Czesława Lewandowska

Czesława Lewandowska – the queen of Kurpie lace

She has probably made several thousand lace apron insertions – they are her favourite author’s work. She does not want to use only old patterns; she likes experimenting and creating following her own ideas. For Czesława Lewandowska, artistic work is a natural thing, she immersed in it and she cannot imagine life without it. In particular, she has become an expert at lace.

She was raised in a traditional Kurpie family in the village of Wejdo. She owes her skills to her grandmother and mother (who despite her ripe old age still keeps knitting socks!). She learned from them how to knit, make tissue decorations and weave. However, she got fully involved in lace-making and ritual art in 1967. Initially, she treated this pastime as an extra source of income. Now, as a pensioner, she can devote herself to it completely.

Almost all ensembles in the area of Green and White Forests (Puszcza Zielona and Puszcza Biała) and outside the country have regional aprons made by her. She is an author of countless patterns of crocheted laces, tablecloths, napkins and apron insertions made for the “Kurpianka” Folk and Artistic Handicraft Cooperative and used also by other artists. In addition, her more niche speciality is beautiful white bedding with lace insertions, ideal for a wedding gift. She crochets also net curtains and views. Her crocheted miracles are sent to Brasil, Sweden, Portugal, the USA, Italy, Austria, Belgium or Hungary. Even Miss Poland, Ewa Mielnicka, ordered an apron to the Kurpie costume. One of her creative inspiration is nature. Czesława’s great passion is her allotment garden in Ostrołęka. In her garden she nurtures various flowers, which she reconstructs from coloured tissue paper with great skill. One can order from her nearly each flower species. Roses made by her are often ordered for weddings as table and room decorations. After one of such weddings, flowers simply… disappeared, as guests liked them so much.

“Life full of smile” – this is a title of an article about her published in “Kurier Ostrołęcki”. It is not without the reason that meeting with Czesława makes one forget about worldly problems. She gained fame and recognition for her inimitable works. At present, she is happy that her children and grandchildren show interest in folk art, so there is a chance that creativity genes would not disappear. Czesława is involved in activities run in schools, libraries and classes at Universities of Third Age. She educates children, youth, seniors, organizes workshops for teachers and exhibits her works at bazaars and fairs. Her schedule is very tight.

The list of her awards and merits is very long. She was awarded, i.a. the “Pro Masovia” Medal of the Marshal of Mazowieckie Voivodeship and she was a scholar of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. Czesława received special recognition from the district residents by winning the 2nd place among readers of “Kurier Ostrołęcki” in the plebiscite “Classy Woman” (“Babka z klasą”).