Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 3 of 3)

~ A multifaceted event: an educational activity of our Circle, with an ART emphasis ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part 3 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

I’m glad to share with you that on Thursday (August 27’26) I managed to organize the third part (which is also the last) of our hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 

As I’ve mentioned before in several different circumstances, for me it was truly enjoyable and rewarding in many ways to witness the genuine enthusiasm, the engagement and the many thoughtful questions posed by participants along the way (during the 3 sessions of our seminar)! 
The experience in itself allowed us to explore the rich history, the ancient artistry and the cultural significance of the Romanian embroidery, while learning lots of techniques that our ancestors used for centuries, before us. In many ways it felt like travelling back in time! Definitively, something rare, authentic and precious!  

From me, once again, many thanks to all for answering my call and especially to Ms. Lucreția for sharing with all of us her extensive background in this field!
Without any doubt, the Romanian embroidery (perceived as “manual art”) remains a living testament to cultural resilience, illustrating how art, tradition and symbolism could harmoniously intertwine in order to preserve and celebrate the essence of our people and their stories across generations.

Wrapping up my briefing on this, I would like to say that this very specific Romanian traditional embroidery shouldn’t be necessarily perceived as something nostalgic, but rather as an informed action in response to the homogenizing pressure of consumerism because it cultivates literacy, sustainability and human creativity in an era of mechanized and impersonal production.

In a society driven by speed, instant gratification and visual overstimulation, the traditional Romanian embroidery represents slowness, intention and presence.

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

NOTES:

● For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● To facilitate additional reference, here are the previous reviews of our series – part 1 of 3 & part 2 of 3. 

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 2 of 3)

~ A multifaceted event: an educational activity of our Circle, with an ART emphasis ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part  2 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

With much delight I’m sharing that on Thursday (August 20’26) I organized the second part of our hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 
This time we all were pleased to be invited at Ms. Cioată’s private residence, where surrounded by nature and warm Romanian hospitality we could continue with much passion our work. Discussing patterns, analysing traditional symbols, exploring complex ancient motifs, comparing stiches techniques and thread types (from a practical perspective), brought even more breath and depth to our seminar.

While at this point, I would like to emphasize that this very specific Romanian embroidery (perceived as “manual art”) it is far more than a simple decorative art; it is a vivid testament of our homeland history, cultural identity and social narrative because it is deeply rooted in our folklore and rural traditions. The beauty of this old craft is that each stitch, each motif and each color choice convey a symbolic meaning by narrating special stories of life, nature and spirituality.

Regarding our time together during this session: it goes without saying that we all truly cherished the pleasing ambiance, being captivated by special moments of creativity and artistry in a such cozy and inspiring setting.
With much joy, both Ms. Lucreția and I will be looking forward to the next part of this series (which is also the last session)!

Until next time, dear ones, from me, only the best

Alice

In essence, this type of Romanian traditional embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse) reminds society that value is not solely measured by efficiency or mass appeal, but also by skill and intentionality; threads of memory woven across generations, contained within each simple stitch!

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

NOTES:

● For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● To facilitate additional reference, here is the previous review – part 1 of 3 of our series. 

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 1 of 3)

~ A multifaceted event: an educational activity of our Circle, with an ART emphasis ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part 1 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

Following up on the artisanal Romanian mini-workshop I initiated during “Ziua Iei 2026” celebration (aka: “The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse 2026”) and responding to the interest expressed directly to me by several friends of our socio-cultural community, I am delighted to share that on Thursday (August 13’26), on a very beautiful and peaceful summer day around here, I organized for the friends of our Circle the first part (part 1 of 3) of a hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 
This class was offered exclusively to the friends of our literary and socio-cultural Circle (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members), and each participant was offered a starter kit, as a base to commence the learning process.

This traditional Romanian embroidery of a recognizable value, perceived as a distinct “manual art”, it is a centuries-old hand-made artistry, 
gracefully encompassing our ancient cultural heritage and a skillful handcraft. Truly beautiful! 

Needless to say that we all enjoyed wonderful moments of art and creativity in a warm atmosphere, where every thread came to life, telling us timeless stories. 
Both, Ms. Lucreția and I had a blast weaving beautiful memories together with our friends, and with much anticipation we are looking forward to the next session (part 2 of 3) of this workshop, which belongs to the educational serries of events of our Circle. 

Until then, from me, only the best!

Alice

Hand-sewing traditional Romanian embroideries promote cultural literacy, informed sustainable practices, intergenerational memory and reflective engagement – all embedded in a simple and humble stitch!

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

● NOTE: For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● A nice acknowledgement...

