Category: Working Bee

All posts under the Working Bee category.

A Growing Movement: Two Gatherings and Newly Themed Editions in 2026 and Beyond

By early 2026, one thing had become clear: EuRaw’s La Șezătoare was no longer just a once a month activity. It had become a cherished ritual, one that couldn’t be contained to a single Saturday.

In response to popular demand, EuRaw proudly expanded the working bee gatherings to twice a month. Now, every first Saturday at Brighton Library and every third Saturday at Cafe Transylvania in Hallam, our community has two warm and welcoming homes where Romanian women and their families can gather, create, and connect.

This expansion also opened the door to a new wave of creativity: themed working bee gatherings. On 21 February 2026 we launched our very first special edition Șezătoare la Cofetărie, a gathering focused not on crafts, but on indulgence, connection, and sweet conversation. There were fewer embroidery hoops that day, but plenty of cakes, laughter, and meaningful chats. It was a reminder that community comes in many flavours, and sometimes, it tastes like savarina, a popular Romanian dessert.

Our second themed gathering, La Șezătoare cu Răsfăț, on 7 March 2026, was centred around pampering women ahead March 8, the International Women’s Day and Romanian Mother’s Day. It introduced the idea of pampering – whether through food, music, beauty rituals, or simply taking a break from our busy lives. These special editions have added spice, sparkle, and spontaneity to our monthly rhythm.

As we move further into 2026, La Șezătoare – Românce în Melbourne continues to evolve. We are not just reviving old customs, we are reinventing them for our lives here and now.

With two monthly meetups, themed editions, and a growing circle of inspired women, the working bee gathering series has become a vital cultural and emotional anchor. Wherever we gather, be it around a craft table, a dessert platter, or a steaming cup of coffee, we are weaving a new tapestry of belonging, resilience, and joy.

Want to join us?

Everyone is welcome. Bring your crafts, your stories, or just your presence. Come and be part of something beautiful.

 

The Beginning: La Șezătoare at Cafe Transylvania (5 July 2025)

On a crisp winter afternoon in July 2025, the very first edition of our own working bee gathering, La Șezătoare, came to life at Cafe Transylvania in Hallam. This started as an idea to gather Romanian women over coffee and shared traditions, and it blossomed into something profoundly meaningful. This inaugural event marked not just the birth of a recurring community gathering, but also the start of a warm, intergenerational space for creativity, cultural connection, and friendship.

Surrounded by the scent of fresh-baked brânzoaice (traditional Romanian sweet cheese pastries) and the sound of cheerful conversation, women arrived wearing blouses embroidered with history. We brought yarn, embroidery hoops, and memories, and from those threads, we began to stitch together something far bigger than ourselves.

Some came for the crafts. Others came for the coffee, cakes and company. All left with full hearts and the unmistakable feeling that we had just opened a door to something special. Cafe Transylvania, our host location, with its welcoming personnel and unmistakable Romanian charm, gave us the perfect home to start. Angela, from Angi Photography immortalised snapshots of the day.

That first gathering set the tone: open to all, steeped in tradition, and infused with the joy of belonging. It reminded many of us of the old village șezători (working bee gatherings), spaces where women wove stories as much as they wove textiles. Except this time, we were doing it in the Southern Hemisphere, where up is down, left is right and summer is winter.

From that day forward, EuRaw’s La Șezătoare, became more than a nostalgic revival. It became a living, breathing cultural movement.