Parts From a Water Boiler

Home > In Exile  > Becoming a master folk costume maker > Latvian Arts and Crafts Group in Leeds > Parts From a Water Boiler Parts From a Water Boiler Dignāja folk costume. Made by Rita Jefimova around 1980 in Great Britain. The Dignāja folk costume was made in the Latvian arts and craft group in Leeds in preparation for the English Latvian song days. Rita Jefimova made not only the Dignāja skirt, shirt, shawl and head-wrap, but also the brooches – they were made from copper water boiler parts. Rita remembers: “The craziest part was when we had to weave the skirt because we couldn’t get the right materials. I have a Dignāja skirt that I can hardly wear because it is so thick and heavy. I turned out more like upholstery fabric – we wove with what we had.” Donated by Rita Jefimova. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2016.340). Rita Jefimova in the Dignāja folk costume in the estate garden of the Latvian centre “Abrene” in France; Easter 1990. Donated by Rita Jefimova. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. Parts From a Water Boiler Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

Siberian sewn gown

Home > In Exile > “Composite” and adapted folk costumes > Siberian sewn gown Siberian sewn gown Folk costume made in 1997 in Omsk, Russia. This costume was made 25 years ago, when the “Daina” Latvian Folklore Ensemble was established in Omsk, Siberia. The costume was sewn by the daughter of one of the members of the folk ensemble, who is of Polish heritage, but has been part of the Omsk Latvian Society all her life. The shirt was embroidered by a Latvian, Ausma Kuļika. The costume was based on another costume that was owned by the first leader of the folklore ensemble, Austra Iščenko, who was from the Kurzeme province. Members of the folklore ensemble found fabrics in haberdasheries in Omsk that were similar to “real” Latvian folk costume fabrics.  The costume was first worn in a performance at the opening concert of the Omsk People’s Friendship Hall. It has also been worn when the “Daina” ensemble has celebrated Easter, Midsummer’s Eve and Christmas, as well as the 18 November – Proclamation day of the Republic of Latvia. The costume was worn when visiting other Latvian communities in Russia, when participating in the Omsk city celebrations and various other events in the Omsk Oblast. The costume has also visited Latvia before – at the Song Festival and the 800th anniversary of Valmiera.  The Omsk Latvian Folklore Ensemble “Daina” continues to this day – it has 30 members, who sing and play folk instruments. Today “Daina” members wear folk costumes that have been made in Latvia. Raisa Bakanova, the leader of the ensemble comments that “by putting on a Latvian folk costume, you get a feeling of belonging.” Latvians from Omsk have not lost this feeling even over a number of generations – since the time when Latvian farming colonies were established in Siberia in the second half of the 19th century.  Donated by Jānis Tupesis (Latvian Society in Omsk, Russia). From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2023.110). A member of the Omsk Latvian Folklore Ensemble “Daina” in a new folk costume at the Latvian Song Festival in Bashkortostan in 2009. Photo by Arta Savdona. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

Patterns and Designs From the the United States Library of Congress

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > Patterns and Designs From the the United States Library of Congress Patterns and Designs From the the United States Library of Congress Nīca folk costume. Made by Maija Hinkle (née Weinberg, 1937) ca. 1951 in the USA. The folk costume was made by Maija Hinkle, founder of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre, when she was a teenager and moved with her family from a refugee camp in Germany to Washington, D.C., USA. “I had Latvian ethnography books in front of me from which to copy the designs on graph paper. My mother had already taught me to embroider when we lived in refugee camps in Germany. I bought the fabric in a shop with my mum – the blouse is cotton. The brooches were commissioned in Washington, D.C.”  Maija most often wore her national costume when performing with other Latvian youth in a folk dance ensemble in Washington, D.C. Maija states: “The folk costume is a beautiful and profound symbol of Latvian belonging. When I put it on, I felt proud and happy to be Latvian and to be able to show my Latvian identity so visibly. I wore it not only to perform at events, but also on patriotic occasions, such as Latvian Independence Day. It is the only folk costume I have ever owned.” The shawl is unfinished – one end is embroidered and the other is not. This is probably because the chosen Nīca pattern design, although accurate, was redrawn on the fabric and embroidered on a much larger scale than usual. No wonder the teen-aged Maija didn’t have enough time to finish it!  Donated by Maija Hinkle. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2020.95.1). Maija Hinkle and Anda Ūdris are photographed in folk costumes for a newspaper in the 1950s in the USA. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. Patterns and Designs From the the United States Library of Congress Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

