Field Notes

Ukrainian gerdan necklace with red beaded poppy flowers on white ground

The Poppy in Ukrainian Beadwork: A Flower That ...

Red as summer, the poppy is the most beloved flower in Ukrainian folk art — a guardian of the home and a keeper of memory. Its story, and why so...

The Poppy in Ukrainian Beadwork: A Flower That ...

Red as summer, the poppy is the most beloved flower in Ukrainian folk art — a guardian of the home and a keeper of memory. Its story, and why so...

Delicate handmade beaded rose jewelry on a cream background

How to Care for Beaded Jewelry So It Becomes an...

Glass beads outlast generations when kept kindly. Simple care rituals for handmade beaded jewelry — moisture, perfume, storage and travel — so your piece becomes an heirloom.

How to Care for Beaded Jewelry So It Becomes an...

Glass beads outlast generations when kept kindly. Simple care rituals for handmade beaded jewelry — moisture, perfume, storage and travel — so your piece becomes an heirloom.

Sylianka-style strung beadwork necklace with flower motifs, handmade in Ukraine

What Is a Sylianka? Ukraine’s Needle-and-Thread...

A sylianka is Ukrainian beadwork made with needle and thread alone — a net of beads older than the bead loom. What it is, how it differs from a gerdan,...

What Is a Sylianka? Ukraine’s Needle-and-Thread...

A sylianka is Ukrainian beadwork made with needle and thread alone — a net of beads older than the bead loom. What it is, how it differs from a gerdan,...

Handmade beaded flower earrings, one of a kind, made in Ukraine

Why No Two Handmade Beaded Pieces Are Ever Iden...

Thread tension, bead lots and the maker’s hand — why every handmade beaded necklace is one of one, and why the small differences are the proof of the craft.

Why No Two Handmade Beaded Pieces Are Ever Iden...

Thread tension, bead lots and the maker’s hand — why every handmade beaded necklace is one of one, and why the small differences are the proof of the craft.

Geometric Ukrainian gerdan necklace with diamond motifs on white beads

How to Read Ukrainian Beadwork Patterns: Diamon...

Every motif in Ukrainian beadwork means something — diamonds for sown fields, zigzags for water, stars for the sun. A short dictionary of the pattern language woven into every gerdan.

How to Read Ukrainian Beadwork Patterns: Diamon...

Every motif in Ukrainian beadwork means something — diamonds for sown fields, zigzags for water, stars for the sun. A short dictionary of the pattern language woven into every gerdan.

Handmade loomed gerdan necklace with wolf motif, beaded in Ukraine

What Is a Gerdan? The Loomed Necklace That Carr...

A gerdan is a loomed beadwork necklace worn across Ukraine for centuries. Learn how gerdans are woven bead by bead, what their patterns once recorded, and how to wear one...

What Is a Gerdan? The Loomed Necklace That Carr...

A gerdan is a loomed beadwork necklace worn across Ukraine for centuries. Learn how gerdans are woven bead by bead, what their patterns once recorded, and how to wear one...