All posts by Donna Druchunas

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For a limited time, from November 14 to December 2, 2022, LTFAI is offering special discounts on our books:

  • Lithuanian Sashes (English)
  • National Costume (English)
  • Anastazija Tamošaitis (English and Lithuanian)
  • Lietuvių Tautodailės Institutas Išeivijoje (Lithuanian)

Don’t delay, order your book now for delivery before Christmas! These books are out of print and quantities are limited. Order here: https://ltfai.org/book-promotion/

 

 

Aldona Vaitoniene Estate Sale

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Aldona Vaitoniene was a master weaver and part of the original group that founded LTFAI. Based in Toronto Canada she was an active member of LTFAI and wove many beautiful fabrics that were then made into literally hundreds of national costumes for folk dance groups as well as for many other Lithuanian groups and individuals.

She passed away some time ago and her family is now in the process of selling the house in Toronto where she had her studio. A number of items still remain in her studio that need a new home. This includes two looms (3.5 ft and 4.5 ft wide), weaving thread, loom parts and an industrial sewing machine. All are in good order. See the photos below.

If you are interested in any of the items please let us know (gro.i1675127432aftl@1675127432tcatn1675127432oc1675127432) and we will put you in contact with the family.

Annual Šiaudinukai & Sodai Workshop

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ONLINE CLASS DEC 10: Straw Ornaments (Šiaudinukai & Sodai)
Learn how to do traditional straw Christmas ornaments and larger decorations with skilled artisan Gabrielle Valevicius.
At this workshop she will tell us about the history of these ornaments, show us how-to basics and guide us through the process to make a couple of basic ornaments to hang on a Christmas tree as well as creating a larger soda of several shapes together . This class is beginner-friendly: no prior experience is necessary.
A detailed materials list will be sent to attendees prior to the workshop.
  • Date: December 10, 2022
  • Time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Place: Online
  • Cost: $10 Member price, $20 Non-member price

April is Membership Month!

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Did you know that April is Membership Month here at LTFAI? We have so much happening:

  • Annual General Meeting (AGM)
  • Activity and Volunteer Planning
  • Membership Renewal Time

We hope you’re as excited as we are about brainstorming ideas for the future of LTFAI!

AGM Information

Once again our AGM will be held online. Mark your calendars for 2:00 p.m. (EST) on April 23, 2022.

The session will cover current activities, special projects, our outreach initiatives and an update on our plans to create more opportunities for you, our members, to get involved. We will have an open Q&A session at the end. All ideas and comments are welcome.

After the session, we will send you a link to a form where you can let us know how you’d like to become more involved, whether by volunteering to help out with our events, by sharing photos of your own folk-art creations, writing articles for our website, or in any other creative way you can think of!

Our goal is to create fun activities that we can share amongst ourselves and with others.

To join the session, please sign up here so that we may send you an invitation.

Membership / Renewal

Everyone is welcome but only members are allowed to vote. If you haven’t yet, please renew your membership before the meeting.

If you are not a member – please join, we warmly welcome you to our group! You can sign up and pay at the bottom of this page.

Folk artists in Lithuania, 2017.

Fall 2022

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Who’s ready for fall? Here at LTFAI we are. Our board has been quietly working behind the scenes on a new website that we’ll be launching this fall. Plus we have a workshop on knitting and one on straw ornaments coming up in October and December. We also have a talk on Black Ceramics in November. So get the kids (or yourself) back to school, settle in for the cooler weather and take a look at our Events page for more info.

Lithuanian Mittens Class in October, taught by Donna Druchunas

Free LTFAI Talk: Lithuanian National Costume

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Origins and Development of the Lithuanian National Costume: National costumes were developed and worn as a form of folk identity.  Learn the history behind the development of the National Costume in Lithuania, what it consists of, various regional styles and how it is worn today.

National Costume Display, Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Vilnius, 2017
Three women wearing Lithuanian National Costume at the Sock Knitting Championship, Radviliškis, 2017

Happy New Year 2022

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Are you ready for an action packed year? Here at LTFAI, we are. We have a full year of online workshops and talks lined up, and we are excited about ideas for several new projects and programs. So check out what’s new below, and keep an eye out here for more frequent posts in 2022 than we’ve had in recent years.

