Main Bead Embroidery Kit Family prayer

“Family prayer” is an image in a restrained icon-painting tradition: the text of a prayer stands in the centre of the canvas, with twelve images of the Mother of God around it.

What the picture shows

The composition works as a frame within a frame. The outer edge is a wide carved ornament in warm golden ochre. Inside, against a dark red ground, sit twelve small icons — four along the top, four along the bottom and two on each side — each with a caption naming the image. The central field is given over to the prayer, set in small type. The palette is deliberately narrow and collected: gold, dark cherry, deep blue, with white and flesh tones on the faces. The text and the faces stay as print on the canvas, while the beads cover the ornamental border, the ground and the surround of every icon, so the work gains a quiet shine without losing the legibility of the writing. Every image has its own narrow surround with fine plant patterning in the corners.

What is in the kit

• Artist canvas with the full-colour pattern printed on it — no chart to follow on a screen
• Czech Preciosa beads, 10 colours
• Beading needles
• Instructions and finishing guide

Specifications

• Finished size: 300×380 mm (11.81×14.96 in)
• Beads: approx. 11,530
• Bead colours: 10
• Difficulty: medium
• Base: artist canvas

The piece is vertical, so it is usually hung in a home prayer corner, a bedroom or a living room. Gallery finishing is possible — no frame or mount needed, the canvas stretches over a bar and hangs as it is.