Posts Tagged ‘czech’

Posted on June 9, 2009 - by deborahfillmer

National Polka Festival 2009

Things around here have been so crazy that I have been unable to post this years collection of images from the Polka Festival.  Now that the mid-terms are over and the grandson has returned home I can finally turn my attention to more entertaining subjects.  Ebby enjoyed the trip to Dallas.

The trip back was another story.  There were three of us, Me, Scott, and our three year old grandson William in the front cab of our little truck for the 14 hour trip back home.  Ebby lived in my lap the entire ride back.  All is well though.  We made it home without incident, unless you count the first hour in the truck when William turned to me and basically lost all his orange juice he had taken in before we left.  It was a mess, but we survived.

This year my dad and I competed in the King and Queen Dance again.  There were 21 couples competing this year and we didn’t even make it past the first cut.  We had fun though and the couple who won were far superior dancers and will represent the festival well in the year to come.

Here is the video of our 2009, meager attempt at stardom…

On Saturday, we went to the parade as usual, but the parade was a huge disappointment this year.  Not only did it start about an hour late because of an inadvertently parked train across the intersection, but there were bands included in the floats that had absolutely NOTHING with Czech heritage, except perhaps that the members were residents of the greater Ennis area.  These bands were beyond metal in flavor and there was not a polka to be found.  Sad, really.  If Ennis wants to do something to promote the Polka Festival in the future they might want to try updating the website and begin thinking “nationally” again.  They are, after all, the National Polka Festival.  Ok, rant is over…  The best part of the parade for me was seeing Ebby all decked out in her costume.  She is truly a Czech/Mex dog!  Ha Ha

We will not be attending this festival next year (or probably for a few years to come), mainly because we want to go visit some other festivals in other parts of the country.  Now that I have my supply of costumes, we can dance in style throughout Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Ohio, to name a few.  Stay tuned here for updates on our adventures to a polka festival near you.

Posted on May 3, 2009 - by deborahfillmer

Everybody Dance // This Year’s Costume Trial Run

I finally reached a point in my semester work where I could take a short break and work on something fun. My wonderful and talented husband agreed to do a photo shoot of me in my costume for this year’s Polka Festival. Every year I get nervous when the festival draws near thinking that my costume will not fit. So far, it has all been for naught. Here are some photos from the fun we had out on the property yesterday. Enjoy.

Posted on March 17, 2009 - by deborahfillmer

Czech Costume Creation 2009 // Womens Kroj

The first costume for the 2009 National Polka Festival is essentially finished.  This is the costume that I will wear in this year’s King and Queen Dance Competition.  I am so excited!  There are still some tiny details (none noticeable to the camera) to be attended to, but I was dying to get this one up for you all to see.  The men’s costume photos will be posted soon, and then, of course, there is Ebby’s costume.  So, here are the photos.  Enjoy.

Posted on January 29, 2009 - by DK

Czech Kroj – Men’s Vest

Finally, I am off and running on this year’s costumes.  I have been procrastinating about the construction of this year’s costumes, partly out of a lack of time and partly out of a lack of enthusiasm.  But now I have the first finished piece to show you and I’m back baby!!

Here is the vest that I asked you all to help me with choosing the trim colors and configuration.  I went with option #2 and then spiced up the configuration to give the vest a “look at me” quality, an essential quality when involved in a dance contest.  Let me know what you think…good or bad, constructive critisim is always welcome!

Posted on April 21, 2008 - by admin

Czech This Out

Ok, I couldn’t resist that one. I am so excited that I have finally finished the costumes for the National Polka Festival that begins in less than 30 days.

The dress ensemble is mine to wear in the King and Queen Polka Dance Contest. The slacks, shirt and vest combination are for my father who will be competing with me. Let’s face it, I would look pretty silly out there dancing alone!!

I also made a vest to match my dress for my husband, Scott, who, although he likes to dance with me, does not embrace the same competitive gene that my father and I possess. Last, but not least, the little vest at the bottom left belongs to my grandson, William, who, if I have anything to do with it, will be learning some really cool dance steps next month.

This project was a lot of fun. There was no knitting involved, but the sewing, lace, hand embroidery, and trim work allowed me to be creative and do my own thing. I already have my color scheme picked out for next year’s costume. We are seriously going to have to investigate going to Illinois, Nebraska or Wisconsin for some other festivals during the year. Why save these costumes for only once a year?