Author:
Kate Slišāne
Traditional craft skills
Title
Tablet-woven belt making tradition in Northern Latgale (2023)
Celu jūstine
Celaine
Celu apauds
Celu belt
The name "celu" belts (celu jostas, celaines, celu apauds, celu jūstine) comes from the weaving tablets or "celi" – small boards through which warp threads are threaded. During the weaving process, the warp threads change positions with each turn of the tablets after each weft thread is woven in.
Geography
Northern Latgale, Latvia
The weaving of tablet-woven or "celu" belts is an individual process in which the weaver, in direct contact with the materials, creates their work. However, the groups, collectives, or individuals associated with this element are not only the master weavers but also those who recognise, use, and promote the element. Therefore, they can be categorised into the following groups:
1. Masters – tablet-woven belt weavers who apply their weaving skills in daily life. They weave for themselves, for sale, and are also able to teach and explain the craft to others, passing on the weaving skills. The most active weavers include Marta Gailuma, Iveta Gabrāne, Ligita Spridzāne, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere, Sindija Logina, and others.
2. Enthusiasts – people willing to learn tablet weaving by attending events and workshops related to this element. These individuals usually show interest, engage with practitioners of the craft, and learn directly from them, gaining an understanding of the element's significance. Most often, these are primary school students from grades 4 to 9, who, together with their teachers, learn the weaving skills.
3. People who have inherited stories about celu belts from their relatives and have also received belts as heirlooms. They are knowledgeable about the belts and can share information about them (see appendix: textual materials, heritage stories).
4. People who understand the importance of celu belts, have consulted with a master, chosen their pattern, and commissioned a belt to be made specifically for them. They wear these with pride with their national folk costume, a linen dress, etc., at various celebrations, ceremonies, and events. They treat the element with respect to emphasise and preserve their ethnic identity.
5. Belt wearers – members of folklore groups, ethnographic ensembles, folk bands, and folk dance collectives.
Importance in Community Life
People in Northern Latgale value the significance of celaines, which is why they choose to create tablet-woven belts as gifts for important family events and celebrations:
• At weddings, for newlyweds, to hold them tightly together and keep sorrow and misfortune out of their new family;
• At christenings, for newborns, to bring the child strength and health, making it easier to cradle and protect them;
• At funerals, where a celu tablet-woven belt is given to accompany the deceased, to protect their soul.
Folklore groups, ethnographic ensembles, bands, and folk dance collectives in Northern Latgale are very active wearers of traditional attire. This creates a constant need for new tablet-woven items, including both belts and woven straps.
Activities/Actions
Tablet weaving cards are square, 2–3 mm thick, with sides 6–8 cm long, and a hole at each corner. The easiest tablets to work with have a thicker centre and thinner edges.
To weave using tablet cards, the following are needed:
a) Two strong cords – one to tie the ends of the warp to a fixed object, and another to attach the opposite ends of the warp to the weaver's waist or another immovable object;
b) A wooden knife with straight, blunt edges, or a small ruler for packing down the weft threads. Some weavers do not use a knife but instead press and pack the weft with their fingers;
c) A shuttle to wind the weft thread;
d) Threads: traditionally, wool threads were used, but today linen threads, various types of cotton threads – spool, iris, crochet, embroidery floss, and others – are also used.
The tablet weaving technique combines turning, twisting, and weaving cords. One warp thread is threaded through each hole of the tablet card, which is then turned forwards or backwards, depending on the pattern being woven. This creates a twist resembling a cord. During the weaving process, the warp threads threaded through the tablet cards change position and twist with each turn of the cards.
For the patterned celanes, the warp threads are only threaded through two holes diagonally, with one thread in the pattern colour and the other in the base colour.
A single twisted cord made from four threads is not yet a tablet weave. A woven band is created by combining multiple such cords with a weft thread.
In Northern Latgale, tablet cards are called "celu dielīši".
