Therefore i made an effort to show them that it’s maybe not new exact same, on the Konavle area this hands embroidery stitch resulted in a beneficial most higher level issue. It is amazing how most accurate and you can systematically 350 pieces would be divided in to five groups.

Antonia Preserve Antique Konavle Hand Embroidery

You find, the new custom and method were not in the design. That it embroidery ‘s the very first important information put on people costume. There’s nothing imaginative the woman will add to her embroidery. Most of the females, because of their dowry, make comparable what her comment is here you should both. It is very real and you can she’s while making on her dowry a piece when it comes down to affairs off this lady lifetime – for being dated, if you are more youthful, to have likely to chapel, having browsing works, each go out, to have special events, for matrimony, to be tucked. She also has to make one having when there’s sadness for the the family.

One of several antique embroidery models demonstrated during the in the Konavle State Museum, an unforgettable excursion out of Dubrovnik. Photo: Meg Pier

Antonia: Isn’t they? Just imagine yourself making this give embroidery because a female: like the pieces to possess once you will have getting a celebration while an old woman, sixty, 70 years of age. Once you understand when the before you to definitely go out will come, their father otherwise your husband passes away, then you’ll definitely never ever wear these pieces, since individualized determines you to definitely you then only wear an effective widow’s pattern.

Antonia welcomes a prize regarding the Chairman regarding Croatia into account of all on the Konavle Area who have been in retaining the latest region’s textiles. Images courtesy of Konavle State Museum

I been an effective 20-woman embroidery class. Towards the Monday nights, within my studio, i stitched for two decades. I would personally offer her or him an alternative sew and provide it research, so the very next time brand new members came back the complete that. Up coming, we would decide new completing colors, then your players perform get back and you may carry out the next piece away from really works. two years out of embroidering all of those parts.

Visions Turning into Fact

Antonia: Yes. However, From the my buddies from this group told me, a couple of years afterwards, “Antonia, I will tell you exactly how we noticed the initial go out whenever your welcome all of us. We were all the looking at you and you had been these are using the stitches throughout the originals and we also was in fact instance ‘What is this girl speaking of?!’

I just understood it was the best thing, however. The women out of this group is now volunteers and practise inside the this new schools.

Antonia: It had been all sorts of somebody, many years twenty-five to help you 70. The participants have been almost winning inside their trend creation but next is completed, the brand new padded designs would have to be cleaned and you may ironed, and you will, next, scanned for the book. The newest book’s addition text is one hundred users and all sorts of together with her, it’s 650 users.

Which had been the first the main book, describing the differences between Konavle stitches or any other stitches. After that second, the very first region therefore the area one to amazed me personally, try just how this investment turned beneficial for folks. People read things.

The brand new Earth’s Most Primitive Tailor

And, finally, I decided I need to tell you exactly how that it tailor is done regarding the reverse front side, which is the very ancient sew one is present on the world. It is far from something that you is mark and you will carry out. It is really not something you does watching actually what someone’s complete. It is something you want to do from the relying otherwise seeing out of a person’s reverse front.