She does not remember that traditional attire was worn in her hometown of Záhorovice near Luhačovice in Moravia during her childhood. In the surrounding villages, women mainly decorated it with embroidery, so she became acquainted with bobbin lace, which she now passionately devotes herself to, only after moving to Slovakia, to Brezova pod Bradlom. She will never forget seeing Hedviga Kátlovska, a lace maker from Brezová, dressed in local festive traditional attire for the first time. Enchanted by its beauty and the beauty of bobbin lace, she decided to learn this traditional textile technique.

As a retiree, she began attending the Lace Club in Brezova pod Bradlom and mastering individual technical elements. She had good prerequisites for this – she enjoyed handicrafts from an early age, mastered them, and always strived to do her best. As she says herself: “When I make a mistake in lace-making, I have to undo it to make it perfect.” In addition to the bobbin lace of the Myjava Hills, locally known as “pletená cipka,” which is the hallmark of the Brezova club, she also enjoys knitting patterns typical of Špania Dolina and has experimented with lace from Liptov and Piešťany.

She redraws traditional lace patterns on paper as templates for lace-making. She independently designs, for example, covers, clothing accessories (earrings, bracelets), and interior decorations (paintings, Christmas baubles and ornaments, Easter eggs, heart-shaped decorations framed), onto which she applies regional bobbin lace. She acquired the lace-making bobbins at the club and made the lace pillow in an original way from a tube of thick paper stuffed with pieces of fabric.

For events where she showcases her skills, she likes to wear the blue-and-white traditional Brezova attire. Having lived in the city for almost half a century, she considers it her own. And about lace-making, which has completely captivated her, she says: “A person must have strong nerves and a desire for it. It’s a lot of work, but the result is beautiful.” She is delighted that she has found successors in her own family – she has taught her granddaughter and grandson the basics of lace-making.

She is currently the head of the Lace Club in Brezova pod Bradlom, and thanks to her contributions, the future of this exceptional lace is bright. She has followed in the pioneering footsteps of Anna Potúčková, who revived knitted lace from oblivion in the 1990s, and together with other women from the Myjava Hills area, she is a worthy successor.

Source: Mizeráková, M.: Marie Michalicová – Enchanted by Brezova Lace in Traditional Attire. In: Craft, Art, Design. 2020, No. 2, pp. 28-30.

In 2019, she was awarded the title of Master of Folk Art Production for lace-making