Cross-stitched "Battle of Grunwald" or how the probably largest, manually prepared cross-stitch on the world was created. Copying text and images permitted only with provision of relevant source. It is allowed to refer to the content by including a link or this page in a HTML frame.

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Look at other works too.. "The Battle" pattern was created with HaftiX . The program is available here: "Download" page as well as the application manuals. What is the "Battle of Grunwald" project? The "Battle of Grunwald" or more simply the "Battle" is a name of a spontaneous project consisting in cross-stitching Jan Matejko's painting "Battle of Grunwald" in its natural size.

Originators are Ms. Janina Panek and Mr. Adam Panek from Dzialoszyn (Poland). The inspiration came from Adam, who observing Janina at cross-stitching, made a joke: 'You cross-stitch so much that up to now you would cross-stitch the "Battle of Grunwald"'. This is how it started. The seed of a crazy thought, many of which never see the light of day, has undertaken a real shape through the efficient work of the organisers.

The project coincides with 600th anniversary of the Battle which is coming forward and the date of 15 July 2010 was set as the final date for finishing the works.

"Battle of Grunwald" is one the most known, valuable and recognizable Polish paintings. It is also characterised with its enormous size. Its author, Jan Matejko, eternised on it the scenes of one of the largest battles of the Middle Ages in Europe which took place on 15 July 1410 between the forces of the Teutonic Order and united Polish-Lithuanian forces and less numerous reinforcement troops of Ruthenians, Tatars as well as people from Moldavia and Czech.

This site is created in remembrance of the accomplishment and it contains a set of information about the abovementioned work. It is worth to write about it because the cross-stitch is unique in many regards. Basic information about the "Battle of Grunwald" cross-stitch The cross-stitch pattern contains 50 parts but at the very bottom of the image the parts are more than three times lower than the other ones, therefore during cross-stitching they were connected on a one piece of canvas with parts neighbouring from the top. So, there are 40 parts which will comprise the image.

Division of the pattern into parts

The "Battle" in numbers: Expected size of cross-stitch 9,87 m x 4,26 m (32.38 x 13.97 feet) Real size of cross-stitch 9.20 x 4.05 m Size of the pattern 4304 x 1835 crosses (7 897 840) Volume of pattern The pattern consists of 50 books, each 20-77 pages (altogether: 3,270 pages), excluding legends and covers. Number of colours: 220 Average number of colours in one part: 100 Theoretical length of threads used: 150 km (93 miles) Real length of threads used: unknown, but it will be much longer than 90 km (56 miles), the initial calculations did not take into consideration long ways on the reverse side of the cross-stitch Works preparation time 6 months (June 2008 - December 2008) Cross-stitch creation time 1 year 9 months (December 2008 - August 2010) Pattern creation time 1 year 3 months (November 2008 - February 2010) Estimated real cross-stitching time 4.5 working years The pattern was designed by Grzegorz Zochowski with use of HaftiX application. All parts of the pattern were created at once which took several days including tests and preparation of the photo but they were not optimised. Next, each part was manually simplified and corrected. It took several dozen months in stages but resulted in saving at least one month per one part of cross-stitch. Number of colours after manual editing was reduced by ca. 90, reaching the average value of 100 colours per part. Both the pattern and some fragments of the cross-stitch were created "after hours", since a part of people participating in the project works professionally and has family duties. Calendar June 2008 - Mr. Adam Panek turns to Grzegorz Zochowski, the author of HaftiX application with a request to prepare the pattern of the "Battle". In the nearest days the first attempt to process a photo found in the Internet into the cross-stitch pattern takes place. It aims at testing the potential of HaftiX and not preparing the very pattern itself. It is known from the beginning that there are no generally available photos of sufficient quality to be used for this purpose and it will not be worth to get involved in cross-stitching a giant if it is impossible to do it satisfactorily. Search for possibility to get or take a picture starts. July - September 2008 - search and selection of supplier of materials (canvas, threads) in progress. The scale of enterprise is far beyond financial possibilities of the organisers. Therefore, the organisers are looking for a thread manufacturer who would be the official sponsor of the project in exchange for materials. Talks and negotiations with one of them are being held.

Reproduction of the "Battle" in electronic form is purchased.

The "Penelopa" circle, active at the House of Culture in Dzialoszyn announces a cross-stitch competition. The first group declaring the willingness to cross-stitch parts of the painting emerges from the participants. October 2008 - The sponsor requires samples of patterns and cross-stitch to be prepared. First parts of the pattern are created. They are handed over to the sponsor, along with other information required by it. The sponsor pays attention to colour incompliance of one of elements with the original and withholds its support. The remark was justified - the analysis of the purchased photo reveals a clumsy modification on some graphic application. The first copies of the pattern go to rubbish bin.

On 29 October the complaint procedure concerning the photo of the "Battle" starts. Ideas appear on taking own photo in the National Museum. November 2008 - change of supplier of materials. In the negotiations it is settled that it would not give them for free but sell in preferential prices - almost five times cheaper than in a shop which so and so requires high amounts to be collected. Adam Panek starts a many-month crusade for the "Battle". He will be the main catalyst of the enterprise as far as financial matters are concerned.

On 20 November the complaint is admitted and we receive a high-quality photo. 50 parts of "raw" pattern and several parts of optimised patterns are created immediately since for 29 November the first meeting of organisers with the pattern author is planned along with handover of first several parts of the patterns. As the first, the smallest, lower parts of the image are prepared since it will be quicker to prepare them and the stitchers will be able to start work. January 2009 - the thread manufacturer moved its factory in the previous months and changes production technology. It turns out that the threads of the new batch stain. The cross-stitching women have colourful fingers. Feedback goes to the manufacturer's representative and the whole batch of threads is replaced.

Ms. Janina Panek with her part of the pattern. Person looking to the left - Ms. Joanna Galkowska who also cross-stitches the "Battle". September 2009 - on 13 September a family picnic is organised in Dzialoszyn - "Farewell to the Summer" - the profit is appropriated for implementation of the "Battle of Grunwald" project. Two days later, the first photos of cross-stitch fragments are published at www.my-cross-stitch-software.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=20. January 2010 - there is a shortage of colours used in the "Battle" on the market within several hundred kilometres from Dzialoszyn.

February 2010 - on 10 February the last part of the pattern is created.

At the end of the month all parts of the pattern are assigned to their stitchers. March 2010 - on 5 March one person gets suddenly sick - people willing to take her work are looked for. On 7 March a replacement person is selected. Two days later she receives a set of materials and continues interrupted work.

An attempt to piece two parts together.

Slowly the legal status of the work being created and property rights are constituted and cleared out slowly.



Four parts of the cross-stitch pieced together.

4 May 2010



6 July 2010 .



30 August 2010, 1620 - embroidery is finished.

Last cross. 11 September 2010 - first unofficial public show.

















Part of the embroidery. Dobryszyce (Poland), 25 September 2010 - befor official show.

The stitchers and organizers.

Kleszczow 26 September 2010.

Headquater Janina Panek

Organizer. Adam Panek

Co-organizer. Malgorzata Dzwonek

Good spirit. Grzegorz Zochowski

Pattern author.