Archives

Norwegian Tapestry: Historical Weaving Treasures and National Romantic Impulses

Leave a reply

Editor’s note: Annemor Sundbø wrote a book about spelsau sheep–and so much more–in 2015, Reflections on the Ancient Nordic Sheep: Mythology & Magic, Folk Beliefs & Traditions [Spelsau og Samspill, Glansfull ull og lodne skjebnetråder: Myter og Refleksjoner]. This book is dense with Annemor’s deep knowledge of how the ancient sheep breed has affected Norway’s heritage. She weaves in mythology, religion, folk belief and cultural references. This is a translation of Chapter 30–only 11 of the 400 pages of this masterwork (available only in Norwegian). It underscores the importance of the indigenous spelsau sheep to art weaving and tapestry in Norway. 

Our oldest pictorial textiles

To study the yarn in our oldest textile artifacts is like greeting our spinning foremothers. The threads not only reveal how they wove and how they created stylized figures within weaving techniques. The yarn also shows they had materials to create yarn of a quality to last for over a thousand years. The threads and the patterns communicate and give us insight into customary practices of the time, use of materials, and the levels of spinning and weaving skills. Through these threads we can feel the care they exercised and their joy in creation. But the stories they tell are also often mysterious. The images tell a story, but unexplained figures and geometric forms might demonstrate that women also had a belief in the power of symbols. Were they requests to the gods with thoughts of eternal life, things we don’t understand here on earth a thousand years later?

Snartemo, Evebø, Oseberg and Överhogdal

Textile finds from the time before the graves at Langeid revealed textiles made with superfine yarn in complex techniques. Advanced figured bands were found at Snartemo and Evebø, most likely tablet-woven. They could be from the migratory period in the 500s. The Oseberg textiles are from the early Viking era, around 830. 

In 1910 textiles with images were found in a hovel at Överhogdal in Härjedalen (Sweden). They were a combination of pieces in various weaving techniques. Some were in double weave, and others in soumack, a twining technique in which the figures were woven in lustrous guard-hair yarn on a linen base. The remnants were called the Överhogdal Tapestries, even though it is unclear whether they were woven in that area, or whether they even originated in Norway or Sweden—but they were created more than 1200 years ago.

Read more about the Överhogdal tapestries here: https://www.jamtli.com/en/exhibitions/overhogdalsbonaderna/

 Baldishol

In 1886 an old church from the 1700s on the Baldishol farm at Nes in Hedmark was torn down. Louis Kildal from the neighboring Hoel farm discovered and old rag, covered in dirt and clay. It came to be one of Norway’s most important national treasures—one that was not only attention-grabbing in Norwegian textile art, but one that gained international attention. It appeared to be a tapestry woven in the 1100s. Its quality was high despite its unkind fate and great age. The tapestry could have been part of a series depicting all the months of the year, but only April and May have been preserved. 

Discovery of the Baldishol Tapestry not only sparked renewed interest in tapestry; the yarn also came into focus. After it was discovered the wool was from the old Norwegian spelsau race of sheep, there was interest in the fleece that made it possible for decorative textiles to retain  their strength of color and luster for over a thousand years. 

More information from Norway’s National Museum: https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/samlingen/objekt/OK-02862

A flourishing in the art of weaving

Our textile inheritance reflects our pride and identity. Folk costumes and woven coverlets were an important weapon in the struggle for independence from Denmark and Sweden. We needed to demonstrate a unique Norwegian cultural tradition. In the period from 1814 and up to the separation from Sweden in 1905, historical folk art was prominent in music, visual art, and handwork. “World stars” Ole Bull and Adolph Tidemand, together with other National Romantic artists, were eye-openers for the exotic and for the colorful in our country in the mid-1800s. The National Romantic blossomed, for example, with the painting Bridal Procession in Hardanger. Ole Bull and Edvard Grieg based many new musical works on folk songs. 

“Bridal Procession in Hardanger” in Norway’s National Museum: https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/samlingen/objekt/NG.M.00467

Discoveries of the Baldishol Tapestry and the textile finds from the Oseberg Viking ship were two big events for textile arts that fit right into the spirit of the times. Newspaper accounts enthusiastically described how contemporary weaving could follow a thread back to tapestry treasures from Viking times. 

A burst of new life in Norwegian Weaving

Many eyes were opened because of these textile discoveries, and buyers and collectors opened their wallets as well. They saw value in our old textile treasures, which were falling out of fashion in rural areas. 

The discoveries were also a welcome for handcraft businesses in that the weavings were praised and valued once again, and they could be used as a basis for art weaving. The weaving technique in the Baldishol Tapestry was seen as the most authentic in our folk art, in style, technique, and materials. Tapestries from Vågå and Gudbrandsdal were originally used to illustrate religious stories, but could now be used in a political sense and help build up a national feeling. Handcraft businesses and a number of private schools started up to teach spinning and weaving, and several tapestry studios were established. 

“The Wise and Foolish Virgins” was a popular religious theme in historical Norwegian tapestries. This one is from 1650-1700, owned by the Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo.

Historical Tapestries in New Editions

Jens Thiis was the first director of the National Museum [Nasjonalgalleriet]. Before that he was the director of the National Museum of Arts and Design [Nordenfjeldske kunstindustrimuseum] in Trondheim, where he set up a weaving school in 1898. It ran for ten years. 

At first it was important to strictly adhere to the old style from the time of the sagas in the new tapestries, with no deviation in technique. The images should be composed of flat planes next to one another, a sort of two-dimensional cartoon form. The lines had to follow certain rules with hakking (joins) and trapping (steps), which also affected the composition. The historical colors should also be copied. But the yarn in soft wool and the new colors stood out as heathery and muddy, compared to the clear colors and lustrous finish of the historical yarn. 

Miss Augustas dyeing method

In 1894 Frida (Pettersen) Hansen began to work with plant-based dyeing using Augusta Chirstensen’s dye method. In this method unspun wool was dyed in three or four main colors and carded together afterwards. This created the possibility of blending colors like paint on a palette. Each thread had its proper place in the image, and the wool came from the modern sheep varieties. This dyeing and spinning method was also used for Fair Isle knitting yarn on the Shetland Islands and for weaving yarn for traditional Scottish tweed. 

Frida Hansen’s studio was called the Norwegian Coverlet and Tapestry Weaving Studio [Norsk Aaklæde og Billedvæveri], when she took part in the handcraft exhibition in Bergen in 1898. Frida Hansen was trained in painting, but became interested in traditional weaving. At the first Norwegian handcraft exhibition at Tivoli in Kristiania (now Oslo) in 1890 she showed her first tapestry, “Birkebeinerne,” after a lithograph by the artist Knud Bergslien. The catalog stated that, “all the yarn was hand spun by the artist herself.” 

Frida Hansen “Birkebeinerne.” Photo provided by the family of Frida Hansen.

Frida moved to Oslo and in 1892 she opened a teaching studio for students from the city and countryside. In 1897 the studio was called The Norwegian Tapestry Studio [Det Norsk Billedvæveri] and moved to Stortorvet, a square in the center of Oslo. 

The Handcraft Association’s Dye Studio

The Norwegian Handcraft Association Plant Dye Studio [Den Norsk Husflidforenings Plantefargeri] began in 1894 and existed up to World War II, when it closed down because they lacked fuel to heat the dye pots. The Handcraft Association sold patterns for decorative weavings, coverlets and tapestries so weavers could continue the traditional style. All the yarn specified in the patterns was machine-spun. Factories only spun yarn from the newer sheep varieties during this first wave of art weaving at the beginning of the 1900s. 

Fine artists create tapestry 

Given the high status of tapestry, several male artists began to design new tapestry images, with a grounding in the old, distinctive saga-style. Painters, with Gerhard Munthe in the forefront, began to create cartoons for tapestry. Munthe experimented with the traditional flat style and pulled motifs from Norwegian sagas, Scandinavian mythology, and Norwegian folk tales. The tapestries were intended to underscore  and emphasize our national character and cultural heritage. As an artist, Munthe said that when he moved into a world of patterns and ornament he became interested in colors and forms that represented the Norwegian identity.

Gerhard Munthe (1849-1927) drew cartoons for tapestries. The yarn in his tapestries was soft and in heathered and somewhat somber colors, as was the current style. Photo from the Oslo Museum: https://digitaltmuseum.no/021019022300/gerhard-munthe

To Drown in wool

Munthe gained greater fame for his tapestry cartoons than for his paintings. He never wove himself, but drew for the Studio for Art Weaving [Atelier for Kunstveving] at the National Museum for Arts and Crafts in Trondheim from 1897 to 1909.  At the Worlds Fair in Paris in 1900 Munthe received the gold medal for one of the tapestries he designed. He was disappointed. He was apparently quite frustrated because he wanted to be recognized for his painting and not for his dabbling in tapestry, as he put it. Reportedly Munthe was happy for the praise and fame, but he said somewhat condescendingly that “they are drowning my art in wool.” He said that his true art was overlooked and falsified into “soft wool weavings.” Munthe sighed, “Oh, these weaving women.” But as that era’s leading male artist he nonetheless led a new epoch in Norwegian textile art.

