Ana
Ana cannot often come to our bible study or visit in some homes because her husband would beat her and does beat her it seems on the slightest pretext. She has a big family. Florica is her very talented 16 year old daughter.
Ana cannot often come to our bible study or visit in some homes because her husband would beat her and does beat her it seems on the slightest pretext. She has a big family. Florica is her very talented 16 year old daughter.
Anca / Judi
A family of 5 girls in 6 years. A bit chaotic and not the most dependable – yet. She makes the button bags in a variety of designs.
A family of 5 girls in 6 years. A bit chaotic and not the most dependable – yet. She makes the button bags in a variety of designs.
Aurica / Anton
She has no children – quite a stigma. Aurica crochets beautifully, she is clever, very organised and would work every hour of the day if I had extra work to give her.
She has no children – quite a stigma. Aurica crochets beautifully, she is clever, very organised and would work every hour of the day if I had extra work to give her.
Aurica / Dani
This Aurica has a handicapped daughter, a handicapped husband and has had to watch a son and another daughter die. She is hard working and everything is so clean and organised in her home.
This Aurica has a handicapped daughter, a handicapped husband and has had to watch a son and another daughter die. She is hard working and everything is so clean and organised in her home.
Aurica / Stenescu
Our best embroiderer, our most committed Christian and our most dependable helper in the support of the other women. She has learnt to read and write, be it very slowly, and she is the technician for the English Optometrist when he visits, an amazing achievement. Aurica has embroidered the sunflower and dahlia bags and the specs cases. Stenescu is her son.
Our best embroiderer, our most committed Christian and our most dependable helper in the support of the other women. She has learnt to read and write, be it very slowly, and she is the technician for the English Optometrist when he visits, an amazing achievement. Aurica has embroidered the sunflower and dahlia bags and the specs cases. Stenescu is her son.
Claudia
Claudia is Marcela’s sister and has the same gentle, caring nature. She has learnt to use an upright hand loom and weaves rugs from our own hand spun fleeces. The wool is in the natural colours of black, browns, greys and cream. We also use wool that has been dyed with plant dyes like walnut, plum, elderberry, dock, weld, sunflower, cow parsley, woad, onion skins and so on...
Claudia is Marcela’s sister and has the same gentle, caring nature. She has learnt to use an upright hand loom and weaves rugs from our own hand spun fleeces. The wool is in the natural colours of black, browns, greys and cream. We also use wool that has been dyed with plant dyes like walnut, plum, elderberry, dock, weld, sunflower, cow parsley, woad, onion skins and so on...
Cornista
Cornitsa is Violeta’s mum so she was one of the extra benefits when Violeta became one of the “flowers!” Cornitsa can be found every day sewing up costumes for the Roma community. In between times she will sew up our cushion covers and book covers. Cornitsa is a lovely old lady dressed typically in black with an apron, headscarf and knitted long johns! Often, in the mornings she is to be found in the field opposite her house, a stooped shadow, looking for mushrooms and toadstools.
Cornitsa is Violeta’s mum so she was one of the extra benefits when Violeta became one of the “flowers!” Cornitsa can be found every day sewing up costumes for the Roma community. In between times she will sew up our cushion covers and book covers. Cornitsa is a lovely old lady dressed typically in black with an apron, headscarf and knitted long johns! Often, in the mornings she is to be found in the field opposite her house, a stooped shadow, looking for mushrooms and toadstools.
Cornitsa
Cornitsa, another Cornitsa, lives next door to Margaret and helps with the weekly Bible Study as well as helping to design some of the bags.
Cornitsa, another Cornitsa, lives next door to Margaret and helps with the weekly Bible Study as well as helping to design some of the bags.
Florica
Florica is only 16. She began in the project by quietly helping her mum, Ana, with her embroidery. Then I gave her little extra bits. Now she is the principle weaver on our hand loom. In this photograph you can see Anutsa, my neighbour. She is the one we consult on all matters traditional. Here she is warping up the loom which takes a day to complete. Florica also helps with hand spinning.
Florica is only 16. She began in the project by quietly helping her mum, Ana, with her embroidery. Then I gave her little extra bits. Now she is the principle weaver on our hand loom. In this photograph you can see Anutsa, my neighbour. She is the one we consult on all matters traditional. Here she is warping up the loom which takes a day to complete. Florica also helps with hand spinning.
Leonora
Another new lady and another young mother with 5 little girls. She does little jobs like sewing on button closures, makes key rings or sews on the backs of brooches.
Another new lady and another young mother with 5 little girls. She does little jobs like sewing on button closures, makes key rings or sews on the backs of brooches.
Livia
Livia was one of the first flowers of Tileagd when we were 4 gathered around an old spent fire in the baking sun learning from Cornelica how to embroider a flower with Romanian Couching stitch! She has embroidered many bags and is now one of our hand spinners.
Livia was one of the first flowers of Tileagd when we were 4 gathered around an old spent fire in the baking sun learning from Cornelica how to embroider a flower with Romanian Couching stitch! She has embroidered many bags and is now one of our hand spinners.
