Latvian Charted Designs Giveaway

I have five sets of these design chartss to give away. The two photos above are a minisampler taken from the charts. Here are notes from the introduction:

LATVIAN CROSS-STITCH DESIGNS
lin vandenberg

The designs seen here were graphed in 2009-2010 by lin vandenberg (currently living in Cairo, Egypt) from a book entitled Latviesu Tautas Terpi: Raksti: Izsusana (Latvian National Costumes: Designs: Embroidery) by Maruta Grasmane (Apgads Rasa ABC, SIA, 2000, ISBN 9984-653-25-0). Only the preface is written in English and I have but a very limited vocabulary in Latvian to draw upon, so please forgive any of the undoubtedly many errors that appear due to my own linguistic limitations. Unfortunately, my computer is unable to write the diacritical markings common in Latvian and for this, I also apologize.

A study of this exquisitely well-written and photographed tome is an adventure in the exploration of a unique and diverse heritage. Latvian national costumes employ many different embroidery stitches and techniques on shawls, bonnets, shirts (sleeves, cuffs, collars and front openings), headbands and scarves. The beautiful weaving of patterned belts, striped or plaid skirts, and the woven and then embroidered shawls are shown in the book with their accompanying traditional jewelry. Unfortunately, the embroidery of household items and other textiles lies outside the scope of this book, thereby limiting our exposure to what is surely a broader embroidery tradition.

The most fascinating aspect of Latvian embroidery as seen in the national costumes is the uniqueness of its designs. Undoubtedly, the elements in use in both weaving and embroidery derive from ancient sources. That they are untraceable (in all but a very few cases) to outside sources makes them a truly unique feature of this nation’s traditions. As you examine or stitch the graphs included here, you will be as intrigued as I was at the complexity and beauty of these designs. Unified by their generally diamond-shaped format, the details vary significantly from one pattern to the next. There is interplay in each between foreground and background, stitched and voided areas, that captivates the attention and gives endless pleasure to both embroiderer and viewer.

Counted cross-stitch has been selected for this initial study only because of the widespread familiarity the technique currently enjoys in the U.S. and Europe. Other stitching techniques and some of the more complex designs that use many stitches in a single piece may be examined in future studies.

The exclusive usage of cross-stitch does not appear (from the information contained in the book, at least) to be widespread, but is to be found mostly in the two westernmost regions of Kuldiga and Barta. The designs shown here come from the front opening (#8), stand-up collars (#1-6) and cuffs (#7, 10 and 12) of the traditional linen blouses and shirts. Abrene is a town close to the eastern border of Latvia; the cuff decoration (#11) comes from there.

It may well be that the thread used traditionally for counted cross stitch embroidery on an approximately 42-count white linen ground (each stitch taken over 2 threads) may have also been linen and that this may possibly have been produced locally. Today, it appears that cotton floss is more commonly used. Because 6-strand DMC embroidery floss is the thread preferred by embroiderers worldwide, I have tried, as closely as possible, to denote the colors of the included embroideries using standard DMC numbers.

If you would like to be entered in this giveaway, please comment on this post. The end date will be April 4, 2011 b-- I'll be back by then to mail out the sets of charts to the winners. Please make sure your comment includes a way to get in touch with you. I will mail anywhere in the world.