EMBRACE

Traditional kroj + LADYFITS

NO.7

This issue follows my exhibition at the National Czech + Slovak Museum.  The show took place earlier this summer.  The exhibition was based around my definition of Bohemian and the ways I embrace this aspect of my life.  I wanted to share a few of my compositions + process in issue no.7 of LADYFITS.  You can pick up a copy at Goodwill locations in Cedar Rapids + Marion stores. 

You can see one of my compositions in person on August 20th, part of the Farmers Market in downtown Cedar Rapids.  It will be part of the museum's space in Greene Square park. 

PROCESS TO EXHIBITION

at the National Czech & Slovak museum - June 23rd

FURTHER ODE....

to Iowa.  This is part of my studio space + process.  To get started, I create compositions based on materials I might use, color schemes, and/or the overall feeling for the LADYFIT.  It begins with images and moves to combining the materials I've collected over time.

IOWA

My Ode to Iowa: a skirt made from towels.  

These were all made from Iowan ladies.  I'm giving the towels another chance + another use.  A majority of the towels were made by someone's Babička (Czech Grandmother).  I rescued a few from garage sales and others from Czech Village.  The majority of the towel stories followed the same storyline: my grandmother or Babička kept everything.  If it were to unravel, she would embroider...crochet....tatt on it.  Her way of giving it a new chance.  

Iowa has great thrift material.  It's not only the textile as material.  It is also the stories as material.  This is the part of LADYFITS I enjoy most, hearing the textile stories that make up the culture, the people and the history of Iowa.   

Background Textiles: thrifted silk Iowa scarf (left) and my Babička's tablecloth (right).

A ONE POCKET KIND OF LADYFIT

This composition was created from a bag of discarded fabric pieces in Czech Village, placed on a skirt purchased from Goodwill.  The fabric pieces made perfect sense in the bag both aesthetically + to the environment surrounding it: Czech Village.  It began my fascination: a bag of items being a small window into someone's curation of objects.  What were these textile pieces part of?  The colors reminded me of discarded pieces from a folk costume.  It brought together my fascination with a thrift store being a cultural pocket to a community +  an example of a cultural neighborhood of Cedar Rapids.

When I purchased this skirt, it was for the enlarged pockets - the structure to the garment. It would serve as a blank canvas.  I've only completed one pocket.  The pocket on the other side is left blank, awaiting another inspirational material purchase to create an equally balanced appeal.   

This is another uncovering of my collection from last Spring.  I'm already looking forward to presenting a new layer to this garment.  More to come.

LADYFIT

This LADYFIT features elements from folk dress, mainly emphasizing the sleeves.  I've been breaking down the shapes that make up Czech folk dress.  The V- lace inset on the chest is another example of shapes taken from Czech folk dress.  I owe a lot to a book by Vaclavik, referenced in previous posts on my exploration into folk elements.  This LADYFIT is at the beginning stage of what is to be applied, explored and evolved into this project.  It's in the winter state of dress_dorment in elaboration + color.  

black + white image descriptions:

top image - Hana costume

middle image - Holiday costume from vicinity of Kojetin

bottom image - Holiday costume from vicinity of Hluk

FOLK ELEMENTS

TEXTILE FOLK ART_VACLAVIK

TEXTILE FOLK ART_ANTONIN VACLAVIK

Probably THE book that inspires me the most regarding this subject matter_folk dress_his personal view on cataloguing_beautiful photography of a people.  Vaclavik states that this book "is not simply a catalogue of facts about exhibits in glass cases."  He spent many years studying and helping revive this impressive art.  This book serves as a survey of materials to create the folk dress_colours + designs_techniques favored by the skillful people behind the embroidery.  

Vaclavik said it best, "This art, therefore, links the remote past with the living present; it is one of the richest and most rewarding areas of European folk achievement."  

I only came upon this book out of a random discovery_researching through the internet to find resources for LADYFITS.  I'm in the beginning stages of my process to create folk dress with thrift resource.  This undertaking will take some time to complete.  The art form of this dress, detailing takes immense amount of time.  So far, it has been a great experience to allow the fast, bustling life I'm in to slow down.....and create.  

Each time I step into the world of this book, I bow to the creators of this folk dress.  I hope that this blog, newsletter and events in Goodwill Thrift stores_all followers be given the creative stimulation that I receive throughout this process.