My mothers side of the family is Polish, and I like the style of Wycinanki design and think it would look great as a tattoo. I thought you might be able to help me understand better before getting something permanent-I want to make sure there is no negative symbolism attached to the designs. Specifically, a variation of this one- "Embroidery motif on the trousers: folk costume from Podhale region, Poland". Does this have specific meaning? Are there any designs I should specifically avoid?
I think you mean one of the parzenica symbols. As far as I know it doesn't have any specific negative connotations, quite the opposite. It's a strenght and fertility symbol, associated with the dziewięćsił flower ("nine strenghts" flower, in English called stemless carline thistle). Originally parzenica was heart-shaped and it became more elaborate over time. Traditionally it was embroidered on the fronts of wool trousers (in a style that came to that region in 19th century from Hungary). In most areas it's also associated with masculine strenght - as opposed to the more female-strenght-oriented dziewięćsił motifs embroidered on bodices. Nowadays parzenica is one of the most popular regional motifs, worn by all genders ;) You can find it in many places, from regional souvenirs to interior design. For a tattoo, I'd say go for it! The wycinanki motifs are also a great and "safe" choice for tattoos. I collected a big portion of references under wycinanki tag on my main tumblr.