Everyday Weaving

Mrs. Danica always welcomes her visitors with coffee and cookies, served on a tray and in a basket she has woven herself. 

She has been weaving since she was a little girl. Her mother learned it at a course in their home village. 

Since she has retired, not a day goes by without spending her time in her workshop, and sometimes her husband is keeping her company, as she got him interested in weaving too.

Mrs. Danica gathers the willow branches herself, by the water, in the surroundings of her home. In the past, willow-growing was quite popular too around here. 

During the heyday of this complementary economic activity, individual farmers sold up to 15 tonnes of willow branches per year.

Unfortunately, this craft is not as popular as it once was, so there are fewer and fewer willows, which is why getting the material can sometimes be problematic. 

Mrs. Danica only uses the branches that are less than a year old, the older ones are usually likely to break.

After they are gathered in the spring, the branches must be peeled when they are still a little bit damp. Then she leaves them outside to dry in the warm sun, and they are ready for the splitting.

Mrs. Danica makes baskets in batches of four or five. In total, it takes her about five hours to make one basket. 

Her favourite is the “holandarica” basket - it’s the type of basket, known by rectangular shape and colored pattern.

For a “holandarica”, she first weaves the bottom. 

This must be done carefully, as the bottom should be strong enough to carry the weight of all the goodies. 

Then she makes the basis... 

…and weaves the sides. She must be precise, otherwise the basket is not solid and holes can form.

Afterward, she decorates the woven basket with typical patterns. 

She starts with the dark basis...

…and finishes the beautiful weaved product with bright colored flowers.

And the basket is ready for picking apples! 

Or many other things. For example, it’s perfect for shopping at the farmers' market, and for gathering mushrooms in vast Slovenian forests, too!

But mrs. Danica doesn’t make just baskets. She creates products of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. Among others, she makes woven bottles. 

These are especially popular among those who make homemade juices, wine, or schnapps!

The woven products are very sustainable, as they can be used for generations! 

And they can be repaired if needed, too.

Mrs. Danica is always open to new ideas, which is why she is also making custom products. 

A wall rack on the right was a wish of her granddaughter. What a beautiful gift!

Mrs. Danica is handing over the love of weaving to the next generations, too. 

She has been participating in the Ribnica Handicraft Center as a mentor to all the enthusiasts of this beautiful handicraft.

Woven products are not only beautiful and sustainable, they are practical too. 

So grab your favourite basket and fill it with delicious Slovenian products. Maybe some potica, the queen of Slovenian pastery?