About Karoliukų Juostos
"Karoliukų Juostos" can be directly translated from Lithuanian as "sashes from beads". It is handmade beaded jewellery following the ornamentation and color patterns from traditional Lithuanian woven sashes.
Such jewelry came to be because I often see the Lithuanian national costume (and sometimes I wear it). National costume reflects a certain period and ethnicity. It is a beautiful and representative set of clothes. It is not an accident that you can see Lithuanians wearing national costumes during national holidays. It is one of the symbols of Lithuanian nation.
However, the national costume is not intended to be worn every day. Nowadays, the dress standards are very different. Also, the Lithuanian national costume is based on the traditional festive dress of a common man from the mid-19th to early 20th century.
Nonetheless, I wanted to find a way to adapt at least a little bit of the national costume to modern clothing. Maybe the ornamentation or color harmony, maybe in a slightly different way. That is how the threads turned into beads, and the sashes of the national costume moved from the waist or the hat to the wrist or neck.
A sash is an important and decorative part of the national costume. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, a sash was a desired and appreciated gift. If we look at the folklore, we can have no doubt that sashes were believed to have magical powers.
Jewellery present on this site is created by following the patterns and color combinations of traditional Lithuanian woven sashes. Sometimes, the ornamentation and color patterns are followed quite loosely. Other times, the bracelet replicates the woven sash as precisely as possible. Many of the reference sashes used to create jewelry present on this site are described in the book "Juostos kilimuose" by Diana Tomkuvienė and Asta Vandytė.
If you wish to know more about sashes: how they were made, the folklore associated with sashes, the tradition of sewing sashes to carpets, or maybe you want to learn how to weave a sash yourself – you can find it all in this book. It is possible to purchase this book by contacting the authors directly (shipping to EU countries) or through this page (shipping only to Lithuania).