Socializing: Summer picnic 2025, ikebana & jazz music

ART oriented activity & socialization 

 COMUNICAT DE PRESĂ oferit de Alice / ALICE & Friends Circle™

15 august 2025: Evenimentul social anual al Cercului – Picnic estival 2025, cu demonstrație de artă ikebana și ritmuri de jazz

     Pe data de 15 august 2025, sub egida ALICE & Friends Circle™ am organizat, în Vancouver, picnicul anual al Cercului, în pitorescul cadru al insulei Granville Island, într-o atmosferă care celebrează rafinamentul și echilibrul estetic. Evenimentul s-a desfășurat sub semnul artei florale japoneze Ikebana, precum și al sonorităților suave ale muzicii de jazz, menite să învăluie conversațiile și momentele de contemplare într-o tonalitate elegantă. Acest picnic tematic, dedicat artei tradiționale japoneze a ikebanei, a reunit prieteni dragi - oameni pasionați de artă, cultură, natură și creativitate.

     Tot cu această ocazie am avut avut plăcerea să am alături câțiva invitați speciali, ca spre exemplu:

- Consulatul General al României la Vancouver a susținut acest eveniment al Cercului prin prezența doamnei Consul General Adjunct al României la Vancouver / Ministru Plenipotențiar, doamna Ștefana Rotaru, care printr-un frumos cuvânt și-a arătat aprecierea față de acest eveniment, față de tematica aleasă, față de audiența formată din români cu suflete frumoase, cât și față de invitata specială a acestei întâlniri – dna. Kati Horvath.

Prin dedicare și profesionalism, Consulatul reprezintă interesele României în vestul Canadei, sprijinind comunitatea românească și promovând colaborarea româno-canadiană în diverse domenii, inclusiv cel cultural, iar prezența oficialilor români la evenimentele Cercului aduce un suflu vibrant și o legătură puternică între România și diaspora din regiune, oferind totodată posibilitatea unei comunicări valoroase cu țara mamă.
- Invitata specială a picnic-ului anual a fost dna. Adelina Șuvagău, reprezentând Rompost TV. Evenimentul a fost filmat pentru televiziunea OMNI BC oferind ocazia de a aduce în prim-plan comunitatea românească din Vancouver. Cu experiența sa de peste 30 de ani în media, Adelina a contribuit prin profesionalism și implicare la crearea unei atmosfere deschise și autentice.
- Și nu în ultimul rând, invitata foarte specială a picnicului anual al Cercului, dna. Kati Horvath (biografia sa concisă în rubrica comentariilor), a adus o notă aparte evenimentului, ce a avut ca tematică arta florală. Prin măiestria și pasiunea ei pentru flori, dna. K. Horvath a reușit să transforme spațiul respectiv într-un veritabil tablou viu, plin de culoare și armonie, ce a reflectat idealurile estetice ale artei în toate formele sale. Prezența ei a fost o sursă de inspirație pentru toți participanții, iar talentul său a subliniat cât de mult poate natura să-și găsească expresia artistică prin aranjamentele florale. Astfel, dna. K. Horvath a reușit să fie un adevărat ambasador al artei în viața cotidiană, oferind o experiență de neuitat tuturor celor prezenți.

Tot cu această ocazie, aș dori să aduc în prim plan faptul că dna. Kati Horvath este fiica dnei. Marta Horvath (1935-2013; fostă balerină principală la Opera Națională Română, profesoară de balet la Alberta Ballet și profesoară/coregrafă la mai multe școli din Toronto și Vancouver; dna. Marta a fost un membru iubit al fiecărei comunități de care a aparținut; strălucirea, generozitatea, compasiunea și optimismul ei neclintit vor fi amintite cu bucurie și recunoștință de toți cei care au cunoscut-o.) & dlui. Ștefan Horvath [(1929-2021; fost director de imagine în Televiziunea Română, cunoscut pentru filmele ”Săgeata căpitanului Ion” (în 1973), ”Vin cicliștii” (în 1968) și ”Povestea dragostei”(în 1977)].

Ulterior o să revin cu un tablou mult mai amplu la adresa acestor distinse personaje ale României (fam. Marta & Ștefan Horvath). 

Acest eveniment al Cercului a oferit participanților ocazia de a explora și experimenta această formă rafinată de aranjament floral japonez, concentrându-se pe echilibrul liniilor, spațiului și armoniei cu mediul înconjurător.

Luând forma unui atelier interactiv focusat pe ikebana, într-o exprimare contemporană, prezentarea a fost moderată cu dibăcie de către dna. Kati Horvath, care a explicat cu multă grație și elocință originile, tehnicile esențiale ale acestei arte ancestrale, cât și principiile sale fundamentale – echilibrul, liniile și utilizarea spațiului.

Pe parcursul acestei întâlniri, invitații mei au avut parte de o sesiune practică, discuții și schimburi de idei, precum și momente de relaxare în aer liber, promovând totodată conexiunea între oameni și natură. Atmosfera a fost completată de muzică ambientală subtilă de jazz și gustări specifice, creând un cadru propice pentru inspirație și dialog cultural.