A Folk Costume for “Sprigulītis” in Australia

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > A Folk Costume for “Sprigulītis” in Australia A Folk Costume for “Sprigulītis” in Australia Nīca folk costume. Made by Vita Eversone (née Ruņģe, 1936–2019) in Australia, in 1953. The folk costume was created thanks to the Latvian-Australians’ love of folk dancing. The “Sprigulītis” folk dance group was founded in Canberra in 1953, yet none of the dancers had a folk costume. “No one thought back then that everyone should wear the same kind, but rather – whatever would be easiest! There was no one weaving in Canberra, so we made our own folk costumes. Skaidrīte had Rucava, Inta Skrīvere had Bārta, I had Nīca, Dace Brasla had Abrene, Biruta had Kuldīga.” The shirts of the folk costumes were also embroidered by the participants themselves. At that time, there was nowhere to get the right colour of fabric for the Nīca skirt, so they bought white fabric and dyed it red. Vita also made her own embroidered Nīca shawl: “You couldn’t get the right kind of fabric that could be easily embroidered. So I bought something called ‘baby flannel’. I embroidered a Nīca shawl on it by counting the stitches.” It was not possible to obtain beads for the crown, but one was made, albeit “a sadder one”. Later, Vita made a wife’s cap for her folk costume. Donated by the Eversons family. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.161, LP2023.107). Members of the “Sprigulītis” Canberra Latvian folk dance ensemble at the “Sprigulītis” ball in 1955. Vita Ruņģis, in the centre. Donated by Egons Eversons. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

Prauliena Skirt With Embroidered Pattern

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > Prauliena Skirt With Embroidered Pattern Prauliena Skirt With Embroidered Pattern Prauliena folk costume. Made by Ērika Zosārs (1911–2008) in Melbourne, Australia in the 1960s. 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!” Donated by Ūve Zosārs. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2019.1717-1720). Ērika Zosārs in her Prauliena folk costume at her home in Melbourne, Australia, in the late 1980s. Donated by Ūve Zosārs. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. Prauliena Skirt With Embroidered Pattern Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

Identical Folk Costumes for Four Brothers

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > Identical Folk Costumes for Four Brothers Identical Folk Costumes for Four Brothers Nīca folk costume. Made by Arvīds Tilaks (1922–1987) in Corby, UK, ca. 1966. The national costume belonged to the wonderful chef, entrepreneur and culinary show presenter Mārtiņš Rītiņš (1949–2022). It was the only folk costume he ever wore. Mārtiņš first wore the folk costume in England, performing with the “Pērkonītis” folk dance group in Corby; in the second half of his life, he wore it in Latvia when singing with the “Mārtiņkoris” choir.   In 1964, when the “Pērkonītis” folk dance group was preparing to perform at the European Latvian Song Festival in Hamburg, Hermīne Rītiņa commissioned identical folk costumes for her older sons from Arvīds Tilaks, a Latvian tailor living in Corby. It is believed that Hermīne herself embellished the coats by embroidering Latvian designs. In 1966 a folk costume was also ordered for her youngest son, Mārtiņš. That year “Pērkonītis”, together with the “Kamoliņš” folk dance group, went on a concert tour to Germany and Belgium. While Mārtiņš was dancing in “Pērkonītis”, the folk costume experienced various events in many parts of the world, such as the 5th Latvian Song Festival in Toronto, Canada, in 1970, and the famous “Rose of Tralee” folk festival in Ireland, in 1972. The “Pērkonītis” folk dance group also danced in their folk costumes at the wedding reception for Queen Elizabeth’s father’s nephew, Prince Richard of Gloucester, at the family’s Barnwell Castle estate. Donated by the Rītiņš family. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2023.3.1-5). From right to left: Mārtiņš Rītiņš with his brother Andrejs wearing Nīca folk costumes made by their mother Hermīne. Donated by the Rītiņš family. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Folk Costume In Spite of the Pain

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > A Folk Costume In Spite of the Pain A Folk Costume In Spite of the Pain Abrene folk costume. Made by Elza Emīlija Mežmalis (née Tupētāja, 1906–1992) in Brisbane, Australia, in 1987. Elza Emīlija Mežmalis made this Abrene folk costume for her daughter Maiga Mezmale. Elza had learned handicraft skills – weaving, sewing, embroidery – in Latvia, at the beekeeping school in Vecbebri. The Abrene folk costume was made when Elza was 81 years old and suffering from arthritis, which she had acquired after sewing horse saddles for many years at Butler Brothers Saddlery in Brisbane. She continued to sew every day to keep her finger joints agile. The folk costume for her daughter Maiga was made using only materials from home, including parts of her daughter’s previous Nīca folk costume. Due to her health, Elza could not embroider the blouse designs, so she replaced them with ribbons she had woven herself. The bottom edge of the Abrene skirt was also woven by Elza. Maiga wore the national costume when participating in Australian Latvian Arts Festivals and other Latvian community events. Donated by Marga Laima Wren. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2020.400). Maiga Mežmale in her Abrene folk costume in the late 1980s. Donated by Marga Laima Wren. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. A Folk Costume In Spite of the Pain Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