A tablet-woven band can be woven by turning the cards in various directions. In Northern Latgale, turning away from oneself is called pret kolnu (towards the hill), and turning towards oneself is called nu kolna (from the hill).
A tablet-woven band consists of warp threads, called "matu dīgi" in Northern Latgale, and the thread used to weave through them, called "audu dīgs".
In Northern Latgale, the herringbone pattern is referred to as weaving with "piediņīm" or feet.
Beliefs, Rituals, Unwritten Rules
There are differences in the choice of patterns for men’s and women’s belts, as well as in the ways they are worn.
Men’s traditional attire is typically paired with belts that are less intricate in design, often striped or with a herringbone pattern.
In Latgale, unique belt-tying techniques are common, such as tucking the ends of the belt under the wrap or creating a loop without a knot.
Men tie the belt of their national costume to the right side, ensuring that the belt’s ends are not left long to dangle at the sides or get entangled with their legs. Women, on the other hand, tie their belts to the left side, leaving the ends long.
Beliefs.
If a belt is woven for a special occasion, all the warp threads must be used solely for the belt, weaving it from start to finish without cutting or leaving any remnants. This is believed to bring good fortune to the recipient of the belt.
While weaving a belt, the weaver adds their positive emotions and good thoughts, which gives the belt greater power.
Inheritance and Transfer
The best way is to meet the masters face-to-face.
The project “Meet Your Craftsman!” involves masters hosting workshops, individual lessons, open studios, lectures, and presentations in an informal setting to share their skills. Skills in tablet weaving have been passed on by masters such as Ligita Spridzāne in Upīte, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere in Briežuciems, Iveta Gabrāne in Tilža, and Elīza Pundure in Balvi.
Ligita Spridzāne is actively promoting tablet weaving. At the Ontons Slišāns Upīte Cultural History Museum, she has developed an educational programme, “Tablet Weaving of Northern Latgale”, where anyone interested can learn the basics of this craft. Both group and individual lessons are available.
The workshops and museum education programmes are mostly attended by primary school students in grades 4 to 9. They arrive in groups of about 30 participants. Boys and girls alike learn the basic principles of tablet weaving, selecting their own colour combinations and patterns. Typically, the woven bands are striped or feature small herringbone designs. Ceiling decorations made using tablet weaving techniques, incorporating natural materials to create spirals, are also very popular.
At the opening of their exhibitions, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere and Anita Zaremba offered in-person meetings and tablet weaving workshops.
Remote options.
In the summer of 2022, a video tutorial on tablet weaving in Northern Latgale was created and is available on the Upīte cultural space website under the section “Finding a Master”: https://www.upite.lv/meklejam-meistaru/ (Episode 3 – Itumā reizie Helēna Slišāne guoja muocietīs aust celaines pi meistares Ligitas Spridzānes.).
History
Tablet weaving in Latvia is a very ancient craft, as evidenced by primitive woven band fragments dating back to the 6th century, found during archaeological excavations (see appendix: Text Materials, Tablet-Woven Bands). The most elaborate fragments of tablet-woven belts, or celaines, were recovered from territories inhabited by the Latgalians and Livs in the 11th–13th centuries.
Based on archaeological evidence from the Daņilovka burial grounds, the earliest woven celaines in Šķilbēni parish can be dated to the 11th–14th centuries. These were patterned, featuring both inwoven designs and patterns created without inlaying. Wreaths with pendants woven into herringbone-patterned celaines were also found in the same location (see appendix: Text Materials, Herringbone Tablet-Weaving). The characteristic colours of patterned celaines sewn onto the edges of checked shawls include blue and reddish tones in the patterns, with reddish-brown and blue threads in the edge stripes. The celaines of dark blue shawls with inwoven bronze strips or rings are in similar colour schemes.