Marcela
Marcela is such a lovely mum with her 3 children. For years she supported her husband when he was in one prison after another. Then he abandoned her. It is hard for her but she is gentle and determined. She has embroidered many bags and is now one of aour hand spinners.
Marcela is such a lovely mum with her 3 children. For years she supported her husband when he was in one prison after another. Then he abandoned her. It is hard for her but she is gentle and determined. She has embroidered many bags and is now one of aour hand spinners.
Margareta
Margareta is the mother of 4 sons and she has a hard life because her husband is another one who drinks and is violent. She is a very pretty young woman. Her work is machining our new design bags which are made from the material woven by 2 teenage girls on our hand loom. The warp is cotton and the weft is recycled wool – a traditional method with a modern twist.
Margareta is the mother of 4 sons and she has a hard life because her husband is another one who drinks and is violent. She is a very pretty young woman. Her work is machining our new design bags which are made from the material woven by 2 teenage girls on our hand loom. The warp is cotton and the weft is recycled wool – a traditional method with a modern twist.
Marioara
I felt very pressured to bring Marioara into our group by her rather fierce mother – in – law. My only image of her then, 4 years back, was her sullen face. But on her first morning making cards I watched her face soften and her eyes come alive. Since then we have come through many storms but we HAVE come through (!) She is one of our sewing machinists. The photo shows her with her first machined bag lining. She is also the one who washes our fleeces in the river and cards the wool. Madalina, her daughter, helps her and also does machine work.
I felt very pressured to bring Marioara into our group by her rather fierce mother – in – law. My only image of her then, 4 years back, was her sullen face. But on her first morning making cards I watched her face soften and her eyes come alive. Since then we have come through many storms but we HAVE come through (!) She is one of our sewing machinists. The photo shows her with her first machined bag lining. She is also the one who washes our fleeces in the river and cards the wool. Madalina, her daughter, helps her and also does machine work.
Olimpia
A clever and more confident older sister to Aurica S, she is competent and dependable but as yet without the spiritual depth of her sister. Olimpia makes the Suffolk puffs for some of our bags and cushion covers.
A clever and more confident older sister to Aurica S, she is competent and dependable but as yet without the spiritual depth of her sister. Olimpia makes the Suffolk puffs for some of our bags and cushion covers.
Pitica
Pitica is a very young mum with 2 children. Pitica has been making Christmas garlands from recycled material from the Roma multicoloured costumes.
Pitica is a very young mum with 2 children. Pitica has been making Christmas garlands from recycled material from the Roma multicoloured costumes.
Violeta
It was in the Autumn of 2007 when Violeta and I first met.
She came to the nursery where I was struggling to machine up little “hippy” bags from the women’s embroidery and she said she would like to join the project. I thought we could manage without paying out a salary for a Romanian! How stupid was I ! 2 weeks later I realised my mistake but she had got a job in the shoe factory. However, after a further 2 weeks we both admitted that we needed each other! So after a very shaky beginning we now have a very, very important relationship. I wish I could give her mere money for all the absolutely essential things she does every day Violeta has responsibility for all the sewing machine work and more recently she has taught a lot of her skills to Marioara, Margareta, and Madalina. She also shares in all decisions that are needed to be made and often comes up with new ideas. At the moment she is trying to source sheep fleeces in much the same thorough way in which she used to search out the hemp for our bags. Without Violeta there would be no Flowers of Tileagd.
It was in the Autumn of 2007 when Violeta and I first met.
She came to the nursery where I was struggling to machine up little “hippy” bags from the women’s embroidery and she said she would like to join the project. I thought we could manage without paying out a salary for a Romanian! How stupid was I ! 2 weeks later I realised my mistake but she had got a job in the shoe factory. However, after a further 2 weeks we both admitted that we needed each other! So after a very shaky beginning we now have a very, very important relationship. I wish I could give her mere money for all the absolutely essential things she does every day Violeta has responsibility for all the sewing machine work and more recently she has taught a lot of her skills to Marioara, Margareta, and Madalina. She also shares in all decisions that are needed to be made and often comes up with new ideas. At the moment she is trying to source sheep fleeces in much the same thorough way in which she used to search out the hemp for our bags. Without Violeta there would be no Flowers of Tileagd.
Viorica
Viorica is the only woman in our community who has been to school and she can read and write well. She is a Christian but has had a very hard life with a husband who was often drunk and beat her. She would flee from the house with the current youngest baby of her large family and her sewing under her arm. She is the embroiderer of the butterfly bags and more recently she has made the crochet bags from our own hand spun and plant dyed wool.
Viorica is the only woman in our community who has been to school and she can read and write well. She is a Christian but has had a very hard life with a husband who was often drunk and beat her. She would flee from the house with the current youngest baby of her large family and her sewing under her arm. She is the embroiderer of the butterfly bags and more recently she has made the crochet bags from our own hand spun and plant dyed wool.
