Weaving in the Ērberģe Pattern

The Ērberģietes association received funding for its “Days of Strength for Young People” initiative under European Social Fund Plus project 4.2.3.1./1/24/I/001, “School in the Community”. The project offers different activities for young people from June through December.

One of these activities is a weaving workshop, where girls — and not only girls — learn the ancient Latvian craft of weaving. Under the guidance of workshop leader Mirdza Brūniņa, participants met every Wednesday in a room specially prepared with looms. The plan to weave the fabric of the Sēlija regional skirt pattern characteristic of the Ērberģe area is gradually becoming a reality, so members of the folklore group “Ķerbele” can have their own skirts in the Ērberģe pattern. Thank you to the mothers, grandmothers and Ķerbele participants for their support, especially Ausma Baltace, Ance Brāzma and Baiba Treide.

Weaving — especially preparing the loom — is a labour-intensive process requiring patience, but the joy of patterns created by hand fully makes up for it. The first fabric created together by several weavers may be presented to the Mazzalves History Room as an example of the Ērberģe community’s joint work: many people will have woven their own piece into the Ērberģe pattern, together creating a special textile.

Source: Mazzalves Primary School