Saints in bead embroidery kits (Icons)

Bead embroidery kits for icons and amulets cover 300 designs on artist canvas with the full-colour pattern printed on it. This is the most approachable part of the bead embroidery range: 199 kits are rated easy and 97 medium. They typically use 10–17 colours of Czech Preciosa beads.

Three formats

Personalised icons

A distinct group is icons of patron saints chosen by name: 278 of them here, 139 in the large format and 139 in the mini one. They are a common gift for a name day, a christening or a wedding, because the design is picked for a particular person.

How the work differs

• Faces and hands are not beaded. They stay as print on the canvas, while the robes, the halo and the background are worked in beads. This is the traditional approach and it is what gives an embroidered icon its recognisable look.
• Direction of the beads. On an icon the tilt is more noticeable than on a landscape, so keep every row leaning the same way.
• Finishing. Icons are usually mounted in a kiot or a moulding frame rather than stretched on bars.

Subsections

• Large personalised icons — 139
• Personalised mini icons — 139
• Amulets — 22

Questions and answers

Can a beginner stitch an icon?

Yes. Two thirds of the kits here are rated easy, and the faces are not beaded, so the hardest part of the work is not there.

How long does an icon take?

A 100×150 mm mini icon takes 8–15 hours. The 230×300 mm format takes 35–60 hours depending on the density of coverage.

How do I choose a personalised icon?

By the name of the patron saint. Every kit carries the name in its title, so searching the site by name brings up the right design.

How is an embroidered icon finished?

Traditionally in a moulding frame or a kiot with glass. Traditions and finishing are covered in how to bead embroider an icon.