In Northern Latgale, not only has the tradition of woven blanket edges been preserved, but in the Abrene area, the tradition of decorating skirt hems with woven bands has also survived (see appendix: Text Materials, "Elaborate Celaines"). This points to millennia-old traditions, where the edge pattern of the woven band is asymmetrical.
Striped and herringbone celaines were used throughout Latgale as belts for both men and women. Over time, the fineness and tone of the yarns used in their production changed. Later-made celaines became very colourful.
The traditions of wearing and using woven belts are very ancient. Belts and narrow bands were offered to household spirits. Latvian maidens and married women used belts to secure skirts, decorate the edges of shawls, skirts, and jackets, tie coats, fasten aprons, and secure socks and leg wraps. Tablet-woven belts were used to hang baby cradles and were part of horse harnesses, such as reins and straps. They were also used for tying bundles and loads, serving wherever something needed to be tied.
As time passed and clothing cuts and fastening methods evolved, belts became less of a practical necessity and more of a decorative accessory, enhancing the beauty of attire. Belts also held symbolic meaning, representing virtues and chastity, as highlighted in Latvian folk songs (dainas):
Cīši jūstenu apjūžu, [I tightly wrap my belt,]
Pīdar skaišķi nosojūt; [It suits me to tie it well;]
Meiļi sauču tāv’ ar muoti, [I lovingly call my father and mother,]
Pīdar meiļi pasaucūt. [It is proper for me to talk to them nicely]
In traditional Latgalian attire, a celaine trim was an essential part of the villaine (shawl), but in the Northern Latgale ethnographic costume, shawls no longer feature woven bands as trim.
In the past, celaines were used to reinforce the lower edges of skirts (for work and everyday clothing) and later for decoration (for festive attire). Today, belts serve as an important element of traditional folk costumes or as an adornment for stylised festive clothing.
In the past, celaines were woven for hanging cradles and as reins, as nearly every homestead had at least one horse. Beautiful reins were used on special occasions or festive days. However, few homesteads now keep horses. Similarly, children are no longer placed in cradles but in modern beds, so tablet-woven belts are no longer used for suspending cradles.
Nowadays, a popular type of celaine incorporates woven grasses, straw, or flax with seed heads intact, serving as a decoration, an environmental art object, or an outdoor element such as a wind spinner. Indoors, it can be used as a ceiling ornament.
For a time, the tradition of tablet weaving began to fade. However, there has recently been a trend to relearn these forgotten traditions, preserving, nurturing, refining, and even transforming them. All folk traditions must be assessed with the perspective of time, meaning they are subject to change.
Creativity in tradition.
In the 1980s, the women of the Upīte ethnographic ensemble crafted their own Abrene costumes, drawing inspiration from the Abrene folk costume made by Marija Līmane (1925–2021). They wove the characteristic tablet-woven trims for skirt hems and belts themselves. While weaving belts, a new type of Abrene belt was created – an innovation by Helēna Šakina, specifically designed for the Abrene costume.
Starting in the early 1980s, master weaver Irēna Slišāne revived tablet weaving techniques. In the 21st century, master Ligita Spridzāne continues this work, focusing mainly on creating ceiling decorations and Christmas ornaments using straw, grasses, or flax stalks with seed heads intact. When woven using tablet weaving techniques, these materials form beautiful elements of style and design.
In the 1990s, under the guidance of Irēna Slišāne at Upīte Primary School, Andris Slišāns learned the art of tablet weaving. Irēna also taught how to weave inscriptions into textiles, an idea that captivated Andris. He independently devised a method to weave words into tablet-woven bands and executed this as a surprise for his teacher, Irēna, weaving words like "Upīte" and "Rīga" into his work.
In 2019, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere studied tablet-woven textiles from the Ethnography Department of the Latvian National Museum of History, which had been discovered in the former Viļaka region (now Viļaka and Šķilbēni parishes). She documented these celaines and later wove replicas.
