Newsletter

Dear friends,

There were so many updates to make to the website after my long absence, I decided to put off sending this second edition of our newsletter until I could get that done and have more to write about! As mentioned in the last newsletter, I spent a semester teaching English as a Foreign Language at Orenburg State University in Russia. It was an interesting and rewarding experience; as I was in a region with relatively few foreign visitors, I received a warm welcome there. Life in Russia is more difficult than in Hungary, (and of course the US!), but not nearly as bleak or dangerous as the news here makes it out to be. As for folk art, the Orenburg region is known for its beautiful shawls knitted from goats' hair. There are thick, warm shawls make to withstand the cold winters of the steppes, and elegant thin ones that can be passed through a ring, a mark of the finest quality. It is a living folk art, as both young and old women can be seen wearing the shawls in winter, and many local women enjoy knitting them as a hobby and sometimes to supplement their income. I hope to eventually put together a feature on Orenburg shawls for my website, but there was a very informative article on them in Piecework magazine ( September/October 2000) by the authors of Gossamer Webs: the History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls (Interweave Press, 1998).

We've made the following changes and additions to our website:

Mohacs black pottery! We have been selling this beautiful pottery locally for a few months, and now it is available to our online customers. We have vases, decorative plates, and candlesticks, all made in the town of Mohacs in southern Hungary by artist Laszlo Reininger. This unglazed pottery gets its black color from a special firing process where all the oxygen is taken out of the kiln. To go along with this addition, there is an article on Mohacs, my home for two years, on the Features page, along with a short article on Mr. Reininger. Those of you who are Hungarian know Mohacs mainly as the site of the fateful battle in 1526, when Hungary suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Turks and led to 150 years of Ottoman rule of Hungary. But there's a lot more to this over 900 year old town, which has always been home to different ethnic groups and has its own unique traditions, the best known of which is their unique carnival called Busojaras. So, go to the Features page to read more about Mohacs and see some pictures!

Judit Boldizar's Sarkozi pillowcase, which was mentioned in the last newsletter, is now really up on the Gifts page. The pillowcase sells for $25.00, and fits an 18-inch pillowform. If you need the pillowform too, it's an extra $5.00.

Shipping: We offered free shipping the first couple months we were online, but of course that couldn't last forever. We've added the standard shipping charges to the Orders page. Textiles and kits will be sent for $2.00 for one piece, and $3.50 for two or more. So if you order several pieces, you get a great deal on shipping. For pottery, the shipping charge will be $5.00 for the first piece (or two candlesticks) and another $2.00 for each additional piece. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact us to arrange a pickup and save the cost of shipping.

Price Reductions: We are phasing out the Matyo tableloth embroidery kit. These are now discounted 15%, so the price is $25.50. The finished textile prices have also been slightly reduced.

Coming up in the next few months, we plan to offer more from Mohacs as well as some Christmas items. More in the fall newsletter! Thanks again for your interest in Lmntl Crafts!

Sincerely,

Donna Fenton

Lmntl Crafts