Antonija Jemec, born on 28 October 1931 in Petelinje, was an actress who actively participated in the Dolsko Culture and Arts Society in her youth. Early on, she joined the choir of the Church of St Helen in Dolsko, where she has been singing for over fifty years now. Her greatest credit, though, is the preservation of our straw weaving heritage. She was the first artisan who tried to pass on her knowledge to younger generations through a straw weaving interest group at the primary school in Dolsko. She is still happy to accept invitations from various institutions (schools, museums etc) where she can present her craft.

She attained the title Master Craftsman and received the Golden Tendril Award in June 2000 from the Chamber of Craft of Slovenia. This award means that experts in the field classified her to be among the best Slovenian craftsmen. Prof. Dr Janez Bogataj included her craftsmanship in his book Mojstrovine Slovenije (Handicrafts of Slovenia). In 1999 Slovenian national television and the Založba Rokus publishing house co-produced a joint television series consisting of fifteen episodes entitled Srečanja s sodobnimi rokodelci (Encounters with Contemporary Slovenian Craftsmen), in which Jemec was introduced as a weaver. Her masterpieces were exhibited in Japan and Los Angeles along with the Srečanja s sodobnimi rokodelci book launches. The publication of the book was accompanied by an exhibition of her works in Japan and Los Angeles, prior to which they were displayed across Slovenia (in Slovenj Gradec, Dobrunje, Ljubljana etc.) and, of course, in the pavilions in Dol (in August 1998). She creates wonderful woven masterpieces of different shapes ranging from the simplest baskets and straw bags to complicated and sophisticated items and religious symbols. Eminent halls around the world are decorated by her rosaries (one in the Vatican and another in Lourdes) - the end products of one of the most delightful handicrafts.

With her work, Antonija Jemec contributed to improving and adding a new dimension of quality to the life of the villagers. She has had an important role in enhancing the development and reputation of the municipality in the fields of arts culture, humanitarianism and beyond.