Floral needlework is very typical for Ukraine and Slavic countries in general. There are literally thousands of floral embroidery patterns created by Ukrainian women’s imagination and skilled hands. They used dozens of needlework techniques and color palettes. We’ve gathered in this post a wide variety of different floral embroidery designs depicted on vintage Ukrainian folk clothing and ceremonial towels. Most of these items are at least 100 years old and exhibited in the local museums.
Some of the authentic garments you can see in the photos below might be even destroyed in Russian-Ukrainian war already because they’re from the museums located on the territories that used to be temporarily occupied by Russian troops. Luckily, we still have the photos and will be able to preserve and replicate the needlework patterns in the future.
If you’re searching for a new way to embroider flowers, welcome to get inspiration from these vintage stitchings.
Male shirt from Carpathian region of Ukraine, the beginning of the 20th century
Women’s embroidered shirts from Poltava region, Central Ukraine (on the left) and Sumy region, norther Ukraine, the early 20th century
Groom’s shirt from Chernihiv region (northern Ukraine), the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century
Women’s embroidered shirt sleeve from Poltava region, Central Ukraine, the early 20th century
Delicate whitework and openwork embroidery on woman’s shirt from Bukovyna area, Western Ukraine, the early 20th century
Groom’s wedding embroidered shirt from Lviv region of Ukraine (western part of the country). The beginning of the 20th century
Men’s shirt from Poltava region (Central Ukraine), the early 20th century
Women’s shirt sleeve from Chernihiv region (northern Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
Groom’s wedding shirt cuff from Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine (south-western part of the country), the first half of the 20th century
Wedding towel from Poltava region (Central Ukraine), the early 20th century
Wedding towel from Poltava region (Central Ukraine), the early 20th century
Women’s shirt sleeve from Chernihiv region (northern Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
Ceremonial towel from Cherkasy region (Central Ukraine), the mid-19th century
Ceremonial towel from Poltava region (Central Ukraine), the late 19th century
Female shirt from Polissia area (northern part of Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
Ceremonial towel from Poltava region of Ukraine, the late 19th century
Men’s wedding shirt from Ternopil region (Western Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
Ceremonial towel from Poltava region of Ukraine, the early 20th century
Needlework design on women’s shirt sleeve from Bukovyna region, western part of Ukraine, the late 19th – early 20th century
Ceremonial towel from Cherkasy region (Central Ukraine), the late 19th century
Women’s shirt sleeve from Central Ukraine, the early 20th century
Women’s embroidered shirt from Transcarpathian region of Ukraine (western part of the country), the late 19th – early 20th century
Women’s shirt from Bukovyna region, western part of Ukraine, the late 19th – early 20th century
Women’s wedding apron from Lviv region (Western Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
Women’s shirt from Bukovyna region, western part of Ukraine, the late 19th – early 20th century
Women’s shirt from Ternopil region (Western Ukraine), the late 19th – early 20th century