The museum holds three belts from Viļaka Parish, eight belts and 13 garters from Šķilbēni Parish, and one example of white Abrene skirt trim from each parish. Additionally, a tablet-woven belt from the Baltinava area was identified through the description in the booklet "Novadu tērpi, Jaunlatgale, Lielvārde, VII" by Elga Kivicka and Adolfs Karnups, published by the Latvian Workers' Union in 1990.
In terms of color, celaines from Northern Latgale are not uniform. Red and violet tones dominate, but the weavers’ choice of colours was likely influenced by availability as well as personal taste. For example, a belt from Viļaka Parish (Svilpova) disrupts the symmetry of its colour stripes with brown and reddish-brown due to a shortage of thread. Evita replicated this imperfection in her work (see attachment: text materials, Svilpovas celaine).
Distinctive patterns are particularly evident in woven trims (apaudi). The trim of Šķilbēni’s Daņilovka villaines feature elaborate designs, while the belts and garters are striped lengthwise and herringbone-patterned. The skirt trim from Viļaka features jumis symbols and comb motifs, while that from Šķilbēni includes swastikas and comb motifs (see attachment: text materials, Skirt trims).
In Northern Latgale, the oldest tablet-weaving cards inherited from ancestors were made from thin, well-processed wood. By the 1980s, however, such cards were mostly crafted from thin, white or blue-green plastic.
Later, craft masters began experimenting with materials for weaving cards, with each artisan developing their own approach. Some inherit cards from family, while others have family members help make them. A variety of materials have been tested to find the most suitable option: old credit or telephone cards, lids from "Ekselence" ice cream containers, or thick, sturdy cardboard are often adapted to the shape of weaving cards.
Masters
1. Marta Gailuma, Rugāji (1955)
2. Anita Zaremba, Viļaka (1969)
3. Iveta Gabrāne, Baltinava (1974)
4. Ligita Spridzāne, Upīte (1979)
5. Andris Slišāns, Upīte (1981)
6. Evita Zaremba-Krīgere, Viļaka (1991)
7. Elīza Pundure, Balvi (2001)
8. Sindija Logina, Upīte (2001)
9. Helēna Slišāne, Upīte (2012)
Agencies and Institutions
• Association Upītes Jauniešu Folkloras Kopa (Upīte Youth Folklore Group)
• Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre Upīte
• Upīte School – gradually developing a traditional costume workshop
• Baltinava School of Music and Art
• Baltinava Secondary School
• Baltinava Parish Museum
• Baltinava Cultural Centre
• Balvi Municipality Museum
• Women's Association Ūdensroze
Strengthening
• From 1980 to 2015, Irēna Slišāne actively led master classes in weaving celu belts at Upīte Primary School, during the folklore festivals in Upīte, as well as at various town and village celebrations in North Latgale;
• In 2006, Ligita Spridzāne restored the Danilovka burial ground's archaeological celu belt based on a model;
• In 2007, Ligita Spridzāne, together with the 8th-grade students of Rekava Secondary School, attended a master class in celu belt weaving with Helēna Šakina in Ančipova.