2022 Events Calendar

On our main events page, we have included a calendar showing all of our planned events and we have also listed the details for our paid workshops and free LTFAI talks. Our workshop plans include:

  • Tapestry weaving
  • Knitting color work mittens
  • Straw Christmas ornaments

And we will have free talks about:

  • Amber
  • Easter eggs
  • Weaving
  • Crosses
  • Ceramics

Registration for LTFAI Talk about Amber NOW OPEN

Gintaras – Our Golden Heritage: Gintaras, or Amber, has been important to Lithuanians and Baltic people for millennia. Important in terms of culture, art and symbolism. Learn about various aspects of Amber to bring you to a new and better understanding and appreciation of this beautiful “golden stone”.

  • Date: February 23 2022
  • Time:  7:00 pm  EST
  • Registration: Register Now

Kučios (Christmas Eve) Traditions FREE LTFAI Talk

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Kučios (Christmas Eve) Traditions

Christmas is fast approaching. In Lithuania, The most important family holiday is Kūčios, or Christmas Eve. This is celebrated at home with a traditional family dinner. In this LTFAI talk, board member and folk artist Kristina Pavilanis will discuss the history of Kūčios and share her family’s most cherished traditions so you can add some Lithuanian flavor to your own holiday celebrations.

  • Date: December 14, 2022
  • Time: 7:00 pm EST
  • Place: Online
  • Registration: FREE: Sign Up Here

Spring is Coming!

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Do you have spring fever yet? We have two special free events coming up soon: 1) A talk about Lithuanian Easter Eggs and 2) Our AGM (Annual General Meeting) — and we’d like to invite you to both.

Easter eggs

It’s almost time to start thinking about decorating Easter Eggs. We’ll be having a free online LTFAI talk on Easter Eggs on March 30th. Registration will open a week in advance, so watch our page for a link to sign up. In the meantime, you can read about margučiai, Lithuanian Easter Eggs here.

LTFAI TALK: History and Significance of Easter Eggs in Lithuanian Life: The egg has long been seen as a symbol of fertility and life. Learn about the role of decorated eggs in ancient and modern times. Get to know the customs and decorative techniques specific to Lithuania. (Please note, this is not a hands-on workshop.)

  • Date: March 2022
  • Time:  7:00 pm  EST
  • Registration: Opens 1 week in advance.

AGM (Annual General Meeting)

At our AGM we discuss the year in review, talk about our plans for the coming year, vote for board members and discuss and vote on other issues of interest to members. Meetings will be held in English.

One important topic that we will discuss this year is how to provide you–our valued members–more opportunities to get involved. We’d like you to be able to share about your own Lithuanian folk art and crafts projects, and to share your expertise in other areas with LTFAI so we can work together to spread the news about our wonderful Lithuanian traditions.

All current LTFAI members are welcome to bring up topics and are eligible to vote. 

Membership renewal will also be due by the AGM.

Date: April 23 2022
Time: 2:00 pm EST
Registration: Members will be notified of how to register in advance.

We look forward to seeing you at these events and working with you throughout the year.

Winter Events!

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Hi all. We have several exciting events coming up soon. So watch this space for more info and links!

  • Tomorrow (Nov 14) our holiday book sale begins and we have copies of LTFAI’s Lithuanian Sashes and other books available.
  • POSTPONED November 30th is our LTFAI talk on Lithuanian Black Ceramics. This is an ancient pottery tradition that is popular today with both traditional and modern pieces being created by artists in Lithuania.
  • December 10th is our annual Šaudinukai Straw Ornament Workshop. Each year we go over the basics and teach a new small ornament to add to your collection. This year our focus is on making a sodas. The same techniques for making ornaments are used to make larger hanging decorations called sodai (gardens) which are created for Christmas and other special occasions.
Collage created using TurboCollage software from www.TurboCollage.com