Munthe’s tapestries were not woven with spælsau’s lustrous wool.  He utilized chemically dyed machine-spun yarn from the newly introduced sheep with soft wool.  The wool was dyed before spinning and then carded and blended in greyed tones, imparting no luster as in the older tapestries. 

“Afraid of the Dark” (“Mørkredd”). One of the tapestry designs by Munthe shown at the Paris Worlds Fair in 1900. This version is owned by the Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo.

Guard-hair yarn appears, a gain for textile art

When the yarn from spelsau sheep was rediscovered, it received a great deal of attention with the headline, “Yarn that Amazes.” Erling Engelstad wrote in the magazine Our Selves and Our Homes [Vi selv og våre hjem], “The yarn for tapestry is hand spun and dyed with plant dyes, first-rate work led by Sunniva Lønning. The yarn she created has luster and clear, rich colors of high artistic effect, and it is amazing.” 

Crucial educators, real-life Valkyries

Sunniva Lønning taught spinning and dyeing, and the teaching of spinning and dyeing, at the National Women’s Arts and Design School [Statens kvinnelige industriskole] from 1940-1977, but she did not leave many publications behind. In a book for the 75th anniversary of the school she wrote, “yarn is not merely yarn,” and further, “When the textile industry grew, hand-spinning decreased. It was no longer necessary for everyone to know how to spin. Due to the materials and work methods, the textile industry could produce softer and smoother yarns than those spun at home. Factory made products became so popular that yarn that appeared handmade was seen as less beautiful.”

“That looks store-bought,” many say when something handmade looks extra perfect. Even today many comment that a well-executed handmade item looks like it could be “machine-made.” 

A sample card from Hoelfeldt Lund spinnery, which spun yarn from spelsau sheep, from 1958. In the first years of the factory students from the National .. helped to develop the yarn and the colors.

Women’s mastery of spinning techniques

The most important aspect of hand-spinning is knowledge of the material, according to Sunniva Lønning, but she added that home craft, including handcraft for sale, must be allowed to use machine-spun yarn, because wool was such an important product for Norwegian agriculture. At school it was important to choose the best materials for the right purpose. Along with  Sunniva Lønning, weaving instructors Signe Haugstoga and Ragnhild Trætteberg worked systematically with the Wool Improvement Committee [Ullforedlingsnemnda] and the Norwegian Handcraft Association’s Wool Committee. [Husflidsforening ullutvalg]. Their results were presented in an exhibition in 1948, Spelsau Wool in Art and Clothing [Spælsau-ull i kunst og klær]. 

In 1956 a new exhibition highlighted research the school had undertaken in collaboration with Lily and Per Hoeslfeldt Lund, “Yarn is not just Yarn.” Also in 1956 a new course in wool sorting was begun by Norway’s Livestock Association [Norges Kjøtt-og-Fleskesentral], which owned the Røros Tweed mill. Results from the course were presented during Agricultural Week in 1959, and called Sorting Yields Quality [Sortering gir kvalitet].

Signe Haugstoga was a weaving instructor at the National Women’s Arts and Design School from 1936 to 1942. She wrote in the school’s anniversary book (1875-1950): “…when we have come as far as to have machine-spun yarn of this type on the market, we can perhaps hope for a higher level of quality in handcraft for sale, something that is needed, especially when it concerns decorative weaving. In line with the times it is evident that machine-spinning is needed when it concerns large-scale production. It is also true that if you wish to create an exquisite textile the hand spinner must have full mastery over the material, which is its basis.”

A Golden Time for Lustrous Weaving 

The exhibits emphasized spelsau yarn quality and intended uses. “Norsk ull” [Norwegian wool], which meant wool from the old Norwegian sheep breed, stood out as a modern material for artistic expression. Both educators and practicing artists were among the advocates for spelsau wool. Signe Haugstoga explained more about traditional Norwegian weaving: 

“Much of what we have preserved from historical times, seen artistically, decoratively, and from a quality standpoint, ranks quite highly. The assurance these textiles display in composition, color and quality will always stand as a good example for anyone who works in this area. 

The work that lies behind the textiles in this display was in the past primarily made in the home. The weaver had control of the work from the carefully sorting of linen and wool for various uses, to the completed items… A huge transformation in this area followed the advent of machine-spun yarn… It resulted in a colossal time-savings in the home, something that was much appreciated when it came to spinning yarn for clothing and other utilitarian items… Machine-spinning also had unfortunate effects. It goes without saying that machine-spun yarn must be uniform. Factories were only interested in producing things with their own products, and not in fine sorting of wool or wool varieties. The textile industry was mainly interested in uniform soft wool, whether that meant  imported wool or Norwegian wool production. And of course the spinning mills supplied a great deal of yarn for handcraft.”

Soft wool and Synthetic Dyeing

Decorative weaving suffered. Soft/wooly yarn varieties were used where it was ill-suited. Soft yarn varieties and synthetic dyes, called pakkefarging [packet-dyeing, because the dye came in packets], changed the character of art weaving and lowered its quality. 

In 1936 the Norwegian Museum of Arts and Crafts [Kunstindustrimuseum] began a series of large exhibitions, first with Norwegian Weaving 1550-1850 in 1936, followed by Norwegian Ryas in 1940. And then came a tapestry exhibit in 1946 that showed the quality of yarn used in the past. 

The weaving teacher Signe Haugstoga emphasized that knitting yarn was not appropriate for woven table runners, and that handweaving is so time-consuming that only the best materials are good enough! 

“Zephyryarn,” “English wool,” and “Berlin-wool” were super-soft yarns in merino wool that were used especially for embroidery and belts in Setesdal. “Leithen Zephyr Wool” was likely the earliest machine-spun wool in the Netherlands; the Leithen spinnery started in 1766.

From Foremothers to modern gods and heroines

Who were the foremothers and forefathers of tapestry and textile arts in Norway? Work with wool and weaving have been traditionally women’s work as long as weaving has had a spiritual message and magical powers. When times changed and the visual arts received the new task of building pride—and with an ideology that nationalistic feelings could be a political tool, then male artists stepped in. They were masters of contemporary artistic expression and could speak publicly on politics. That was before women gained the right to vote in Norway in 1913. 

Cooperation, fertilization and renewal

A renaissance in Norwegian art that would have implications for the Norwegian spelsau began with large wall decorations, so-called fresco paintings. This fresco period led to monumental pieces. An artistic milieu grew under the Danish professor from the National Art Academy [Statens Kunstakademi], Georg Jakobsen. He taught a whole generation of painters a sort of geometric composition that had similarities to tapestry, one that was well-suited to cartoons, drawings or sketches used for weaving. 

This renewal built on several factors. First, there were male artists who were willing to create cartoons that were specifically designed for tapestry. Second, there were weavers with rock-solid knowledge and weaving skills who were willing to weave from the cartoons. Øystein Parmann opened his book, Norwegian Tapestry, A Studio and an Epoch [Norsk Billedvev, Et atelier og en epoke] by declaring it is unimportant to know which came first of this chicken and egg. Foremost, both the rooster and the chicken must be present for fertilization. 

The Golden egg

The company Norwegian Tapestry [A/S Norsk Billedvev] is a typical example of what can happen when certain individuals meet and have similar interests. One driving force was Thor B. Kielland, director of the Norwegian Museum of Arts and Crafts. He was then working on his book, Norwegian Tapestry 1550-1800 [Norsk Billedvev 1550-1800]. The other important actors were the artists Kåre Mikkelsen Jonsborg and Håkon Stenstadvold. But most essential, in my opinion, were the hens that produced the fertilized egg—the golden egg. With Else Halling’s knowledge of weaving and Sunniva Lønning’s spinning wisdom, with insight and strength, tapestry blossomed into a golden age. 

The spirit of contemporary times and sheep from an ancient time

Epochs grow from impulses and inspiration that can be called the spirit of the time. The National Romantic period focused on promoting a unique and magnificent Norwegian culture that would bring world renown. Art could be used to bring attention to our country—not least to bring attention to our products. The whole country was engaged in finding the most Norwegian in all areas. The national consultant for small animal production, Jon Sæland, saw the importance of protecting our authentic Norwegian sheep breed as a part of our Norwegian-ness. 

