In the mid-60s, during her maternity leave, she enrolled in a course on making corn husk dolls at ÚĽUV. The export of corn husk dolls, also called schuckies, to Western Europe grew significantly in those times (ÚĽUV employed up to four hundred craftswomen), allowing her to leave her previous job as an administrative employee and work full-time as a craftswoman producing these decorative items for a whole decade. She annually sourced the necessary corn husks by collaborating with other craftswomen from Bratislava by collecting them from surrounding agricultural cooperatives. By the mid-70s, the export of corn husk dolls decreased, resulting in fewer craftswomen needed, and thus Hildergard Skalická returned to her administrative position. However, she couldn’t endure long without ÚĽUV—soon her friends, the Fiedler couple, introduced her to making cloth bookmarks featuring miniature figures in traditional costume. She started producing them alongside her job and remained dedicated to them even in retirement—by the year 2017 when this text was written, she was the sole craftswoman producing them. Together with Mr. Fiedler, her husband, Adam Skalický, perfected the templates crucial in making the miniature figures. By using a press, they could stamp out body parts and clothing from starched textiles (like felt and cotton), later assembling and gluing them together. Patience is essential through this intricate process, as the tiny pieces require thorough drying before proceeding to the next step. In the ’80s, three craftswomen (the Fiedler, Skalická, and Svobodová ladies) focused on making cloth bookmarks and maintained close communication. Many products were exported to Japan, Canada, and Russia during that time. Besides Slovak costume figures, they also specialized in Spanish characters (Carmen and a toreador) and a Dutch couple. Hildegard Skalická collaborated with ÚĽUV artist Eva Bachratá to expand the range of regional costumes and refine the features of the figures. The craftswoman also emphasizes coordinating the color of the ribbons (produced by other craftswomen) with the doll’s costume. As she puts it, crafting is like a game to her, and she enjoys it.