 2014, it's evident that I didn't do much crafting last year.  We were preoccupied with the move, unpacking, and settling in, and by the time things mellowed a bit, I had lost my crafting momentum.  I'm getting back on the horse, starting with a terrifically ambitious project: a densely embroidered bolster pillow, in different shades of teal, green, and turquoise (for the bedroom).  It's going to be way more intense than my turquoise embroidery project.

I promised an embroidery tutorial after I completed that pillow, but I didn't pick up my hoop again until now.  A few people even repeatedly asked me for a tutorial.  I'm so sorry!  Truthfully, I barely have a handle on embroidery, so I felt ill-equipped to provide any sort of tutelage.  I intended to practice a bit first.  For this second project, I decided to just chronicle it with a little series, charting the process and sharing what I know (and what I learn) as I progress.  If I wait and practice a bit before blogging about it, we'll all be 100 before an embroidery tutorial materializes.  Before I get into the nitty-gritty (designing/picking a pattern, transferring the design, choosing materials, "mastering" different stitches, and, hopefully, successfully completing another embroidery project), I wanted to share a bit about the history of Hungarian embroidery, because my first and current project are both modern adaptations.    

The history of Hungarian embroidery - like that of many other countries - stretches back thousands of years.  As early as the 11th century there were schools for weaving and embroidery in Hungary.  Historically, weaving/embroidery was gendered: men dominated the profession, but women created impressive textiles for the home.  Later, women created embroideries for sale to supplement the family's income.  Today, although the practice of the art is declining, Hungarian embroideries, and the traditional motifs they showcase, remain an important expression of culture and you can find embroidered items in every tourist gift shop - and probably every home - in the country.  Interestingly, Hungary boasts more than twenty different folkloric regions, each with their own motifs, which can vary widely.  The picture below showcases some of the more well-known motifs:

Image Via

My grandmother's family, for example, is from the Kalocsa region and I can usually identify Kalocsa designs.  Don't be impressed, because Kalocsa embroidery is very popular and often confused with being representative of the country in its entirety, so the odds are in my favor!  Some say that Kalocsa has the richest folk art (you didn't hear that from me).    

Photo Via

Although it's known today for its bright and cheery colours, I recently learned that traditional Kalocsa embroidery was all white, like the beautiful embroidery my grandmother's cousin made for Hubby and I as a wedding gift (I had it professionally framed, and now it hangs in our hallway):

After the introduction of color-fast embroidery thread (mid-19th century, I read), colourful embroidery gained popularity in the region.  Certain colours were/are always used together, and many held meaning.  As a woman aged, the colour palette of embroidery she donned became more subdued, with certain colours - like purple - representing mourning.  The folk clothing was imbued with a great deal of meaning, this is just one example.

The motifs of the region, although varied, are recognizable once you start to compare different folk art within Hungary.  In Kalocsa designs, you'll spot various flowers, berries, plus wheat sheaf and parika themes.  These motifs have long been utilized: they decorate the well-known Kalocsa Porcelain, and long before wall stenciling was Pinterest-worthy, Hungarian women in Kalocsa painted intricate designs onto their walls (the photo below is from the 1930s; you can see more photos from the 1950s here):

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Don't tell my family, but I'm also partial to Matyo embroidery, which typically boasts more densely embroidered designs, often on a black background.  I just love the shape of the flowers and how luxe these richly embroidered textiles look (shhhh).  

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Across the country, you'll find Hungarian embroidery on everything, from clothing to tablecloths to decorative pillows to bed linens and more.  Some of these beautifully embroidered items were historically made for a young girl's dowry, which would consist of hundreds of items and were a source of pride.  These items - plus the marital bed and other furniture - would even be paraded through town for the post-wedding "bed dance," and wedding guests would judge the goods.  The nuptial bed consisted of two or three coverlets and nine pillows - I use this history to justify my throw pillow obsession to Hubby (I'm one pillow short).

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Few Hungarians don full, embroidered folk costumes today (although you could see it in some smaller villages - I have! - and, of course, all over the country during cultural celebrations), but the designs are still relevant.

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Some brides wear beautiful gowns with traditional embroidery.

