Caroline Feyling recently finished a year as a Folk Art Apprentice at North House Folk School. In this article she describes her Norwegian background, her inspiring research trip to Scandinavia and subsequent work with Norwegian weaving.
Exhibit – Recent – Norway
MALFRIDUR ADALSTEINSDOTTIR Stemning / Atmosphere
26 September – 3 November 2024. Format Gallery, Oslo, Norway
Málfríður Aðalsteinsdóttir (born 1960, Iceland) lives and works in the forests of Norway. She combines wool and horsehair in her embroidered drawings, using both the natural colors of different sheep breeds and plant-dyed wool, which is then carded before the desired thread is spun. Older craft traditions that involve a close connection between the hand and the material, respect for natural resources, and the time-consuming aspect of handmade work are fundamental to her practice.
From the website: “EMMA will mark the two years of the hugely popular CollectionKakkonen exhibition with new additions. The updates will be installed gradually over the autumn season, beginning in September 2024, with the new exhibition ready for public viewing in the last week of November…The new Ryijy Gallery section at Collection Kakkonen strengthens EMMA’s commitment to design, featuring textiles of artistic, cultural, and historical importance. Displayed alongside ceramic and glass objects, the ryijys highlight the interwoven history of these three genres. In his collecting, Kyösti Kakkonen has focused on the works of renowned Finnish ryijy designers. The new display will include around 15 pieces from the 1930s to the 1980s by various artists, including Uhra-Beata Simberg-Ehrström.
Exhibit – Upcoming – Minneapolis
Vibrant Traditions: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest
Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 January 31 – April 6, 2025
This exhibit of traditional and contemporary weavings in Scandinavian techniques will take place in the Mondale Galleri at Norway House. The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group is celebrating almost three decades of collaboration and friendship that has included exhibitions, study group topics, and sharing of expertise. This resulted in a strong community with a shared interest in traditional Scandinavian weaving techniques and commitment to keeping our craft alive — and vibrant. The exhibit will be accompanied by weaving demonstrations, special events, and waffles (available in the Norway House Kaffebar)! Check the Scandinavian Weavers blog in the coming months for details.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
In 2024, the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosted the traveling exhibition “Karin Larsson: Let the Hand be Seen.” Karin Bergöö Larsson (1859–1928) was a groundbreaking artist whose textiles and designs ushered in a new era of interior design and established the iconic Swedish style that continues to inspire artists worldwide. Many of Karin’s works were forever captured in her husband Carl Larsson’s paintings of Swedish life. It was Karin who designed and created Lilla Hyttnäs, the Larssons’ home just outside of Falun in Sundborn, Sweden, which was so often the subject of Carl’s paintings. The home continues to inspire and is open to the public as Carl Larsson-gården, which organized the exhibition. (Note: The exhibition featured reproductions of Karin’s textiles, since the originals are fragile.)
A gallery view of the Karin Larsson exhibit featuring her well-known door hanging, “Kärlekens ros” [The Rose of Love]. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Since Karin Larsson was a weaver, ASI asked the Weavers Guild of Minnesota to help tell her story. Members of the Scandinavian Weavers and Rag Rug Weavers demonstrated the art of Swedish-style rag rug weaving throughout the run of the exhibit. (For details and photos, see scandinavianweaversmn.com ) The Collections staff at ASI also put together a display about Hilma Berglund, one of the founders of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
In addition to Karin Larsson, weavers took inspiration from a 14-meter rag rug in ASI’s permanent collection. It was woven by Maria Jonsson in the province of Värmland, Sweden and donated to ASI in the 1950s. Judy Larson, coordinator of the Rag Rug Group, warped a vintage Glimakra loom in “Swedish blue” and designed our first rug to feature a wedge pattern like the ones in Jonsson’s rug. The article below is taken from Judy’s remarks during a panel discussion on October 24.
“From WOW! to HOW?”: Weaving at the Karin Larsson Exhibit By Judy Larson
Edited by Lisa-Anne Bauch
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Carl and Karin Larsson’s home in Sundborn, Sweden, in 2018 and again in 2022. The first guided tour was all about Carl and his painting, and we were free to take any photos we wanted. It was mentioned that Karin was a weaver, and we could see her handiwork all over the house, but it wasn’t mentioned much. Everything in the gift shop was about Carl.
There was quite a difference in 2022, perhaps because the international weaving conference Väv 2022 was taking place at the same time. There was much more focus on Karin, all in Swedish, and we could no longer take any photos inside the house. But of course, we could purchase books full of pictures of Karin’s weaving, embroidering, sewing, and designing textiles. Her delight at getting a loom to weave tapestry and her skill at creating new macramé and weaving techniques were now included in the tour, with notable stops to look at the textiles that created the classic Swedish décor so evident in Carl’s paintings. Parts of the Sundborn house were now off-limits as they were designated family-only spaces, so it has been especially rewarding to see the excellent displays that the American Swedish Institute has recreated here in the Turnblad Mansion.
