Balkan Bartizan Bitkit - Avlea Folk Embroidery - Cross Stitch Kit

In Brooklyn, New York, there is a famous Balkan festival called "Golden Festival" which has run for the last 37 years and celebrates Balkan music, dance, and culture. This year, I was honored to be asked to design a special embroidery for their virtual "sedenka" which is a traditional gathering in which women sew and sing folk songs.

Inspired by a traditional embroidery from the small town of Berova in northern Macedonian, this design’s bold motifs evoke a “bartisan,” a corner turret on a medieval castle, many of which can be seen throughout the Balkans where this design originated. The lavish use of red and garnet are traditional to many Balkan textiles and create a wonderfully intense energy to this striking table mat.

This design is quite easy to use to make larger runners—simply use a longer piece of cloth and work more repeats of the design.

Finished size: 6-1/2 x 10” with hem finish

(actual area of embroidery is 4-1/2 x 8”)

Stitch count: 59x101 sts/3507 total sts

My high quality kits come with everything you need to make the embroidery in the photos--26 count 100% cotton Traditional Groundcloth (imported from Greece), DMC floss, full color SOC (symbol-on-chart) pattern, along with a John James size 24 tapestry needle. The raw edges of the fabric are serged for your convenience, so you can start stitching as soon as you open the kit!