School;
• In collaboration with the State Culture Capital Foundation, the "Revival Workshop of the Abrene Costume" took place in several stages from 2009 to 2010. Iveta Gabrāne, together with the weaving group from Baltinava Secondary School, conducted research at the Latvian National History Museum, created reproductions, and shared their experiences in workshops, presenting the project at conferences and seminars. The phase related to celaines weaving: on 5 September 2009, a seminar-workshop on "Techniques and Materials Developed in the Weaving of the Abrene Costume" took place at the Briežuciems Community Centre;
• On 26 November 2011, the "Revival Workshop of the Abrene Costume" project was presented at the conference "Northern Latgale Readings I", led by Iveta Gabrāne;
In 2011, Ligita Spridzāne, in collaboration with the Education, Culture and Sports Department of the Viļaka Municipality, led master classes on "Weaving of Northern Latgale Celu Belts" at the Upīte Cultural Centre. Participants included girls from the Viļaka Cultural Centre dance group, students from Upīte Primary School, and members of the "Upīte" folklore group;
• In 2011, the "Grow, Latgale!" project was implemented in Rugāji, with several ancient craft master classes. Iveta Gabrāne’s master class offered the opportunity to learn weaving from scratch;
• The leader of the "Preserve to Avoid Losing" weaving workshops was Iveta Gabrāne (2013–2014);
• Evita Zaremba-Krīgere's creative workshop on belt tablet weaving at the Viļaka Municipality celebrations on 13 July 2014;
• The exhibition by Evita Zaremba-Krīgere and Anita Zaremba, "Balttour", and a meeting with the artisans in Riga in 2015;
• At the 4th International Folk Dance Festival "Eima, eima" in 2016, Iveta Gabrāne led a masterclass on Northern Latgale folk costumes and their wearing traditions;
• Evita Zaremba-Krīgere's masterclass on celu belt tablet weaving at Vēršukalns on 7 July 2017;
• Evita Zaremba-Krīgere and Anita Zaremba's exhibition "Rainbow of Celu Belts" and an opportunity to try weaving without a loom at the Children's Literature Department of the Balvi Central Library on 26 February 2018;
• On 6 April 2018, as part of the "Meet Your Craftsman" project, Iveta Gabrāne wove a belt with children at Tilža Secondary School and talked about Northern Latgale folk costumes;
• Evita Zaremba-Krīgere's exhibition "Measuring Time" in Viļaka and Žīguri from 4 May to 13 July 2018;
• "Meet Your Craftsman" masterclasses with Ligita Spridzāne in early April 2019, where she taught belt weaving and cord making;
•Evita Zaremba-Krīgere and Anita Zaremba's exhibition and belt weaving workshop on 26 July 2019, on Anna's Day at Vēršukalns;
• in December 2021, a career education event "Craft Days" took place for the classes of Rekava, Viļaka, Viduči, and Žīguri Primary Schools, where Ligita Spridzāne taught celu belt weaving to over one hundred children in one day;
• Since 2022, master craftswoman Ligita Spridzāne has been regularly leading the museum pedagogy programme "Northern Latgale Celu Belt Tablet Weaving" at the Ontons Slišāns Upīte Cultural and Historical Museum. During this period, over 50 sessions have been held, with an average of 8 to 14 participants per session;
• Marta Gailuma's exhibition at the Rugāji Library in 2022;
• Marta Gailuma has participated in joint exhibitions in Baltinava, the Balvi Museum, and the Balvi Central Library with her works, though the specific years are not recorded;
• On 31 March 2023, as part of the "Meet Your Craftsman" project, Elīza Pundure shared her experience of making folk costumes. She demonstrated the preparation of woven cords based on a 20th-century early example, "New for the Young". The event was held at the Balvi Municipality Museum.;
• In early April 2023, as part of the "Meet Your Craftsman" project, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere taught celu belt tablet weaving at the Briežuciems Cultural Centre.
Online video tutorial:
Looking for a Master – Episode 3 – Celu belts. In this episode, Ligita Spridzāne talks about celu belt tablet weaving and teaches Helēna Slišāne the process of creating and weaving belts.
Thanks to the 2011 masterclass with Ligita Spridzāne, children of primary school age were able to learn the craft of celu belt tablet weaving, which fascinated many of them. Several of these children wove more than one belt. For example, Kate Slišāne remembers that she wove her first belt in her favourite colours at the time, which were pink and purple. Later, after learning more about the significance of the belts, she decided to weave a belt in traditional colours, which she still wears with her folk costume today. Similarly, Salvis Logins wore the belt he wove until the very last day he was a member of the "Upīte" folklore group, and he now keeps it as a cherished treasure. Another great example is Sindija Logina, who, thanks to the masterclasses, developed an interest in handicrafts. She is now a master of belt weaving, passing this tradition on to the next generation. After the "Looking for a Master" video tutorial, anyone can weave their first belt, and if there is greater interest and a desire to meet the master – Ligita Spridzāne – they can contact her and arrange a private lesson. After a 2013 lesson with Ligita Spridzāne, Evita Zaremba-Krīgere and Anita Krīgere renewed their knowledge of belt weaving and have now become masters of the craft themselves. Through the "Meet Your Craftsnab" project, Marta Gailuma, under the guidance of Iveta Gabrāne, learned the technique of belt tablet weaving and is now a master who can teach others.
