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Slovak Kroj: Passing on Traditions Through Color and Needlework
October 26, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm PDT
Telling the Slovak story through the distinctive patterns and colors of embroidery for ceremonial clothing.
This talk by Bea Fields will discuss the distinctive design of a traditional Slovak dress called a “Kroj,” defined by layers of vibrant colors, needlework, and varying patterns.
Women in each family would gather together to create a new Kroj when a baby girl was born, and again when the girl came of age as an adult; the needlework and colors of the dress indicated which village she was from and gave clues to family lineage. Bea’s mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were from a small village called Podolie – the colors and designs of the Kroj Bea will be sharing are based on this village. The Kroj was worn for holidays and other ceremonial events, especially when several villages gathered for a celebration. Since homes and household furnishings were often utilitarian and made of wood, the addition of colorful clothing, paintings, and embroidered goods gave each home a unique and distinctive look.
Bea will also be sharing embroidered tablecloths and doilies created by her maternal grandmother in the 1950s and 1960s, and a tray of mill-end embroidery threads brought home by her maternal grandfather who worked in a textile mill where they were manufactured. Other items on display will include a Slovak baby shoe (1965) and Slovak pottery ware (1960s), along with a few picture books about Slovakia.
