About a fortnight of my non-work time during peak viral social distancing in Melbourne was spent on this nyzynka.  I’ve had this design for YEARS and have always wanted to do it in this colour.  It came from a servetka seen covering someone’s paska during a Velyka subota many years ago and lent to me to copy.  The colour is the deepest in a row of copper brown shades on the DMC colour chart, all of which appeal to my eyes every time I open my colour draws (which I’ll need to share with you another time.)

Nyzynka is a funny thing.  How was such a technique invented, embroidered from the back to give a crisp design on the front, row on row of design deviating by a thread from its neighbour defining perfect diagonals?  Always one to watch carefully – mistakes can hide easily and are a cause of much, much unpicking in this technique.

Here is the beginnings of a nyzynka design.

What starts as really a couple of blebs on a fabric becomes surprisingly rich.  This design makes me think so much of derevoriz’ba.  Before long, it is looking like this:

Now, as social distancing eases throughout Australia, winter is settling in.  This morning there is a light, light rain, low cloud and I can’t see the city-scape I usually see from my study window.  In the corner, my cozy armchair and cushions, my very comfortable place to stay warm, listen to pods or music and work on this gorgeous nyzynka.

~oOo~