Karin’s quote about “weaving with memories” as she wove rugs from fabrics that had been her children’s clothing resonates with every weaver. Her quote that “When women are doing handwork, men think they are doing nothing!” reflects the need for changing the appreciation of her handwork in sewing, embroidering, and weaving, which is so beautifully executed throughout this exhibit. When the Weavers Guild of Minnesota was invited to be an active part of the exhibit, we were thrilled to have the opportunity.
As part of the exhibit, ASI displayed the Värmland Rug, woven by a 76-year-old weaver in Värmland, Sweden and presented to as a gift to ASI from that province in 1952. It had been woven to go around all four sides of a dining room table. Weavers Guild members Phyllis Waggoner and Wynne Mattila had studied the rug earlier, so there was detailed documentation on its structure. But it is a 14-meter, 42-foot rug! The fascination with it went from “WOW!” to “HOW?”
Photo: Lisa-Anne Bauch
The weavers in the Scandinavian and Rag Rug study groups had a chance to see the rug, but were unable to fathom how it could be woven that long on our looms. It made for some interesting guesses, but it was always a challenge. For example, if you put the rug under you (on the cloth beam), you wouldn’t have room to treadle. If you put the rug over you (on the front beam), you couldn’t reach the beater.
Fortunately, weaver Carol Colburn saw the exhibit and did some research. In the Norwegian book Fra Fiber Til Tøy: Tekstilredskaper Og Bruken Av Dem I Norsk Tradisjon by Marta Hoffmann, she found that there were looms with a split in the front beam, so that the rug could be secured as you wove, and the woven part simply went to the side on the floor, allowing you to weave any length without being restricted by the cloth beam. More inspiration and education! [See a longer technical explanation of the loom at the end of this article.]
Our groups had been invited to do active weaving demonstrations during the Karin Larsson exhibit and decided to weave a shorter rug in the Värmland wedge technique, as we no longer use 42-foot rugs around our dining room tables! The Glimakra loom was borrowed from Color Crossing, a weaving studio in Roberts, Wisconsin and was warped with a Rosepath draft. That draft honors the history of Sweden and all of Scandinavia and allows many different variations in the patterns on the rug. Weft fabric in shades of blue was donated and prepared. Three weavers were scheduled for each demonstration, showing “up close and personal” the preparation, weaving, and finishing skills used in rag rugs.
Judy Larson captivates visitors of all ages with her explanations about the loom. Photo: Robbie LaFleur
Preparation includes the washing, sewing, cutting, and, if you prefer, ironing of all the fabrics to make the weft strips. A bias tape maker was used to enclose all the raw edges of the fabric to make the rug finished on both sides. The weaving happens at the loom as the warp threads are lifted and lowered to hold the weft in place. The shuttle holding the weft goes from right to left and back again as the weft forms the patterns on the rug. To some, the treadling looks like playing an organ. The finishing involves creating a stable edge by knotting, sewing, twisting, or braiding the warp threads to hold the rug weft securely in place.
During our demonstrations, we received lots of comments about weaving that had been done by parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents as we inspired old memories and also answered new questions from those who had never seen weaving before. And yes, there are people who still weave! It is not a dying art, and there are 600 members of the Weavers Guild who keep it active, including over 40 volunteers who were excited to share their weaving skills with ASI visitors. The biggest challenge was that the volunteers spent so much time talking that they didn’t get their allotted 18 inches woven during their three-hour time slot! Some even came back to get more weaving done.
The first rug we wove used the wedge technique seen in the Värmland rug, and the next three rugs used Rosepath variations. Some variations were exactly as in the draft and others were “unique.” There was even a little Love’s Path, an Upper Michigan and Iron Range variation, sometimes called Over the Waves, another nod to our ethnic heritage. In addition, beginning in June and continuing into next year, there were weavers working at the Weavers Guild, each creating a unique Rosepath rug of their own, so ASI visitors were invited to visit the Guild as well.
Nancy Gossell hand-finishing one of her beautiful rugs. Photo: Lisa-Anne Bauch
This joint project between the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and the American Swedish Institute continued the legacy that Hilma Berglund and other weavers envisioned, passing on the weaving skills to the current and future generations and keeping this fiber art vibrant for today’s and tomorrow’s weavers. It promoted the Weavers Guild of Minnesota and all that it offers, introducing many new visitors to our new space in the Open Book building on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis. Finally, it allowed the Rag Rug and Scandinavian study groups to learn new skills and share our passion for weaving, spinning, and dyeing, and all the fiber arts with ASI visitors.
