Prauliena Skirt With Embroidered Pattern

The maker of the costume, Ērika Zosārs, was born in Meirāņi and became a refugee at the end of WWII. She lived most of her life in Australia, where she was actively involved in the Latvian community in Melbourne – she took part in Latvian theatre, sang in the “Rota” choir, and was the dining coordinator for the “Sprīdīši” Latvian children’s camp. Ērika made several folk costumes, both for herself and her son Ūve. Ērika wore her self-made Prauliena folk costume at choir concerts and Australian Latvian Arts Festivals. Embroidery was Erika’s hobby – she embroidered the designs not only on shirts and shawls, but also for the skirt of this folk costume! Her son Ūve remembers: “A lot of work went into embroidering this folk costume skirt instead of weaving the pattern into it! She sat and embroidered the skirt in her small apartment. It’s a really fond memory of mine!”