The period when we were confined to apartments and houses due to the coronavirus epidemic brought big changes in life for many, including me as well. I had to fill up my extra time somehow in the lockdown. Reading, movies, yoga - but somehow, it didn't seem enough to me. I had to create something tangible, useful, beautiful. As a mother of three daughters always needing some fashion accessories, I began knitting thread bracelets. The technique is called knotting. More specifically, small knots are made with colourful threads, while patterns are made against pattern designs. The colour and pattern combinations are multitude. I was completely absorbed and taken up by it. When I mastered it and made a huge number of bracelets, which I mostly gave away as gifts, I realized that I needed something new. That was the beginning of my interest in handicraft.

I have known how to knit ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother who lived in the countryside taught me, but knitting didn't interest me much, however, crocheting was something else… When I realized what possibilities, it offered and what could be made, I just had to learn how to do it. I started on my own, watching tutorials, mostly in the Russian language. There were challenges, not everything went smoothly from the start, but I realized that this work relaxes me, brings peace and calm, occupies me, reduces daily stress, and that I don't get upset even when I make mistakes; I unravel, and then try again. It may seem simple to some, but it is necessary to design, draw, count, understand where the work will take you and you never know how it will turn out in the end. I often unravelled and even threw away a lot of my creations. I can hardly describe the feeling of satisfaction when I finish an apparel, be it a women's top, hat, bag… It was important for me to always make what I liked, what I would like to wear myself. I tried different materials, but I always made sure they were as natural as possible. My youngest daughter still wears the beige macrame cotton string tote bag that I made first. That's when I realized that I wanted to explore and experiment with materials that are difficult to find in our country and there are limited choices. Currently, raffia is the material that fascinates me, it's very popular during the summer, the colours are natural, and the possibilities are endless, from lightweight hats, bags, and tote bags to vases, planters, and lampshades. I want to try everything, but I have very little free time to do so now. I like to search for inspiration, browse the Internet, experiment with new techniques, and listen to what others like. All that fulfils me and gives me a feeling of satisfaction.

It took me some time to move from imitating tutorials to creating my own designs, but I made it. I have several tote bags, which I can proudly say are entirely my own creation, my design. I have created unique accessories that nobody else has, but which ladies like to wear and enjoy them. I could never be more pleased! I never think of it as a job, or a source of income, but rather as something that I made on my own, creatively, and single-handedly, to be worn by someone with style. Especially when someone shows interest and wants to start doing it, I like providing them with support and understanding. The other day, a woman asked me for a tote bag that wasn't for sale, but she insisted that she wanted that specific one and no other one. I set a symbolic price since it was already used. We met, and I was surprised when I saw the woman who enchanted me with her style. Afterwards, she was thrilled, sent me photos of how she was wearing the tote bag, and we've been in constant contact ever since. That's very encouraging and inspiring to keep going and improving. I have a lot of ideas, desires, plans for more handicrafts, but not enough time. I must fit in all the obligations and then devote time to books, movies, socializing, and hiking with Alti mountaineering society led by Dragana Rajblović, the first woman from Serbia to climb the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest. She is a woman whom I admire, and she is the true example of a versatile person.

Who knows, maybe one day one of my handicrafts will make it to the top of the world!