At the end of my June trip, I visited Detva, Slovakia. Detva is known for its folk traditions, from music and dance to carved wood, musical instruments, and embroidered textiles. Women began stitching the richly embroidered sleeves in the 1850s first using a regular needle and later adopting the tambour-style hook or “crooked” needle as it translates. Working with a hook is much faster than an embroidery needle once you have the movements down. The use of the hook is intriguing in Slovakia is intriguing. Why did it become popular here, in Czechia, and Eastern Poland, while not so much elsewhere?

I had a wonderful visit with Iveta Smileková and her daughter Soňa who run a business that Veronika Golianová, Iveta’s grandmother, started in 1968. In their shop, they have a museum room dedicated to her and her collection. Golianová was well-known and respected for her work as an embroiderer, leader of the local folk group, and city council member.

In the “memory room” at Detvianske l’udové umenie.

Hook needles and thread in the Detvianske l’udové umenie workshop.

After Soňa gave me a brief lesson in the basic chain stitch, I returned to the guesthouse where I chatted with the proprietor about my interests. “You’re in luck!” he said. “There’s someone here who you’ll enjoy meeting.” He then introduced me to Dr. Jana Kucbel’ová who was helping him with an exhibition. I got a quick peek at the installation in progress. Dr. Kucbel’ová has written two books on Slovak traditional clothing and she kindly gave me a copy of each one. She also has a business producing embroidered clothing in Detva. She, like Iveta Smileková, learned to embroider as a child with her grandmother. With a cool drink in hand, we sat together in the courtyard and talked about the clothing. She mentioned the similarity between Detva hook embroidery and some Dutch lace caps, beginning a conversation that will continue.

A Visit to Detva and A Chance Meeting