Rulebreakers lead to new use of our old sheep 

Jon Sæland worked in cooperation with agronomist and wool expert Signe Brueneck, the Agriculture Department’s wool breeding committee, the Norwegian Sheep and Goat Association [Norsk Sau og Geit], the Norwegian Handcraft Association’s Wool Committee, and the National Women’s Arts and Design School. They eventually reconstructed the oldest yarn varieties for new tapestries. Else Haling was naturally a participant. She had run her own weaving school in Oslo since 1936 and was the chief instructor in tapestry at the National Women’s Arts and Design School from 1941 to 1963. 

Working out dyeing and spinning puzzles

Else Halling studied not only the techniques and yarn used in the Baldishol Tapestry, but also the strong colors that were so unlike Gerhard Munthe’s matte and grayed colors, typical in his time. Else Halling was first and foremost concerned with tapestry as handcraft. She felt that no other tapestry qualities were more accomplished than those found in the old Norwegian tapestries from the period 1550-1800—not in materials, composition, or technique. She had a desire to hold fast to this traditional legacy. If the skeins of yarn were the “golden egg,” then the wool itself was the key. This led to a treasure hunt together with Sunniva Lønning. Together they tried to work out the secrets behind the old dyeing methods and the luster in the historical wool yarn. 

Else Halling’s assistants working on a reconstruction of “Salomons gjestebud [The Feast of Solomon]. The loom was designed so that the whole piece was visible from start to finish.

Investigations during the difficult war years 

Else Halling and Sunniva Lønning discovered it was the guard hair that had both the luster and strength and which was the origin of the yarn’s high quality. While Else Halling was an instructor at the National Women’s Arts and Design School, she was given a workshop in the Norwegian Arts and Crafts Museum. The director, Thor B. Kielland, dreamed of producing large tapestries that were designed by noted Norwegian artists and would adorn public buildings in Norway. He needed weavers to make samples and he asked Else Halling. 

After a number of smaller tests  to emulate the qualities of the old tapestries, Else Halling decided to create a true copy of a tapestry in full size. This was at the beginning of the Second World War. Most of the old tapestries had been evacuated from the museum, other than The Feast of Herod [Herodes’ Gjestebud]. Assisted by Randi Ruud, they studied it thread by thread. 

Else Halling related that it was a pleasure to be in such close contact with an original tapestry, to hold it in her hands, feel it, and have permission to carefully examine the back side and begin to understand its fading—in addition to be really being able to study the threads’ paths within the tapestry, the structure and types of yarn. 

Else Halling said, “People hungered for anything of quality and beauty during the war years. Museums were closed, there were no beautiful things in shop windows, all lovely colors were extinguished, the world was brown and gray, nothing more than surrogates whatever way people turned…”

Together with Dagmar Lunde they experimented with dyeing methods that would remain colorfast. Guard hair yarn from the spelsau showed more strength of color than yarn from any other wool types. It was a matter of finding the correct type and degree of twist to make the yarn as lustrous as possible. 

“Mor Trampe” wrote in the weekly publication Urd, March 1948 

“It is exactly this long guard hair that is discovered to be the same material that our ancestors used in many beautiful tapestries we have from the 1600s to 1700s. … Our ancestors knew their materials and used them well.” 

(The August issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter will include a translation of the next chapter of Annemor’s book, covering the importance of yarn from spelsau sheep in tapestry in the post-WWII period up to current times.)

Annemor Sundbø is a Norwegian author, knitter, weaver, historian, and curator. Perhaps her best title is also the title of an extensive profile of her on The Craftsmanship Initiative, “Norwegian Sweater Detective.” Her most recent book, Koftearven, which examines the development of the Norwegian sweater tradition as a national treasure, won the 2020 Sørland Literature Prize. annemor.com
Read more by Annemor Sundbø in earlier issues of the Norwegian Textile Letter: Nettles – For Clothing and Much More (November 2017), and A Rag Pile, My Lot in Life (May 2016).
Translated by Robbie LaFleur

Vestfoldsmett: a Special Issue on a Historical Technique

Leave a reply

Details on this Vestfoldteppe, the Tønsbergteppe, woven from 1800-1850, on digitaltmuseet.no here.

By Robbie LaFleur

This issue features articles about historical and contemporary weaving in Vestfoldsmett technique, a form of inlay or brocading woven in bands, from the area of Vestfold in Norway. 

As you read the articles, you will see these words many times: 

Vestfoldsmett: Vestfold inlay or brocading technique
Vestfoldteppe: Vestfold coverlet or weaving. Plural: Vestfoldtepper

Katherine Larson described the technique in her book, The Woven Coverlets of Norway (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001): 

The Vestfold coverlets, woven on a ground weave of weft-faced plain weave, contained brocading in two variations plus a supplementary weft patterning that traveled from selvage to selvage. Individual bobbins were used to create brocaded patterns in discrete portions of the weaving. In the first variation of this technique, often referred to in English by its Swedish name krabbasnår, patterns were built of constantly shifting horizontal lines. In the second variation known as halv-krabba, the pattern was composed of block-like shapes. The selvage-to-selvage patterning technique echoed the brocaded effect, with a supplementary pattern weft floating over and under a set number of warp threads across the width of the weaving. This fairly simple technique was sometimes combined with vertical stripes of pick-and-pick to create more detailed patterns. (See the full section on Vestfoldsmett from The Woven Coverlets of Norway here.)

Historical Vestfoldsmett still captivates contemporary weavers

click the image to see a pdf of the article in Norwegian, or read an English translation here.

In March, 2019, Nettverk Vev Vestfold (Vestfold Weaving Network) and the Holmestrand Husflidslag (Holmestrand Handcraft Organization) arranged a lecture on the history of Vestfoldtepper, along with a display of many hangings, runners, and pillows in vestfoldsmett. Over a hundred people came! (The reporter from the Jarlsberg newspaper added there was one man.) 

Weaving instructor Anne Grethe F. Barø was the speaker. Barø was also on the committee that gathered the history behind the 16 Vestfoldtepper that have been rediscovered. They are described in a new edition of the booklet Vestfoldteppene, with improved photos that show the details of each piece more clearly. 

Each old Vestfoldteppe has a discovery story

Sixteen Vestfoldsmett weavings in all have been located since the first two were exhibited in 1925, each with their own stories. For example, the thirteenth historical Vestfoldteppe came to light in 1991 when Anders Valumrød brought it to the attention of a local official, Astrid Vindvad. Laila Thorrud accompanied Vindvad to see the weaving in Vivistad, a parish in Tønsberg municipality in Vestfold. They were excited to see the worn and faded weaving was woven in Vestfoldsmett. 

 

The weaving had been in Valumrød’s family as long as he could remember. He inherited it from his mother, and family tradition was that it was woven by his great-grandmother, Karen Kristine Hansdatter Skorge (maiden name Kjerås, 1794-1863). She was married in 1819, so it stands to reason that it was woven sometime in the 1820s. It shares similar designs with other Vestfoldsmett weavings from around that time. 

It was a decorative textile to start, but its worn condition suggests the weaving might have been used for other purposes after its condition degraded. Colors faded and some of the dark areas completely disappeared. The black areas were likely dyed with gallepler [gall nuts, also known as oak apples or nutgalls], and over the years the tannic acid in them eroded the yarn. Happily, the family understood its value. 

In the end the historical coverlet was given to the Vestfold Fylkesmuseum, and in exchange the owners received a bright, newly-reconstructed replica, woven by Laila Thorrud. The worn coverlet underwent 140 hours of conservation, was thoroughly documented, and was moved to storage worthy of a cultural treasure—moth-free, dark, and temperature and humidity-controlled. 

Discover more about Vestfoldsmett

This issue started with a “Retro Reprint,” another in a series of articles published decades ago, when black-and-white print issues of the Norwegian Textile Letter were mailed to a small audience. Lila Nelson’s impeccably-researched article from 1999, “Vestfoldsmett–New Interest in an Old Technique,” now has color photos. “I’ve seen that pattern before,” you might realize after reading “Vestfoldteppene: Discovery, Documentation and Inspiration.” In “Symbolic Weaving from Vestfold,” the life cycle of wheat is described in the pattern bands of the Asketeppe. 

Largely due to the work of Lila Nelson, many American weavers became familiar with Vestfoldsmett. See their work in “Some Vestfold Weaving by Americans.” Finally, if you are a weaver inclined to try the technique yourself, check out “Vestfoldsmett–Weaving Tips and Technique.”

Sources: 

Livland, Haakon Graffer and Elin Halvorsen. Banken Hime: Bygd og Banken Gjennom 150 År. Andebu Sparebank, 2013. 

Graabæk, Elin. “Et Gammelt Vestfold-teppe, Anno 1991,” Vestfold Historielag, 1992. 

Larson, Katherine, The Woven Coverlets of Norway. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001. 

