Ukrainian newcomer looking to spread her love for embroidery

Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Student Olga Karasiuk and teacher Mariia Ivoniak show off some of the work created by Ivoniak at the Tea World Museum and Event Centre.

Mariia Ivoniak is a Ukrainian newcomer to Prince Albert who is looking to spread her love for creating embroidery.

Ivoniak has been in Prince Albert for two and a half years, but has been creating embroidery for almost 25 years. In November, she began hosting embroidery classes to see if there was interest. After a few tests, she’s decided to offer more of them in the New Year.

“I like explain to everybody how nice Ukrainian embroidery is (and) how it’s important,” Ivoniak said. “Remember this and show it to different cultures because it’s very nice. All Ukrainian people like this, and I think another culture will think the same. I know different ways to do it but from (the) start we must do something easy and after step by step I will show people how to make nice different blouse (and) different clothes.”

Ivoniak said one purpose is to expose people to different ways of creating embroidery.

She began by hosting a few classes at the Tea World Museum and Gallery in the Gateway Mall that came about because of some networking.

“I have some classes but not too much,” she explained. “In the future I would like to start like every week and people will learn more, more and more.”

She said that Ukrainian culture is important all over Saskatchewan but her embroidery skills can be used by everyone.

She said that embroidery is a piece of culture that can be shared with everyone.

“I don’t think it must be only Ukrainian people,” Ivoniak said.

She said that her style is Ukrainian, but cultures all over the world have similar traits, including Hardanger embroidery. Hardanger embroidery gets its name from the district of Hardanger in western Norway.

“All (over the) world people make this,” Ivoniak said. “It’s one kind of embroidery.”

Ivoniak will be holding embroidery classes in January at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre. Classes are scheduled for Saturday, Jan 18 and 25 and Feb. 1 and 8, 2025. The classes are an opportunity to learn different types of stiches, cross-stitch, embroidering a drawing, Hardanger bead embroidery and mesh.

Ivoniak said she sees pieces that are similar in museums and wants to have people bring samples so they can learn to create them.

“People come and look (at) all this because one Ukrainian had one original, old costume. What I make, it’s like now,” she said. “It’s not old. It’s my art, and we like to show it.”

Ivoniak said that she did not begin making her art and embroidery public for two and a half years because she works seven days a week as housekeeper.

“As newcomers, it’s not easy but every time I finish work, I came home and I start to (create). I must do it. I miss this and after I feel nice, I feel good. It’s like some people take yoga, some people play sports,” she explained.

“I don’t show to people, but sometimes (they) visit me or ask what you do after I show and after I’m surprised people say ‘oh, it’s amazing. They say, ‘no, no, it’s good, no, no, you must show.’

She did similar work with embroidery in her hometown in Ukraine, but most of the creations were for herself. She taught a few friends, and sold a few pieces, but spent most of her time working as a seamstress.

She is from Kolomyia, a city in Western Ukraine. Often, Ivoniak and her students would look to the museums in the city for inspiration.

This new version replicated and saved the history.

“(It’s) new but very similar,” she said. “It’s not possible (to use) the same because material now. It is not possible, but it’s nice to make like what people used before, like my grandmother.”

Ivoniak encouraged everyone who is interested in learning about her craft to come to the Margo Fournier Arts Centre when classes begin in January.

-Advertisement-