Hi! I thought of going out of the beaten track for some scintillating embroidery designs for you from Uzbekistan – traditional Uzbek silk embroidery folk art. This exquisite silk embroidery panel you see next to this post was hand-stitched by women using age-old traditions.

The story goes back to the 19th century when Uzbek women produced beautiful bed covers, embroidered hangings, wrapping cloths, table covers, and prayer mats for their households. As the Soviet Era ended and Westerners became more familiar with the finest old Uzbek pieces, prices for antique examples escalated. Now gorgeous contemporary embroideries decorate not only Uzbekistan homes, but also grace European and American households, while talented and industrious Uzbek women have a welcome new source of family income. Fortunately, we now have access to beautiful contemporary textiles that are a natural outgrowth of the old traditions–at very reasonable prices. Most of this embroidery art work are focused in the Tashkent, Nurata, Samarkand, Bukhara and Shahrisabz areas. The new pieces are captivating, with inspired designing, excellent materials, and fine craftsmanship.

How is Uzbek embroidery done? – The embroidery foundation cloth are hand-woven fabrics. These fabrics are woven in narrow strips. Most current-day pieces are a silk/cotton blend: a silk warp is most usual, with cotton wefts. In satin-weave pieces the weft is also silk. Occasional ground fabrics are all cotton, especially for pieces expected to get hard use, such as horse covers. The fabrics are often lightly dyed to produce a soft beige tint. Occasionally other colors are used for the ground fabrics. Team work – generally part of the same family – gets together for large suzanis where several of the fabric strips are first sewn loosely together and the pattern is drawn on them. Later when the panels are rejoined, the pattern parts may not match perfectly, and extra stitches may be added in the areas along the seams.   You could hang these as tapestry or use as an applique,  bedspread, coverlet, curtain, or tablecloth.