Vestfoldteppene. Tønsberg: Vestfold Husflidslag, 2001. This is not an instructional booklet, but it includes beautiful photos of the original and reconstructed Vestfoldtepper. A new edition was published in 2019. Limited copies will be available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Store. Email for information. 

The key words, once again

Vestfoldsmett: Vestfold inlay or brocading technique
Vestfoldteppe: Vestfold coverlet or weaving. Plural: Vestfoldtepper

 

By Robbie LaFleur

The technique described 

In her pattern book, Tepper og Ryer i Vestfold: Mønsterhefte (Coverlets and Ryas in Vestfold: Pattern Book),1 Laila Emma Thorrud graphed the patterns for band designs from the historical Vestfoldtepper (Vestfold coverlets). The weaving instructions are not detailed, but one thing she makes clear is that Vestfoldsmett (Vestfold inlay) should be done from the wrong side. She even capitalizes it–VRANG. 

The originals are woven in two sections and sewn together. They are all without fringes. The technique has from 1925 been known as Vestfoldsmett in Norway. In Nordisk Textilteknisk Terminologi it is explained as broscherad tuskaft (embroidered two-shaft). That is to say we pick in the pattern figures on a flat warp with small pieces of yarn on the WRONG side and bind the pattern shot with two or more shots of plain weave. (Page 7, translation by Robbie LaFleur)

The Vestfoldsmett inlay technique is very similar to the Swedish art weave techniques krabbasnår and halv-krabba.

Vestfoldteppene,2 a booklet published by the Vestfold Husflidslag, describes the technique:

The technique has two formulations. In one, the pattern thread moves over one thread at a time, such that the pattern is created by connecting angled lines. It is clear that it is a line (snor) that crawls (krabber) upward. [hence, the Swedish word krabbesnår]. In the other technique, the pattern yarn goes over and under the same warp threads, such that the pattern is created by small squares that alternate. This is also called block-weaving. In the old coverlets the pattern threads passed over two warp threads on the right side. Because the weavers used varying reed sizes, the patterns varied in size among the coverlets. They used from 2-4 background shots between each pattern shot. The pattern threads are almost always doubled, and they are laid in on a closed shed. (Page 5, translation by Robbie LaFleur) 

This Vestfold pattern element includes both angled lines and alternating small blocks.

Advice from Minnesota weavers

The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota tackled Vestfoldsmett as its annual study technique in 1997-98. Collectively, our group came up with a few hints for weaving Vestfoldsmett, based on our experiences.  Lila Nelson was a wonderful guide during our study, and many of the hints are hers.

Vestfold patterns by Ann Haushild. Photo: Ann Haushild

*  Do it right side up!  This was a consensus of the group, despite what purists might say.  It is much easier to see a mistake while weaving right side up, and to get a sense as the pattern develops.

*  You don’t need to use butterflies for the pattern threads: they can be a bit heavy and get tangled up.  Just using long sections of yarn is a good way to use up bits of leftovers.

*  Be sure to bubble the warp threads adequately.  If the sides pull in, you’ll have  more difficult time beating it in and covering the warp.

*  When striving for balance in a pattern, or repeating pattern bands throughout a piece, remember that it beats in like tapestry.  The patterns at the beginning of the weaving continue to get beaten.  In similar manner, remember that the patterns near the end may pack down less than the patterns at the beginning.

*  Tight tension is important.  Lila said, “When I do anything weft-faced I make the tension as tight as possible. When someone asked, “Why would the treads not beat in as well at the end, Lila suggested, “If the warp gets looser, it’s more difficult to beat it in.”

*  Don’t do it on a rigid heddle frame loom: it’s just too difficult to get and maintain nice, tight tension.

*  One member discovered that when she took a month off from weaving a Vestfold piece, the tension was different and made repeats of the patterns beat in differently.

*  Beware of making a long vertical design in only one area of the weaving, as the pattern threads may build up in those areas only and make covering the warp more difficult.  Strive for a balanced design across the warp.

*  Lila suggested the following materials:  12/6 fiskegarn as warp and Prydvevgarn for the weft, doubled for the pattern weave.  She suggested three shots of background between each pattern shot, although sometimes four shots may give the patterns a more squared appearance.

*  Should the back be finished?  If it’s beaten in well, you don’t have to finish or knot the ends.  However, while some original Vestfold weavings had threads left hanging on the back, Lila noted, “The messy appearance of the back seems un-Norwegian.”

*  All the group members admire Lila’s skills and experience, so it’s reassuring that she admits the technique can be tricky.  She said, “If I’m not careful, I can make some dumb mistakes.”

See also the “Weaving Technique” section of the article by Lila Nelson, “Vestfoldsmett: New Interest in an Old Technique.”

Sources

1Thorrud, Laila. Tepper og Ryer i Vestfold: Mønsterhefte (Coverlets and Ryas in Vestfold: Pattern Book). Tønsberg, Norway: Vestfold Historielag, 1992.  In Norwegian. Limited copies will be available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Store. Email for information. 

2 Vestfoldteppene. Tønsberg: Vestfold Husflidslag, 2001. This booklet is not an instructional booklet, but includes beautiful photos of the original and reconstructed Vestfoldtepper. A new edition was published in 2019. Limited copies will be available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Store. Email for information. 

Retro Reprint: Vestfoldsmett–New Interest in an Old Technique

Leave a reply
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Volume 5, No. 2, February 1999.  (Additional notes follow the article.)

Wall hanging in Vestfoldsmett woven by Lila Nelson. Owned by Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum

By Lila Nelson

A surprising variety of woven bed covers have been a part of the Norwegian folk tradition, but there is an equally surprising dearth of information about them.  Their origins, dates, history, the looms on which they were woven, sources of dyes, all are in many cases open to speculation. In fact, disagreement continues about whether some weaving was done by farm women or professionals and even if some types actually ever served as bed covers at all.

Vestfoldsmett is certainly a case in point. Ragnar Norby, in 1948 one of the first to write about the technique, stated that only 8 or 9 known examples exist and it appeared to be a local specialty.  Erling Eriksen’s 13-page monograph from 1955, which seems to be the major study extant, reveals how much is left to learn.  Former curator at the district museum in Tonsberg, he indicates that at an exhibition in 1925, when local people were invited to bring their family pieces, a Mrs. Meyer arrived with two coverlets in an unfamiliar technique.  Director Gulliksen asked the Norwegian Handcraft Association to make some copies and the discovery of more coverlets followed, thanks mainly to the interest and hard work of Ragnar Norby, who was a teacher in Larvik and a member of the Larvik Handcraft Association.

Where, Eriksen asks, did country weavers in Vestfold get the models for these unique tapestries?  Norby, Eriksen, and other Norwegian scholars argue that they derive from the Orient, possible based on the soumak technique; but how they got to Vestfold is unknown.  Some consider an impulse from Sweden, where a similar weave (krabbasnar) had tradition, though that, unlike Vestfoldsmett, often had a linen ground.  

Neither is there a solid basis for dating the coverlets since only one piece, from Svarstad, had the date 1840 actually woven in, and that is presumed to be the last one. The Kunstindustrimuseet example has a partially illegible date 17_2 which is interpreted as possible being 1762.  There seems to be a general acceptance of them having been produced in the 18th and 19th centuries, but proof is lacking.  Aase Bay Sjøvold, former textile curator at the Kunstindustrimuseet, speculates that various generations in just one family could have been responsible for the entire output; others say that the work has to have been done at least in part by professionals.

Eriksen points out that none of the coverlets seem to originate along the coast but rather are found inland in Vestfold.  He attributes this to economic factors, noting that the inner areas had wider economic distinctions and more defined economic classes.  Some farmers developed big farms and in addition made extra money by lumbering.  The landowners therefore had two sources of income while the non-landowners might in desperation turn to crafts such as weaving, especially since there was a wealthy class in a position to buy prestigious textiles. On the coastal areas, where farms were smaller and people were either farmers or fishermen, the economic distinctions were less extreme. People were generally satisfactorily situated but were not wealthy enough to be able to afford luxury textiles.  Eriksen, by these assumptions, reveals his belief that Vestfoldsmett were considered better than the everyday bed covers.

From my own examination of six Vestfold coverlets, however, I question that they were all made by professionals for a luxury class. One of them in particular shows the marks of an amateur weaver and several reveal casual and erratic methods of handling the loose pattern threads on the back side. I also wonder if they were not used quite steadily as functional coverlets because three or more show definite evidence along the sides of the wear that comes from frequent handling.  

Granting that the inland Vestfold areas were economically open to a weaving industry, this still does not tell us why this particular technique found favor there.  Similar questions apply to other areas of the country; for example, we can only speculate why Norwegian folk picture tapestries flourished in Gudbrandsdal and hardly anywhere else for over a hundred years in the 1600s and 1700s.  Neither does it tell us from where the style came and what influences were at work in its development.  