Fabric From Home, Across the Sea

Home > In Exile > Home-made folk costumes > Fabric From Home, Across the Sea Fabric From Home, Across the Sea Saka folk costume. Made by Sofija Sinka (née Zommere, 1924–2014) in the 1960s, in Molkom, Sweden. Sofija Zommere and her brother fled to Sweden in 1944, disembarking from a refugee boat on the coast of Gotland. Sofija had taken along from Latvia home-woven fabric for a Saka folk costume skirt. In the early years of exile, Sofija sang in Teodors Reiters’ choir in Stockholm. When Sofija married the artist and pharmacist Imants Sinka in 1952, the family moved to Molkom, Värmland. There she made her own Saka folk costume using the fabric she had brought with her when fleeing Latvia. Donated by Silvija Sinka. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2023.52.1-5). Sofija Sinka in her homemade Saka folk costume at her home in Molkom, Värmland, Sweden, in the 1960s. Donated by Sofija Sinka. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

Bashkirian version of a Latvian folk costume

Home > In Exile > “Composite” and adapted folk costumes > Bashkirian version of a Latvian folk costume Bashkirian version of a Latvian folk costume Latvian folk costume made in 2004 in Bashkiria, Russia. The folk costume was made in 2004 in Bashkiria as a stage costume for the “Atbalss” Latvian folklore ensemble. The inspiration for the folk costume has not yet been identified. It was one of the first folk costumes worn by the folklore ensemble and has been worn by children of at least three generations as they performed at various events, including at the Maxim Gorky School, in the Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, and elsewhere in Russia. A few years later, new folk costumes were made. Ten years ago, the ensemble received “real” made-in-Latvia folk costumes. Teachers travelled from Latvia to teach the Latvian language, songs and dances at the Maksim Gorky Village School to the Latvian descendants living in Bashkiria; the teachers thought this colourful and stylised folk costume, with its atypical patterns and strange shawl, was “a very peculiar interpretation of the Latvian folk costume”. Yet the girls of the folklore ensemble wore the folk costume with great joy. As Latvian-language teacher Kristīne Apse, who worked in Bashkiria during the 2004–2005 school year, recalls: “The girls wore the folk costume and were very happy! Life is life. You have to accept that everything flows and changes – it’s better to have some Latvian elements in a folk costume than none at all!”    Donated by Ilona Saverasa, from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.122). The “Atbalss” Latvian folklore ensemble at the first Latvian Song Festival in Bashkiria in 2009. Photo by Arta Savdona. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. Bashkirian version of a Latvian folk costume Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

A Folk Costume Pieced Together From Several Countries

Home > In Exile > “Composite” and adapted folk costumes > A Folk Costume Pieced Together From Several Countries A Folk Costume Pieced Together From Several Countries Lielvārde folk costume. Made by Ilona Gulbis (born 1939) in São Paulo, Brazil, in the 1950s. Lielvārde woven belt. Made in Latvia, brought from Latvia as a refugee. When Ilona Gulbis was about 14 years old, she started to make a folk costume for herself. Ilona remembers that she bought the linen herself: “One with a clear and precise weave, where you could pull out threads and count the stitches exactly. And so I slowly made my blouse. It’s my own handiwork – whitework. I made it in a larger size and so I’ve worn it all these years.” Ilona made the Lielvārde skirt from wool-blend fabric bought in a shop. She bought the brooches and the woven belt in America. The belt was woven by a disabled war veteran; the jewellery was made by metalsmith Augusts Telle in Chicago. The folk costume’s headdress was made at Ilona’s request by master handicrafter Marija Ošeniece in Brazil. Ilona’s reason for choosing the Lielvārde folk costume is clear and concise: “I liked it! I was fascinated by the legend of Lāčplēsis!” When Ilona donated the folk costume to the museum, she decided to keep the Lielvārde woven belt as a memento. Costume donated by Ilona Gulbis. Belt donated by Dzidra Ērika Daykin. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.222 – costume, LP2022.549.5 – belt). The Latvian stand at the 1988 immigrant exhibition in Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil. From left: Ilona Gulbis in her Lielvārde folk costume, Vicente Bicudo. Donated by Ilona Gulbis. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. A Folk Costume Pieced Together From Several Countries Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /