Ukrainian Embroidery and Gerdans

Eugenia M. Worobkevich (Warren, Michigan)
Traditional embroidery plays an important part in public events, celebrations, and special occasions of Ukrainian-American communities. For festive events, women may wear embroidered blouses and men wear embroidered ties. Embroidery appears on pillows, table linens, cloths placed near household religious icons, and in Easter baskets.

Eugenia M. Worobkevich is a master artist of Ukrainian embroidery. She became a citizen of the United States in 1955 after emigrating from Lviv, Ukraine. In 1973 Ms. Worobkevich’s favorite aunt sparked her desire to learn traditional embroidery. In 1985, she met Oksana Tkachuck, a master designer in Ukrainian nyzynka technique, and became her apprentice. In 1996, Eugenia was granted a Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Award to teach traditional embroidery to others. Eugenia also became involved in making beaded "gerdan" collars in 1988 because they contain the same elements of color, texture, and form as traditional embroidery.