From the middle 1800s to around 1925, it appears that Vestfoldsmett was largely forgotten.  With its surfacing at the Tonsberg exhibition, it begins to show up in altered and greatly simplified forms on objects other than coverlets. It serves as decorative bands on the ends of table runners or in spots of decoration on pillows.  The results did not please Ragnar Nordby, who in his 1948 article describes them as a disaster. He calls for a return to the quality of the originals, but he is largely ignored.  Modern adaptations have continued to the present day.  

Graphed information for coverlets on which I have done sight examination

The name indicates where the coverlet was located, not necessarily where it was made.  The last listing relates to a coverlet now in the Kunstindustrimseet in Oslo;  The others are in the Tønsberg, Vestfold, museum.  

Dovleteppet (the word “teppet” is also used to mean “coverlet”)
Size: L 62 ½” W 52 ½”
Warp: 2-ply linen ca. 6.40 epi
Ground weft: ca. 7/2 2-ply wool
Pattern weft: ground used doubled. Some use thinner wool
Colors: white, gold-white, yellow, dk blue, lt blue, orange, red, lt beige, dk beige, black sheep,  dk green
No. bands: 10
Joining bands: diamond, arrow, zigzag inlays bordered by kjerringtenner
Center joining seam overcast with medium heavy linen
Sandar coverlet
Size: L 75 ½” W 55”
Warp: medium heavy 2-ply linen ca. 7 epi
Ground weft: medium heavy 2-ply wool
Pattern weft: ground used double
Colors: white gold, yellow-gold, dk blue, pink-beige, brown
No. bands: 12
Joining bands: three-thread floats with kjerringtenner
Center joining seam in running stitch with medium heavy linen
Stokke coverlet
Size: L 63” W 51”
Warp:2-ply linen ca. 6.40 epi
Ground weft: ca. 7/2,  2-ply wool
Pattern weft: ground used double
Colors: white, gold, grey-green, red, dk blue
No. bands:13
Joining bands: diamond, arrow inlay, kjeffingtenner
Center joining seam in running stitch with linen
Inscription: embroidered initials ITD
Andebu coverlet
Size:  L 63” W 53”
Warp: heavy 2-ply linen ca. 6.40 epi
Ground weft: heavy 2-ply wool, rya type
Pattern weft: ground used double, some thinner wool
Colors: white, gold, 2 shades green, rust, red, brown, dk blue
No. bands: 10
Joining bands: diamond, arrow, zigzag inlays, kjerringtenner
Center Joining seam in running stich with linen
AGD coverlet 
Size: L 64”  49½”
Warp: heavy 2-ply linen ca. 6.40 epi
Ground weft: medium heavy 2-ply wool
Pattern weft: ground used double, some use of single ply
Colors: medium gold, dk gold, reddish brown, dk blue, lt blue
No. bands: 11
Joining bands: diamond, arrow, zigzag inlays, kjerringtenner borders
Center joining seam not noted
Inscription: embroidered initials and date:
AG(?)D 17 (6?)2

This 1762 coverlet, the “Askjemteppet,” is owned by the Nasjonalmuseet (formerly the Kunstindustrimuseet). See the full record.

Seen only in Xeroxed photographs:

Sverstad coverlet (dated 1840)
Hoyjord coverlet
Solum coverlet (at Brekkemuseet)
Aske coverlet (privately owned)

Weaving Technique

As noted above, the warp is generally a heavy linen with a sett of 6.40 to 7 ends per inch.  The ground is tightly packed weft-faced plain weave.  All sources have taken for granted that the pattern was lain in on the loom, although Aase Bay Sjøvold points out that no one knows this for certain. There is, however, no extension of pattern threads going across the center joining seams, one indicator of embroidery.  It is also unlikely that thread-count embroidery would be attempted on a tightly packed wool foundation.

All directions state that the technique is done wrong side up using butterflies for the pattern wefts, but again there is no certain proof. In my own experiments, I have worked right side up using a straight length of weft instead of butterflies because 1) there is less chance of making an error, and easier to spot an error, and 2) it is preferable when weaving free rather than thread-counted designs and when other techniques are included.

Two shots of foundation weft appeared to be standard between each pattern inlay although I could not examine coverlets extensively enough to be sure this was constant. Most patterns floats were over two or over three warps.  Patterns requiring longer floats appeared to be done in increments of two or three. Although some sources indicate that longer floats were done in soumak or figure eight fashion, I could not in my cursory investigation see evidence of this.  It appeared that the weaver went over three warps, under two, and so on across the pattern area, then returning to fill in the previously uncovered warps. Any of the above three methods, however would seem to be workable and would look superficially similar when used, as in the case of Vestfoldsmett, in limited fashion.

Colors

As in aged textiles generally, colors have changed in varying degrees throughout the years, and one can sometimes only surmise what they originally were.  Some have faded to a rather non-identifiable grayed tone.  In 1979 Gunn Bremnes described tests she had made to determine the original colors of Dovleteppet and she concluded that they were natural white sheep, pale yellow, darker yellow, golden, orange, beige brown, sharp red, blue, and black.  (The colors in Dovleteppet are generally better preserved than in many of the other pieces.) I will not go into the detailed studies with indigo and various plant dyes which Bremnes carried out, but she points to what is evident in most of the coverlets, the predominance of shades of gold and yellow.  She mentions that birch trees, common in the area, were widely used to produce yellows.  Blues are next in importance, along with natural white and black.  Orange-red, pinkish beige and brownish-beige tones are also found, as is a grayed green.  Generally, one can say that the colors vary a good deal from one coverlet to another, as do the designs, making for a wide variety of effects.  Though the background color usually varies within each band of design, the Svarstad coverlet is said to be on an all-black ground.

Designs

All of the Vestfoldsmett coverlets have a series of horizontal bands, each with a different motif, the total number per coverlet varying from about 8 to 13.  These are separated by narrow bands which always include kjerringtenner (two colors alternating on plain weave to produce a toothed effect) and very often inlaid diamonds, arrow, or zigzag forms.  The total has been aptly described as continuously varied repetition.  Each band is filled with a horizontally repeated motif which is built up of floating pattern wefts.  The lines usually move diagonally by one or more threads as the pattern progresses, although some, especially the more geometric motifs, have three repeats before change, giving a block appearance.  Ragnar Norby classifies the major designs as being urns of flowers, and he calls attention to 14 patterns: five with constantly changing lines, five with a primarily block orientation, and four with elaborately ornamented variations.  Karin Archer stated that the Aske coverlet was described by its owner Martha Aske as symbolizing the story of life and growth in nature through stylized seeds, growing and blooming flowers, dancing figures, and rain.  Other sources, however, question a specific symbolic significance in the motifs.  

Bibliography

Andersen, Kirsten Gahrn.

RAMMEVAEV. G.E.C. Gads Forlag, Copenhagen, 1957. pp 42-51. In Danish.

Archer. Karin Fagerlund.  “De gamle Vestfoldteppene” in NORSK HUSFLID, No. 3, 1975. pp 8-10. In Norwegian.

1 This inlay technique has often been called “Vestfoldteknikk”, but that term could be applied to any woven product associated with the province of Vestfold; whereas “Vestfoldsmett”, so-called by Stromberg etal in their NORDISK TEAXTILTEKNISK TERMINOLOGI, refers specifically to an inlay process.  They classify it with the Swedish and Danish “krabbasnar”, the Icelandic “juoksupujotus”, defining them all as a folk type of two-harness brocade or in an older variant a brocade on a twill ground with double threads worked wrong side up.

2  Ragnar Norby.  “Vestfoldteppe” in Yrke, No. 2, 1948, pp 29-33.  He does not seem to be aware of one example in the Kunstindustrimuseet in Oslo, (Cat. No. 3781), which I saw in 1984.

3 Erling Eriksen. “Gammel vevkunst i Vestfolds bygder” in Vestfold Minne 1955. Translated by Torun Gulliksen 1983.

4 Karin Archer. “De gamle Vestfold Teppene” in Husflid, No. 3, 1975. Archer refers to the unmarried Meyer sisters from Nøtteroy.