October 2024
As the exhibit comes to a close, we’d like to present our version of the Värmland wedge rug to ASI. It’s a bit shorter than the original, but woven with just as much pride and passion! Thank you for including the Weavers Guild of Minnesota in your presentation of the Karin Larsson exhibit. We’ve had a delightful and productive time with you.
Judy Larson has been weaving for 22 years and is still fascinated by learning new things and teaching them to others. Retired after teaching elementary kids for 31 years, she now has a studio at Color Crossing in Roberts, WI. She loves puzzles, and sees weaving as a puzzle that can be varied every time a loom is warped! Shaft switching, Rosepath, Moorman, and other techniques are used to create a variety of rag rugs, as well as scarves, towels, and runners. She leads the Rag Rug Study Group at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, and is also active in the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and New and Occasional Weavers Study Group. She teaches weaving at the Guild and at Color Crossing to inspire new weavers to share in the passion, curiosity, and creativity that weaving provides.
Carol Colburn Comments on Managing VERY Long Weavings
“When I saw you and the other demonstrators at ASI on Sunday, the question came up about how to manage long lengths of rag rug as in the ASI example. I remembered later that I had seen an historical solution in my Norwegian weaving research. When weaving long warps of vadmel, the loom does not have a separate front beam that winds on the yardage. Instead, the breast beam itself rotates and has a slit in it which holds the tension on the weaving, and when advancing the warp, the yardage is pulled through this slit and spills out on the floor – it piles up, and then is simply pushed to the side outside of the loom on the floor. In Marta Hoffmann’s book from 1991, Fra fiber til tøy [From Fiber to Fabric], she has a series of photographs that shows this. The loom shown is from 1668, and still in use in Setesdal at the time Marta Hoffmann did her research there in 1969. Presumably similar old looms would have been used in Sweden – the English translation caption on these pages mentions that this type of loom was used for a longer time in Eastern Europe. Certainly there was a lot of weaving knowledge and technology shared throughout those centuries. This could have been used for rag rugs in Sweden and among Swedish Americans in the 19th century too.”
Carol mentioned relevant pages from the book. English caption under photo on page 132: “Loom from Setesdal, Aust-Agder, dated 1668. The type is now in Norway only known from this district. The treadles are fastened under the seat and the breast beam is rotating. It has a split for the woven cloth which is pulled down to the floor.
Each National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum features enormously skilled practitioners of rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knife-making, and metalwork. From the Vesterheim website: “It showcases the self-expression of contemporary artists who create folk art rooted in Norwegian traditions. The mission of this exhibition is to celebrate the past, present, and future of folk art by encouraging and inspiring emerging and established folk artists to develop their craft. Artists submit work for evaluation by a team of judges, who offer feedback on their pieces and award ribbons to the very best work.”
Congratulations to the ribbon winners in the weaving category for 2024!
Blue Ribbon and “Best in Show”
Carol Culbertson, “Danskebrogd Vest.” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
Vest in Danskebrogd Technique
It has taken several years of experimenting to find a way to weave correctly shaped pieces to stitch together for a vest. Drawing on many years of experience as a seamstress, this year has been the most successful. It was very exciting to stitch the pieces together and have a comfortable vest to wear.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
My grandson will wear these garters so I selected symbols to protect and hold wishes for him. The Saint Andrew’s Cross is for humility, the 8-pointed star communicates the hope for abundance, the checkerboard is where the game of life is played. The diamond is the woven shape of the sun. The triangular arrows guide man’s time and direction.
I weave on a vertical loom made by Ole Rue of Vinje, Norway. As I have been investigating band weaving, I began noticing the reoccurring band motifs that mark region/valley and the bands’ use as a shield to protect and repel evil.
White Ribbon
Carol Culbertson, “Stained Glass” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Carol Culbertson, Evansville WI
“Stained Glass” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
This wall hanging is a double-point krokbragd (bound weave). With an abundant supply of leftover yarn, I was looking for a way to use some of it. After thinking about how this yarn could be used for several months, a stained-glass window idea popped into my head. After several drawings, using the double-point krokbragd technique seemed like the answer.
I began with Navajo weaving techniques 40 years ago and changed to Norwegian techniques in the last 10 years. One of my favorites is tapestry weaving which is found in both traditions.