• Currently, the craft of belt tablet weaving relies on the enthusiasm of the masters, who do it for their own enjoyment and mostly for themselves. They accept orders and are happy to pass on their work in material form, as well as their skills in oral and practical form. The greatest support comes from their families and loved ones;
•In collaboration with the State Culture Capital Foundation, the "Looking for a Master" series about belt tablet weaving was created. Master – Ligita Spridzāne, Video operator and editor – Kate Slišāne.
• In cooperation with the State Culture Capital Foundation and the National Centre for Culture of Latvia, workshops titled "Creating Northern Latgale Folk Costumes" were organised, which included masterclasses on belt tablet weaving, led by Iveta Gabrāne.
• A museum education programme on "Belt Tablet Weaving" has been established at Ontons Slišāns' Upīte Cultural History Museum, supported by the Balvi Municipality. The lessons are taught by Ligita Spridzāne.
• Carpenter Vilhelms Laganovskis has designed and specially created a set of belt tablet weaving looms for Ligita Spridzāne, which are convenient for placement and transport. These looms allow the tablet weaving of celu belts ranging from one to six metres in length.
Continuity/Development
1. Kate Slišāne, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Methodologist at the Balvi Municipality Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre "Upīte", will transcribe interviews with belt weaving masters and deposit them into the Ontons Slišāns Cultural History Museum’s collection for safekeeping;
2. Ligita Spridzāne, the Director/Curator of the Ontons Slišāns Upīte Cultural History Museum, will create profiles of belt weaving masters and publish them on the upite.lv/meistari website;
3. Masters Ligita Spridzāne and Evita Zaremba-Krīgere, together with Kate Slišāne, will create traditional Northern Latgale belt technical drawings and video tutorials, which will be published on the upite.lv website;
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre Upīte acts as the custodian and bearer of these values, but the belt weaving masters live in various locations throughout Northern Latgale. Any of these masters can be approached and will be able to teach the tablet weaving technique. It is unfortunate that the oldest known tablet weaving master in Northern Latgale, Helēna Šakina (1961–2023), who laid the firm foundation for this Element, has recently passed away.
• Participate in the "Meet Your Craftsman" project, where meetings with Northern Latgale belt tablet weavers will be organised, allowing the masters to pass on their knowledge to the project visitors;
• Submit the initiative for the "Latvian School Bag" project for school-based workshops on "Celaines Weaving";
• Organise thematic exhibitions of various Northern Latgale masters' celaines at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre "Upīte";
• Organise symposiums for textile artists focusing on exploring the technique of tablet weaving and creating new works;
• Kate Slišāne, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Methodologist at the Balvi Municipality Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre "Upīte", will create a "Looking for a Master" series, in which she will explain and demonstrate how to create ceiling decorations using the tablet weaving technique.
The goal is to raise awareness, inform, and popularise the technique of tablet weaving belts, engaging people who may not have heard of it. The aim is to inherit and pass on the masters’ skills, thereby attracting the younger generation who can carry the tradition forward.
Threats
Unfortunately, there are too few masters who know how to make tablet-woven belts, which is why it is necessary to actively and widely promote the skill of tablet weaving to attract new enthusiasts who will inherit the tradition of weaving these belts.
The preservation of the skill of weaving tablet-woven celu belts is as endangered as any other craft skills, which require considerable manual labour to master and preserve.