5 Gunn Bremnes. “Om fargebruk i “Dovle-teppet” in Vestfold Minne 1979. pp. 30-34. Translated by Torun Gulliksen.

Lila Nelson was an excellent researcher. Her descriptions of the coverlets she included were based on personal examination. There were no photos of the pieces she examined in the original article, but I felt confident that the photos included in this reprint are the correct ones, based on the photos and descriptions in the booklet, Vestfoldteppene, published by the Vestfold Husflidlag. The Vestfoldteppe images are all from digitaltmuseet.no. I eliminated one description which I could not definitively match to an original coverlet in a photo. Robbie LaFleur

Vestfoldteppene: Discovery, Documentation and Inspiration

1 Reply

By Robbie LaFleur

A long time ago (as many good folk tales begin), in the area of Norway known as Vestfold, clever weavers created bright banded wool weavings known as Vestfoldtepper (Vestfold coverlets). On large wooden looms in the 1700s and 1800s they wove patterns and symbols in a brocaded inlay technique, Vestfoldsmett (Vestfold inlay or Vestfold brocading). You can imagine the impact of a large swath of color in the interior of a Norwegian home during dark winter months. This reconstructed Vestfoldteppe has colors as warm as the fire in the hearth. 

Reconstruction woven by Laila Thorrud in 1991. Owned by Kommandør Chr. Christensens Hvalfangstmuseum. Photo: Mekonnen Wolday. Details at digitaltmuseum.no.

In 1925, two old coverlets in Vestfoldsmett were displayed publicly and sparked great interest. Within ten years, 8 more of the banded weavings with embroidery-like inlay were discovered. Nearly a century later, 16 have turned up. Vestfoldteppene, a booklet published by the Vestfold Husflidslag (2001, updated 2019), includes history and photos of the Vestfoldsmett textile treasures discovered and documented since 1925. A photo of each worn and faded coverlet is accompanied by a modern reproduction.

A page-spread example of the juxtaposition of old and new Vestfoldtepper.

The discovery of these distinctive weavings excited historians, and weavers were intrigued by the technique. The Husflid (Handcraft Organization) in Oslo published patterns. You could rent a pattern for 2 kroner for four days, or if you were weaving for sale it would cost five kroner.1 

Interest in weaving Vestfoldsmett spread around Norway, for hangings, runners and pillows. Runners produced for tourist trade were especially popular and typically included bands of Vestfold pattern combined with rosepath on each end, with plain weave in the center section. When weaving for sale, it would have been too time-consuming to weave in Vestfoldsmett over the whole piece. 

Several pieces in Vestfoldsmett have been donated to Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, likely purchased by the owners on trips to Norway. This runner is woven in colors popular in the 20th century: rust, green, sheep-black, and gold.

Vesterheim Artifact #: 1985.101.021.JPG

The Vestfold runners in shops were made by women in home studios. From Vestfoldteppene:

There was great interest in weavings with Vestfold inlay. This gave many women an opportunity to earn some extra kroner. Many weaving studios started up around the country. One weaver said that in the 1940s a weaver could earn about 500 kroner a month weaving Vestfold runners.  That was good pay, given the cost of living. She wove from 7 am to 2 pm, and could weave two runners in that time. 

Two more runners in the Vesterheim collection have the same color palette, but slightly different patterns. 

Vesterheim artifact #: 1986.122.009

Vesterheim artifact #: 1996.103.001

The designer Else Poulsson, as head of the Husflid organization, was responsible for designing new patterns using Vestfoldsmett. She incorporated traditional designs from the bands of the old coverlets, as in the runners shown above. She also used the inlay technique for more modern designs, like these.

Pillow top designed by Else Poulsson, Model 7084, owned by the Norsk Folkemuseum. Details from digitaltmuseet.no

A pillow top designed by Else Poulsson, Model 1480, owned by the Norsk Folkemuseum. Details from digitaltmuseet.no

Table runners with Vestfoldsmett are still sold in Norway as tourist items. In 2011 the Vesterheim Textile tour to Norway included a stop at the flagship store of Audhild Viken in stunningly beautiful Skei, Norway, north of Bergen.  Stacks of runners were folded on display tables. 

Photo: Robbie LaFleur

Shortly after World War II, at a time when many Norwegians were losing interest in traditional textiles and wanted modern pieces, Audhild Viken began a weaving workshop to preserve the old textile traditions and to sell them.  She began by selling weavings from her bicycle, and her son continued the tradition by selling from a moped and then a car.  The business grew tremendously and in the 1960s she employed over 200 weavers, mostly providing piecework.  Now Audhild Viken is the name of several high-end souvenir shops around Norway. (I don’t know where these new models are woven.)

After seeing the historical Vestfold pieces and the weavings they inspired in Norway in the following decades, you might start recognizing Vestfoldsmett in museums or antique shops. A recent search in the Norwegian auction site, finn.no, turned up several available pieces. This nice runner was available for $43–you can’t buy the Norwegian yarn for that price! Or perhaps it’s time to weave your own piece in Vestfoldsmett, inspired by the vibrant designs and deep history of this historical technique. 

Viewed on the finn.no auction site on February 13, 2021.

1 According to the Vestfoldteppene booklet, the patterns were designed by Else Poulsson. Poulsson was a designer and head of the textile division at Den Norske Husflidsforening (the Norwegian Handcraft Association) from 1929-1954, so this was likely in the 1930s or 1940s.

Source:

Vestfoldteppene. Tønsberg: Vestfold Husflidslag, 2001. This is not an instructional booklet, but it includes beautiful photos of the original and reconstructed Vestfoldtepper. A new edition was published in 2019. Limited copies will be available from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Store. Email for information. 

Flesberg: The Norwegian Pattern Book Shared

4 Replies

30 Pattern Drafts

These pattern drafts were created by Anna Bakken, based on her analysis of historical  Flesbergplegg, coverlets woven in three-shaft bound rosepath technique. The drafts, which are treadling guides to obtain a variety of patterns, are available below as separate pdf documents. Background information on the project and the technique are included in “Flesbergplegg: An Enduring Norwegian Regional Design.”

The basic threading and tie-up are here. 

How to Read the Pattern Drafts

For each pattern below, the corresponding pdf file includes the treadling order for the pattern and a color photograph (a bigger version of each numbered photo).

The treadling patterns are written in columns. Begin at the bottom of the right-hand column, weave to the top of the column, and then up the succeeding columns to the left. Occasionally more than one border is on a sheet. They are labeled “Bord 1,” “Bord 2,” etc.  (example)

  1. Gåseberg
  2. Juveli Søndre
  3. Brekke
  4. Høimyr Nordre

5. Væråsmagen
6. Nordre Gjellerud
7. Gjellerud Søndre
8. Berget Vestre

9. Berget Vestre 2
10. Underberget Nordre 1
11. Underberget Nordre 2
12. Underberget Nordre 3

13A and 13B. Åsland Vestre A and Åsland Vestre B  (Note: The photos were labeled A and B. There are two borders in the draft, but it is unclear which border goes with which photo.)
14. Åsland Nordre 1
15. Åsland Nordre 2
16. Rindem

17. Aslefedt
18. Førli Nordre (Photo of a sample woven by Jan Mostrom)
19. Sønstegård
20. Wangestad Nordre 1

21. Wangestad 2
22. Ørstein A and Ørstein B
23. Ørstein 2

24. Ørstein 4
25. Ørstein 5
26A and 26B. Wingestad (Note: This is slightly confusing. It is unclear which photo goes with which treadling pattern. The draft is noted “Bord I and Bord II” and the photos are marked “Wingestad” and “Wingestad 1.”)

27. Wingestad 2
28. Wingestad 3
29. Wingestad 4 (Photo of a sample woven by Jan Mostrom)
30. Håvardsrud

A Note about Materials

By Robbie LaFleur

For the Norwegian Textile Guild study project, and in the original pattern drafts, the suggested materials were 12/6 black seine twine for warp (set at 6 ends per inch) and Rauma åklegarn for weft. To some weavers, that might seem like a thin warp for a wide sett. But the late Syvilla Bolson, a dealer in Norwegian yarn and an expert weaver from Decorah, Iowa, wrote to our study group members, “Don’t think that the patterns are wrong when the 6 ends per inch of the 12/6 cotton is given as the warp measurement. I tried other arrangements, but it has to be the 6 epi to work with the Åklegarn in this form of boundweave.”

Of course the warp, weft, and sett can all be varied successfully. Sample, sample, sample! I wove  pieces with the heavier åklegarn, like this rug. 

I also wove two pieces with the same 12/6 cotton seine twine, but at 10 ends per inch, with Rauma prydvevgarn (a thinner plied yarn). This photo shows the difference in outcome. The finer sett yields tinier, crisp patterns. 

Fabric strips give a speckly look to this wall hanging (woven with 12/6 seiners twine at 6 epi).

Weaving and photo: Robbie LaFleur

In another exploration of Flesberg in fabric strips, here is a close-up of the bands in Jan Mostrom’s nature-inspired piece.  