Photo Source

I even spotted cupcakes adorned with striking (yummy) Kalocsa flowers (created by Olison's cupcakes):

Photo Source

When I was in Budapest during Design Week, I noticed that many contemporary artisans and designers re-interpret folk designs with a modern spin. 

My Own Photo

This vest is for sale on Etsy, but I actually own the exact same one!

I've always been fascinated by Hungarian history, particularly the folk art.  What I knew previously were just tidbits I learned at the kitchen table, but then I learned a bit more when I lived in Budapest for a semester.  In searching for a design for my newest project (photos soon!), I unearthed a little bit more history and lots of inspiration, which I wanted to share - but I still know so little.  I've stolen borrowed my Mom's book, Treasures of Kalocsa, which I've been pouring over, so upcoming posts will discuss the art of pattern making, how to transfer designs, and how to do the stitches.

I'm excited.  But I have to admit that I approach my renewed interest in embroidery with a slightly heavy heart.  I don't want to be too much of a Gloomy Gus, but my grandmother's cousin - the one who made us the beautiful white embroidery I showed above - passed away recently.  I had the pleasure of visiting her each of the three times I traveled to Hungary.  I think she was pleased to see me learning to embroider when I was in Hungary last, but I'm not sure because she was tough to read.  After returning to Canada and completing my project I kept meaning to print some photos of the finished piece and mail them to her, but I never did.  I have no excuse.  She was very dear to my grandmother, and of course to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren!  I feel for them, because she was a dynamic, strong, and thoughtful woman and I am certain that she is missed deeply.  Even though I barely knew her, when I think about her passing, my chest tightens and I feel waves of guilt wash over me.  My thoughts have turned to her many times, especially now.  I'm thankful that I had the chance to tell her in person how much I treasured her gift, and how she inspired me.  I'm grateful that I even had the chance to meet her!  She was such an interesting woman, and so kind to me.  I don't normally have regrets, but I regret not taking the two minutes to send her a little note and some photos.

Sources:
Hungarian Folklore Museum - Hungarian Embroidery
Kalocsa Embroidery
Folk Costume and Embroidery 
Hungarian Folk
Folk Fashion
Kalocsa Official Website 
Folk Art Hungary 
Smithsonian Folk Life Festival

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My Embroidery, Now a Pillow!

Did you spot it when I showed you the bedroom switcheroo?  The embroidery that almost killed me and took a thousand years to complete has morphed from a scrap of fabric to a cute throw pillow no one is allowed to ever touch.  Marvel from a safe distance.  Over there. 

Farther.

If you remember, I finished this at midnight, with only one day to spare in my four month stay in Hungary.  Like the knitting clock I was smitten with, I love how this is a tangible account of just how much time I spent abroad.  It also makes me feel more connected to my family and heritage, because embroidery is a traditional craft in Hungary, and my grandmother's cousin (who made us this amazing piece I had framed) even did this professionally at one time.  My talented Mom is who whipped this into pillow-shape.  Now that I'm moving closer to her, expect more sewing tutorials.   

I haven't really talked about this before, but for months after I returned from Budapest I was really sad about being back home.  Deeply disappointed.  I would have dreams all night of ordinary days there.  I had certainly missed home (and Hubby!), but it took me a strangely long time to readjust.  Of course Hungary is beautiful and special, and surely anyone would miss it even after a short stay, but I really missed it.  I longed to be back.  I was angry I wasn't.  I don't know why, but I think it had something to do with having fewer responsibilities and interruptions there (it was blissful), feeling disconnected from my life in Canada after four months away, but also because I was made to feel special each day.  Speaking Hungarian, I could navigate like locals but my accent gave me away.  Not a day went by, though, that a Hungarian didn't tell me how amazing it is that I speak Hungarian and what a treasure I am.  I was embraced as a lost Hungarian, because my grandparents had emigrated.  I was welcomed "home".  It's so embarrassing . . . but a daily dose of being told how special I am felt so good (coupled with the sugar high we got from eating pastry literally every day).  I'm mostly over it now, which is good, because I can look at this and be happy!! 



I need to start another project so I can post an embroidery tutorial.

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