Ernest and Maggie Grmela are both 100% Czechs and very proud of their heritage. The unique brand of costumes they developed originated from the creation of Westfest.
Maggie and Ernest formed the "Czech Folk Dancers" of West and began dancing the first year of Westfest.
Authentic Czech costumes (Krojs) are quite expensive and not easily purchased in the U.S. These costumes are worn for special occasions and style shows. They are not practical for continuous dancing such as the "Czech Folk Dancers" do.
As an accomplished seamstress and dancer, Maggie was able to design Czech costumes that represented the "look" and "feel" of the original costumes, but were less expensive and more practical for dancing. Each costume is made according to the specifications of each individual. No two costumes are alike unless requested by that person.
These "American Czech" costumes are created at Maggie's Fabric Patch in West, Texas. They are beautiful, practical, and affordable!