“Industrial overdelopment and specialization can make one lose one’s roots. Who can make clothes today without ready-to-sew cotton?”

Eastern Europe is full of treasures. We see some advertized as folkloric attraction, but isn’t making one’s own clothes a basic craft that one should know how to do like cooking a meal, cutting one’s hair and growing food?

Being fully dependent on fields and factories on the other side of the planet can come costly. All over Earth, saving seeds, cultivating ancient varities, restoring soils, growing regional food, forming self-sufficient village communities is en vogue for good reason. And clothes? We should at least know how that works.

How did Europeans design their clothes just 100 years ago, and we don’t mean what you see on photos, from royal courts, cities, miners and factory lines, but the majority of people in the countryside. This means, without electricity. Making clothes doesn’t start at the sewing machine.

• Where does yarn come from? There’s no cotton in Europe. 
• How do we make them sturdy?
• How do we add beauty? 
• Where do we get colors from?
• How does they dye hold?

Palma knows it all. She grew up in backward countryside of Eastern Europe, way behind, and she is very happy about how things are better today, but her experience and skillset are exactly what we need today. In fact, she is a master weaver trained in all aspects how things used to be, a rare species!

In fact, Palma looks forward to have master students to pass on her rich knowlege. Fortunately, traditional dress and costume making still has a good standing in the Baltic states, but we know that many educators, fashion enthusiasts and genius weirdos love to make this experience, too, at school, workshops, summer camps and schools, also via video-meeting to talk on history and culture.

She teaches on whatever aspect you wish to focus on … spinning wool, harvesting plants, making dyes, designing clothes that will sell at high prices and win at traditional costume contests. You choose your entry level!