This is not properly valued; the long production time of the item encourages customers to choose other buying sources, aiming to receive items as quickly as possible and at the lowest price, without added value.
Often, the artisans themselves undervalue their work. They do not know how to set proper prices, thus failing to receive fair compensation for their efforts.
If the prestige of handcrafted work is not raised, and if the younger generation is not motivated through masterclasses, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations, the interest and knowledge of tablet weaving, especially among young people, will decrease. Over time, priorities change, and everyone seeks something more modern and simpler, which does not require much time or patience.
Applicant
Association “Upītes jauniešu folkloras kopa”, Kate Slišāne, Methodologist of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre "Upīte" of Balvi Municipality
Image Gallery
Audio Materials
Video Materials
Text Materials
Publications
Apine Hermane, Anita. Aušanas tehnikas Latvijā. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2020.
Balgalve-Treimane, Lilija. Celu jostu un apaudu aušana. Rīga: SIA "Jelgavas tipogrāfija", 2018.
Dzērvītis, Aleksandrs and Treimanis, Lilija. Latviešu jostas. Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1993.
Grasmane, Maruta. Latviešu tautas tērpi. Raksti. Izšūšana. Rīga: Rasa ABC, 2000.
Ivanova, G. and Madre, I. Jostu raksti. Rīga: Liesma, 1968.
Jansone, Aija and Karlsone, Anete. Ieteikumi latviešu tautas tērpu valkātājiem. Second Booklet. Rīga: v/a TMC, 2003.
Kulakova, Maija. Prievīšu un jostu aušana. Eksperimentāls mācību līdzeklis. Lielvārde: Lielvārds, 1994.
Latviešu tautas tērpi. Volume III. Zemgale, Augšzeme, Latgale. Rīga: Jāņa sēta, 2003.
Nadziņa, Valda. Mājturība. Man' māsiņa jostas auda. Rīga : Zvaigzne ABC, 1998.
Nadziņa, Valija. Jostas un prievītes. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2012.
Paegle, Eduards. Celaine. Trimda, 1951.
Radiņš, Arnis. Arheoloģisks ceļvedis latviešu un Latvijas vēsturē. Rīga: Neptuns, 2012.
Spridzāne, Ligita. Dzimtā Ziemeļlatgales novada aušanas tradīciju izpēte un jostu aušanas tehniku apguve 8. klasē mājturībā un tehnoloģijās. Rīga, 2007.
Zariņa, Anna. Seno latgaļu apģērbs. Rīga: Zinātne, 1970.
Ziemeļlatgales lasījumi I. Balvu novada muzeja izdevums, 2012.
Žeire, Irita. Arheoloģiskais tērps. Tā darināšana, valkāšana un komplektēšana mūsdienu Latvijā. Rīga: Latvijas Nacionālais kultūras centrs, 2017.
Websites
Looking for a Master - Episode 3 - Tablet-Woven Belts - Ligita Spridzāne discusses tablet-woven belts and demonstrates the process of setting up and weaving tablet belts with Helēna Slišāne. This material is designed for those who wish to learn tablet weaving independently. It is possible to contact the master herself to arrange individual consultations or lessons.
Folk Costume Stories - This section presents stories about various folk costumes, including those of the Abrene folk costume from the Balvi District Museum and the Abrene folk costume from the Ontons Slišāns Upīte Cultural History Museum.
Weavers - This section provides information about weavers from the Balvi Municipality, including specialists in tablet weaving such as Iveta Gabrāne, Marta Gailuma, and Ligita Spridzāne.
Masters - This section contains information about various craft masters from the Upīte cultural space, including Helēna Šakina and Ligita Spridzāne.
Looking for a Master - This section features video demonstrations of various craft skills, including a video on tablet weaving.
Craftsman Map - This map shows the masters and locations of "Meet Your Craftsman" workshops. It includes, for example, masterclasses by Elīza Pundure and Iveta Gabrāne.