Acest eveniment al Cercului a consolidat și mai mult importanța patrimoniului cultural în comunitate, dar și angajamentul Cercului în a promova diversitatea artistică și educațională în Vancouver și împrejurimi.

Caldele mele mulțumiri tuturor participanților care au făcut acest eveniment memorabil!

Cu apreciere,

Alice

Founder & Executive Director of ALICE & Friends Circle™ (a Romanian-Canadian literary & socio-cultural GROUP) 

PS #1: Într-un viitor nu foarte îndepărtat o să revin cu un colaj foto mult mai detaliat.

PS #2: Aici vă includ link-urile unor articole recent scrise în aliniament cu tematica în speță, cât și o poezie pe care doar ce am compus-o. Vă doresc lectură plăcută!

POEM: "The Sensibility of Flowers" (composed by Alice V.) |     What is IKEBANA? |     The influence of flowers in our everyday lives

PS #3: În rubrica comentariilor găsiți mesajul trimis înspre publicare din partea invitatei mele speciale – dna. Kati Horvath.
PS #4: Dragii mei, tot referitor la comentariile din cadrul secțiunii respective: de obicei evenimentele sociale ale Cercului nu au această rubrică deschisă, însă în acest caz am făcut o excepție pentru a da posibilitatea invitaților mei de a-și exprima în direct impresiile dobândite. Mulțumiri anticipate pentru aportul scontat!

PS #5: Dear friends, if you wish to translate the content of this press release into any other language, please use the automated translator installed at the bottom of this page. Thank you!

For your enjoyment, here is some soft jazz music, much like the warm notes we listened to at this event...

● Here is the relevant documentary FILM produced by ROMPOST (a local TV station in Vancouver) featuring our annual summer picnic, we all enjoyed on August 15, 2025● A social media POSTING  featuring our annual summer picnic published on their official face-book page,

by the GENERAL CONSULATE OF ROMANIA IN VANCOUVER

Socializing: Summer Picnic 2022 & Plein Air Painting

ART oriented activity (focusing on PAINTING) & socialization 

Since the ongoing summer is spoiling all of us with nice warm days, on Friday (August 5’22) I organized by the side of the Pacific Ocean (in Vancouver) the annual picnic for my Circle, this year being conjugated with soft jazz music and a demonstration of plein air painting, graciously offered by painter Victor Gligor.

Even though the pandemic related constraints lessened a lot in our province, at the welcoming table, amongst other things, my guests were greeted with a large tray of hands sanitizers (as the safety protocol is still closely observed).

But before I will tell you few things about our beautiful evening together, firstly I would like to share that my special guest (painter Victor Gligor) is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and over time he had numerous exhibitions, both in Granville Island at the Federation’s Gallery and in other well-known art galleries and places of reference in BC.

For your edification, here is Victor’s biography as well as his website. I was truly happy that Victor honored my invitation with such kindness and elegance.

Also, I was glad that on that Friday, Victor sold a very nice painting to one of my guests, and once again I would like to wish the new owners to fully enjoy it! 

Now briefly talking about our gathering: this is the second summer in a row I am organizing a picnic for my group and each time the outcome was heart-warming.

After more than two years of social austerity, for each of us a new occasion to meet face to face brings us all real joy. Spending time in nature, with like-minded friends, while talking about art and having a soft jazz music in the background mixed with the sound of the ocean waves is absolutely perfect for a summer evening.
And so it was our gathering! For this picnic I chose a place where the consumption of alcohol was legally accepted and having a sip of a good quality wine on top of everything else brought along a different vibe.

On the other hand, as you already know, each time I put together an original surprise for my friends and this evening I brought few liters of a traditional Romanian summer soft drink, called “Elderflower cordial” (Ro: ”Socată”) I’ve prepared at home.

To everyone's delight, this gesture reminded them all about dear childhood moments, when many Romanians back home consumed it with great pleasure; I could easily state (without any exaggeration) that this summer beverage meant for all of us what Coca-Cola meant to those who grew up on the North American continent.

Last, but not least, much appreciation to our friend Sandu who delighted us with a great jazz music!

For your enjoyment, here is a short video clip I’ve created for this occasion... 

It was really satisfying to be able to spend few hours together, socializing in a pleasant and relaxing setting while catching up on the latest developments in each other’s lives….good quality time and easy going bonding, which filled our hearts with so much joy!

Dear ones, until our paths will meet again, my best wishes to all for a great rest of the summer!

This event has been delivered in Romanian Language, featuring Romanian culture. 

● ARTICLE featuring our event on August 5, 2022, published by OBSERVATORUL (from Toronto)

● The previous picnic I organized for my Circle: Socializing...Summer Picnic 2021 & Book Launch