Weaving and photo: Jan Mostrom

How to Draft Your Own Flesberg Patterns

Leave a reply

By Bonnie Datta

Editor’s note: Two technically-minded smart weavers were roommates on the Textile Tour to Norway in 2003 when the group saw the exhibit of Flesbergplegg. Katharine Dickerson’s examination of the technique is included in this issue, “Retro Reprint: Flesberg Bound Weave System.” Fellow Canadian Bonnie Datta was her roommate, and was equally smitten by the technique. In this pdf instructional article, Bonnie explains how to draft your own patterns. 

Flesbergplegg by Bonnie Datta 

If you want to draft your own flesberg technique variations, Bonnie Datta provides expert background and a template to use.

Note: After checking her explanations, written several years ago, Bonnie added the following: 

The lines of symmetry that are drawn appear to cross out picks and may be confused with the picks that do actually need to be removed.  The picks with the line of symmetry running through them are woven.  The picks that have been removed have left empty squares in the treadling sequence.
 
Also, please note that in the explanatory sample, the vertical column of pattern is divided at the half-way point by a line of symmetry.  This makes the angle of the floats change and enhances the symmetry of the motif.
Bio: Bonnie Datta completed a B.A. in mathematics at the University of Calgary and a M.Sc. in Mathematics at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island. Her career in the computer industry spanned two decades, and after early retirement she was able to turn to her lifelong interest in textiles. Handweaving became the medium of choice, and she undertook extensive research, applying mathematical principles such as proportion, series, symmetry, tessellations, and randomness, to the patterning and structure of woven textiles. She now lives in the same farmhouse in Alberta, Canada, that her family moved to when she was a child. She spends most days weaving one-of-a-kind scarves, shawls, wraps and throws.

Flesbergplegg: An Enduring Norwegian Regional Design

Leave a reply

By Robbie LaFleur

This detail from an old piece shows the wide variety of patterns possible with the three-shaft bound rosepath technique known as flesberg.

In the Flesberg area of Norway, in Numedal, a style of three-shaft bound rosepath coverlet gained deep regional popularity. It became known by the place name, and the technique will be referred to hereafter as flesberg technique. The technique offered endless pattern variation, and weavers on farms in the prosperous agricultural area were inventive. Patterns were shared and spread. A young girl who married and moved to a farm would have weavings from her home farm and her new farm as examples. Professional weavers who traveled from farm to farm would have their own patterns. When members of the Flesberg Bondekvinnelag (the Flesberg Farm Women’s Organization) recorded coverlets in flesberg technique in the early 1990s and published pattern drafts, they chose pattern names from the farms where they were found. 

Today the Bondekvinnelag has become the Flesberg Bygdekvinnelag (Flesberg Women’s Community Association) and the members who weave are still interested in these banded coverlets, called Flesbergplegg in Norway.  “Plegg” is a local word, not used elsewhere in Norway. Historically it refers to a decorative woven bed covering, often placed on top of other bedclothes, but today the word is also used for wall hangings in the technique.

A flesberg weaving on the loom at the Flesberg Bygdekvinnelag weaving studio.

Weaving in flesberg technique are still on display in modern homes. Marit Stevning from Flesberg sent a photo of the flesberg piece on her wall, flanked by a sweater knitted in similar patterns. The hanging was woven by her sister, who took a class from Anna Bakken, the weaver responsible for documenting the old Flesbergplegg coverlets in the area. The sweater was knitted by a local professional knitter. 

And Now, A Connection to the U.S.

In 2003, weavers on the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum Textile Tour to Norway were awed by a museum exhibit of old coverlets in flesberg technique. Afterwards a study group sponsored by the Norwegian Textile Guild was launched, after getting permission to use a compilation of patterns based on the old coverlets. Kay Larson described the impetus of the study group. 

In the summer of 2003, the Vesterheim Museum/Norwegian Textile Guild Textile Study Tour to Norway visited Lågdal Folk Museum in Numedal. While there, tour members were shown coverlets from the small community of Flesberg. These coverlets proved to be a combination of typical Norwegian three-shaft krokbragd and the rosepath threading more commonly used in Sweden. Immediate interest developed among tour members, and inquiries were made about this local tradition. Fortuitously, meticulous documentation had already been undertaken.

In the course of a four-year project that began in 1991, the Flesberg Farm Women’s Organization (Flesberg Bondekvinnelag [now the Flesberg Bygdekvinnelag]), researched their community coverlet tradition, gathering a collection of 30 historic textiles from farms in their area. In 1994 they created a booklet of samples and drafts based on these 30 coverlets, each named after the farm with which it was associated. They called their local tradition, and their booklet, “Flesbergplegg.”

Now we are lucky enough to share the samples that were woven and drafts that were painstakingly recorded in the 1990s by Anna Bakken. (See “Flesberg: The Norwegian Pattern Book Shared“) Marit Stevning from the Flesberg Bygdekvinnelag was enthusiastic about letting more people know about the patterns, writing, “It is so important that the tradition is being communicated to new generations.” Unfortunately Anna Bakken won’t be able to enjoy this celebration of her research, as she died in 2019, at almost 101 years old(!).

Background on the Flesbergplegg Registration Project (1991-1994)

The following description was written by the Flesberg Bondekvinnelag and translated by Kay Larson.

FLESBERGPLEGG

The Flesberg Farm Women’s Organization has taken on the project of bringing to light handwork and techniques of earlier times. Many of our foremothers were unbelievably capable and versatile.  As a major registration project, we have chosen “Flesbergplegg.”

Anna Bakken, Kongsberg, has woven up the coverlet patterns.  According to her, there are certain traits that characterize the “Flesbergplegg.” Three shaft structure, always a black cotton warp, color use, and the unbelievable variation on the same theme.  Each farm has its combinations and variations in patterns.  Therefore, it is an impossible exercise to include all patterns, but in this booklet, we show a representative selection.

Anna Bakken borrowed the coverlets, “plucked” from each their patterns, attempted to find the original colors, and woven them anew.  The patterns are drawn up and written out on computer by her grandson, Håvard Strand. The patterns are divided into 3 sections, in A3 format and with a (woven) pattern each in its own plastic sleeve.  There are 30 patterns in all.

One should note that the original weft yarn was often homespun and naturally dyed.  Therefore, both the yarn thickness and colors can vary from the original. The yarn that is used in the samples is two-ply Rauma yarn, corresponding to the original as closely as possible.

USE OF THE COVERLETS

The patterns match nicely on this old plegg owned by Åse Bjøråsen.

In our day the coverlets are used for the most part as wall hangings.  They are woven in one width, often with fringes.  Earlier they were always the length for a bed, woven in two pieces sewn up the middle.  This required the weaver to beat the weft evenly so that the patterns matched when the two pieces were sewn together.  The two lengths were sewn together by hand with tight stitches.  At each end was a narrow, doubled fold of approximately 2-3 cm, also hand sewn of course.

These textiles were used as coverlets on the bed.  They were also used as wall hangings but not for daily use. The coverlets were wall decorations for large family affairs like weddings, christenings and funerals. As the coverlets became worn, they were used for less decorative purposes, for example as an under layer to sit upon in a horse-drawn sleigh.  Finally, they become horse blankets, laid over the horses’ backs on cold winter days when they had earned a well-deserved rest, warm and sweaty, after drawing the farm folk to church, town or on Christmas visits. Some of the coverlets we have woven were in fact found in the stable.

The coverlets we have taken patterns from were woven in the period from 1850 to 1920. The coverlet project was begun in 1991 and concluded in 1994. Leaders of the project were Astri Kari Førlie and Sølvie Wingestad.

MANY THANKS-

To all who have loaned us coverlets, and in other ways contributed to the project. We would especially like to name again Anne Bakken, Kongsberg, born in 1918, who has woven the coverlet samples.  She received her earliest introduction to weaving from her grandmother and has since had the home arts as her profession and hobby.  She participated in the establishment of Husfliden in Kongsberg and has received awards and honors of various types including Norway’s Handcraft Organization Gold Medal.

Source: “Viel Stevning nedre g. Juvenes 1882-1942,” Flesberg historielag. https://flesberg.samlinger.no/items/show/15114

In the course of our registration, certain names have been noteworthy, mentioned as especially capable in weaving and other home arts.  Along with other recognition they have received medals and honors for their handiwork.

    • Viel Juvenes née Stevning, 1882-1942
    • Jøran Lie née Wingstad, 1874-1966
    • The sisters Strand in Svene: Marit Fossan, Mari Høimyr, Anne Berget, Marte Eie, Jøran Sandbekk. They lived and worked in the time period 1850-1940.
    • Marit Kroeset Krokmogen, 1877-1930
    • Beol Fekjan

There are surely many other capable weavers who should be named, but it has been difficult to trace back to the original weavers in any cases.

This issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter is intended to be both informative and inspirational, with technical information and photos of newer and historical Flesbergplegg–these wonderful banded coverlets in bound rosepath. 

