ADVERTISEMENT
Borys Kosarev: Modernist Kharkiv, 1915-1931 at The Ukrainian Museum thru May 2, 2012
Posted by webmaster on January 12, 2001 at 17:40:37:
In Reply to: Re: embroidered wedding cake posted by Natalka on January 12, 2001 at 10:27:28:
: : I am getting married August 2001 and would very much like to have my wedding cake decorated with ukrainian embroidery. I have seen it done years ago and was very impressed. My mother has extensive cake decorating experience and would attempt this herself. What design would be suitable and where could I find the pattern? I would appreciate any advice you could give.
: : Sylvia
:
: I've never seen an embroidered wedding cake. What I did see was korovaii, wedding breads, some with intricate designs done in a different color dough. Anyway, to your problem: Typical symbols on wedding korovaii are birds - bride is like a lark who weaves her nest under the roof of the groom's family. Vegetation and esp. vegetation fertiliy (as in evergreens) symbols are used: leaves, branches, sometimes real spriggs of myrtle, heads of wheat. Kalyna, in dough or the real thing is used as decoration. So - I would suggest finding a book of embroidery patterns and going from there, modifying designs so that they can incorporate traditional korovai symbolism and be used on a cake. I should probably also add that the typical embroidered item that is part of the wedding is a rushnyk, or ritual towel. Birds often appear on this also, and flowers. The one obligatory wedding item on rushnyky is a wreath of flowers.
If you do get that embroidered wedding cake - send us a picture! Happy wedding!