Vesterheim Folk Art School Pivots to Online Offerings for the Pandemic and Beyond

Leave a reply

By Lea Lovelace, Director of Folk Art Education, Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum

If you would have interviewed me about online folk art programs eight months ago, I would have told you that I did not like the idea. Vesterheim’s Folk Art School mission is to bring people together in community and to share in the healing power of handcraft, inspired by our amazing collection. I’ve been quoted saying that “Folk Art is about putting our screens down, connecting our hearts with our hands, and sharing in the magic of making together.” However, when Covid-19 hit, we quickly realized that the only way forward was to embrace our screens. After we stopped mourning all we could not offer and do, we found creativity, inspiration, and new audiences through digital platforms. We abandoned the idea that folk art education could only be served in ways that we knew, through in-person instruction. Words like “pivot,” “pilot'” and “zooming,” as well as phrases like “being nimble,” found their way into our everyday vernacular. We were fortunate to receive funding to help us try new things and we were supported by our beloved instructors, who were willing to rethink teaching, learning, and connecting through virtual experiences. 

An online class on plantefarging (natural dyeing) sold out quickly.

In just a few months’ time and over sixty online programs later, we have shifted our mindset about what outreach looks like and have discovered just how unexpectedly warm and engaging digital platforms can be. Someday we will welcome people back to campus with Norwegian treats to share and learn with us, but we also see online programs as a new arm of the Folk Art School, not just as a temporary measure during the pandemic. We have created a new position dedicated to Digital Learning and Outreach (Hooray for Josh Torkelson!) and our online classes, Bokprats (book talks), Family Adventures, Folk Art Conversation Webinars, and Collections Connections have reached friends new and old all over the country and all over the world. Comparing online class experiences with in-person class experiences is like comparing apples to oranges. They’re both unique and have a lot to offer. Here is what we like about our new online programs:

Uplifting our Master Artists, Providing Access to the Collection

Since the start of our digital work we’ve offered several programs to connect past folk art class participants to our master folk-art instructors whom they might have missed taking classes from during this time. In one example, our Collection Connections series, Vesterheim Gold Medalists Laura Demuth and Jan Mostrom shared some of their favorite weavings from the collection in an informal presentation over the lunch hour. They highlighted history and techniques used and how these objects have inspired their own work. Programs such as these uplift our folk art instructors and our collection, and also provide greater access to students for whom it might be difficult to visit Vesterheim, even in normal circumstances. These classes and events provide a warm small group sense of community where participants can share things they are working on and connect with other weavers both near and far. 

In a Collection Connection talk, Jan Mostrom discussed four of her favorite Vesterheim weavings, including this rutevev.

New Instructors, New Kinds of Classes

Our digital platform provides opportunities to feature new instructors and offer more introductory level classes which provide an entry point for new learners to try their hand at Folk Art. For these classes, we provide kits that are shipped to participant homes with all the items needed to have a successful experience (including a Norwegian chocolate bar – a most essential item!). These online programs have allowed us to engage new instructors and new students living far away from Vesterheim for whom both the travel distance and the nature of a short class might be hard to justify. Being able to offer a greater number of beginner courses online will also allow us to differentiate and provide more speciality in-person classes. In this way, our online programs support our in-person offerings.

New Audiences

The author in her new role as online host.

Recently, I hosted an online “Beginning Rosemaling” class and had fifteen participants, representing 12 different states (including someone from Alaska!). There were men, women, a grad school student, and a new grandmother. This is what online classes look like at Vesterheim. In another event, when Robbie LaFleur was featured in an evening Zoom Webinar conversation on Lila Nelson’s weavings, we had hundreds of people in attendance including folks from Canada, Northern Ireland, and Norway. In one of our smaller and cozier events, Kate Martinson’s recent Collection Connection on knitted mittens, we gathered non-textile producing Vesterheim Gold Medalists, a homeschooling high schooler, and even a graduate student from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Part of our job is to facilitate the intergenerational transmission of these rich folk art traditions and we are excited about the ways in which digital programming facilitates this.

Increased Access

It is so great to see familiar faces as we convene a program, but it is also exciting to see new folks because of the greater accessibility of online programs. Vesterheim Gold Medalist Rosemaler Patti Goke said it first and others have since echoed her statement. “I love the accessibility of online classes. I have wanted to try so many other folk art traditions for so long, but I couldn’t justify investing the time or the cost in trying onsite classes in other disciplines, as I needed to prioritize taking Rosemaling classes. Now with online classes I can try something new and see if I want to return to Vesterheim to take a more intensive class in-person.” We are seeing weavers trying tinsmithing and woodcarving online for the first time. Perhaps there is a pandemic inspired freedom in exploring similar design elements but through a different material. After all that is what art is about– exploring, creative problem solving, and negotiating history and the world around us in new inspiring ways.

Fostering Community, Having Fun

Online programs can be warm and build community? Yes they can! During my time hosting these programs, I’ve witnessed some wonderful things. A college student joined her mother from across the country while attending a jewelry class together to celebrate their Norwegian heritage. We’ve seen folks give each other a thumbs up emoji for sharing their first attempts at band-weaving and laughing over the lessons they learned during the class. We’ve seen a group of 50 raise a glass of wine to one another during a monthly Bokprat (book club featuring books by Scandinavian authors). Even our largest events, the free Folk Art Conversation Webinars foster community as we see people greeting friends on the chat feature and offering comments to one another. I’ve seen dogs and cats and kids climb onto participant laps during a class, which may feel embarrassing but really just makes for a warm, authentic experience. (I’ve certainly had my own share of zoom moments with my furry coworkers ever present by my side). In one of my favorite moments, on Halloween Weekend during a Sami Mitten Class, the students had an impromptu costume contest. Instructor Laura Ricketts switched out her hat each time the camera panned back to her and a participant surprised Vesterheim host, Josh Torkelson, by dressing up as him, resulting in all kinds of spontaneous laughter. 

Where does Laura Ricketts get all her hats? Photo: Josh Torkelson

Digital programs have humanized us all and reminded us that we are in this together, negotiating this pandemic, and finding some silver linings along the way. We have learned new things, had fun, met new friends along the way, and we are building a community in these tough times. This is what learning at Vesterheim is all about: sharing stories and experiences, bringing people together from all corners of the country and beyond, making connections to our collection, our history, and our folk artists, and perhaps even finding a passion for folk art for years to come.

Lea Lovelace, Director of Folk Art Education, brings over twelve years of museum education experience to the position and twenty years of experience in visual arts programming. Prior to her start at Vesterheim in 2018, she developed school and teacher programs for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, as Manager of School Programs. Most recently, she served for seven years as adjunct faculty at Luther College teaching and developing curriculum for the Art Education program, often leading study abroad courses related to museum studies. She was awarded Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator by Art Educators of Iowa in 2017. In 2008 Lovelace co-founded ArtHaus, a not-for-profit center for visual, performing and literary arts for all ages located in Decorah, IA. 

On a Flesberg “Fotojakt” (A Photo Hunt) with Marit Stevning

Leave a reply

By Robbie LaFleur 

Marit Stevning with the Flesberg Bydgekvinnelag (Women’s Community Association) set out this month to take photos of some historical flesberg coverlets in her area. Of course this is a project complicated by COVID. She took snapshots of several wonderful weavings, mostly historical ones, and offered to continue the fotojakt in the post-pandemic future. Thank you to Marit! All readers will appreciate the colors and patterns in these pieces, and many may be inspired to try the technique themselves. 

Wiil Wangestad

Here are three coverlets from the home of Wiil Wangestad. Wiil has woven a number of new flesberg pieces, too, but these are from her collection of many old coverlets. 

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 1

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 1, detail 1

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 1, detail 2

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 2

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 2, detail

Wiil Wangestad, Coverlet 3

Åse Bjøråsen

Åse Bjøråsen, from Væåsmogen, displayed old coverlets for Marit.

Åse Bjøråsen, Coverlet 1. You can tell the weaver was skilled; the coverlet is woven in two lengths, and the patterns match nicely. 

Åse Bjøråsen, Coverlet 1, Detail

Åse Bjøråsen, Coverlet 2

Åse Bjøråsen, Coverlet 2, Detail

Astri Førli

Astri Førli was one of the women who was active in the original collecting and registering of flesberg coverlets in the area. The first piece is one that Astri inherited from her uncle. The second was woven by Astri. 

Astri Førli, owner. In this piece inherited from her uncle, it is interesting that the patterns are not matching along the seam.

Astri Førli, owner. Detail.

Flesbergplegg woven by Astri Førli

Flesbergplegg woven by Astri Førli, detail.

Lampeland Hotel 

Marit photographed this old piece at at the hotel in Lampeland. 

Lampeland Hotell coverlet in flesberg.

Lampeland Hotell coverlet in flesberg, detail.