White Ribbon and “People’s Choice” Award
Helen Scherer “Medieval Monuments” Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Helen Scherer, Shawnee KS
“Medieval Monuments” Wall Hanging in Krokbragd Technique
Nine medieval sites in Norway and Denmark inspired the abstract patterns and colors in this wall hanging. From the top down:
1. Crosses and Ribe Cathedral, Lauge and Mette Paintings, Hans Tausen Statue 2. Candles and Hamar Cathedral Ruins, Sira Brynjulf Haraldsson (d. 1348) 3. Horse Runes and Akershus Fortress, Canons 4. Birkebeiner Skis and Håkon’s Hall, High Seat Tapestry 5. Axes and Nidaros Cathedral 6. Clubs and Dale-Gudbrand’s Farm in Hundorp 7. Stone Runes and Harald Bluetooth, Jelling Runestones 8. Ing Runes and Harald Fairhair, Haraldshaugen 9. Gift Runes and Unearthed Gullgubber, Bornholm 10. Crosses and Stars, Poinsettias
My first weaving teacher was my mother, who emigrated from Gudbrandsal. I frequently travel to Scandinavia to meet relatives and friends, explore the sites, and visit museums. The weaving I enjoy most is based on traditional Norwegian techniques.
October 2024
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Explore the colorful work and legacy of Karin Larsson—a trendsetting artist, designer, and style icon ahead of her time—in a special exhibition at the American Swedish Institute from Carl Larsson-gården.
Karin Bergöö Larsson (1859–1928) was a groundbreaking artist whose approach to textiles and design ushered in a new era of interior design and established the iconic Swedish style that continues to inspire contemporary artists worldwide. The floral motifs, vivid colors, and charming simplicity of her style remain heavily influential nearly a century after her death, inspiring both independent makers and major brands like IKEA.
Many of Karin’s works were forever captured in husband Carl Larsson’s iconic paintings of Swedish life. It was Karin who designed and created Lilla Hyttnäs, the Larsson’s home just outside of Falun in Sundborn, Sweden, which was so often the subject of Carl’s paintings.
This exhibition presents Karin Larsson as an artist, designer, dressmaker, and style icon through her art and textiles.
Tendencies 2024 – In the Right Hands. Galleri F15, March 23 – June 12, 2024. Moss, Norway.
The 46th edition of Tendencies focuses on craft’s materiality, the work of the hands, and making statements through textiles. The exhibition presents the practices of 15 artists based in Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
For those who can’t travel to Norway, a short video on the gallery website gives an overview of the works. The Norwegian text of the video is mostly in English in the exhibit description, except for this, “The source of inspiration for this edition of the Tendencies exhibit is the artistry of the Norwegian textile artist Brit Fuglevaag. She is an 84 year old woman who was very significant n the development of textile art and weaving in the 1960s, and who remains active in textile art today.” Photos of individual works can be seen in the Media Gallery.
Lectures Online
Nearly Wild Weaving. Tapestry: In Conversation – With Robbie LaFleur. Wed, April 24, 2024 7 pm UK time. (Eventbrite calculates the time for each guest’s time zone. It costs 10 pounds, which Eventbrite conveniently charges you for in your own currency.)Register here.
During our conversations we find out how our guests approach their work, what inspires them, what techniques they favour and why. Throughout this season we are taking a more international view of tapestry weaving, and this month delighted to be crossing the Atlantic once again, this time to talk to Robbie LaFleur who is based in Minnesota. And as we talk, we’ll also be travelling back across to Scandinavia, finding out more about Robbie’s long association with weaving in Norway.
Robbie’s work is strongly influenced by traditional Norwegian weaving. She has a particular interest in the work of Frida Hansen, which she studied in depth during a funded research programme in 2019. Robbie has been the editor of the Norwegian Textile Letter for many years and is also an instructor, introducing many others to the different facets of Scandinavian approaches to tapestry weaving.
We will find out what brought Robbie into tapestry weaving and especially the world of Scandinavian weaving, how she approaches her designs, the influences on her work and discover where her work has taken her.
“Early Swedish Folk Weavings” with Wendel Swan. May 1, 2024, 1 pm EDT, 7 pm CET. Registration is required. Click Here to Register. Cost: Free
Wendel Swan, who has loaned 54 rare and exemplary textiles for the current exhibition Swedish Folk Weavings for Marriage, Carriage, and Home 1750-1840, at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia. He will discuss the historical background of Scandinavian weavings since the Viking era and, with numerous illustrations, the enormous diversity and aesthetic merit of design elements, color and weaving techniques of Swedish textiles that were produced for personal household use in relatively small Scania.
Lectures (In Person)
“Norwegian Folk Costumes: A Living Tradition.” Lauran Gilbertson, Curator, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. May 18, 2024. 11 am. Location: New Directions Real Estate Building, lower level, 110 North Main Street, Westby, Wisconsin.
As part of the Westby Syttende Mai celebration, Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson will explore Norway’s tradition of colorful folk costumes is as old as the Middle Ages, and as young as the 1940s. Learn about the history of costumes from Hardanger, Telemark, Hallingdal, and many other regions of Norway. The forces of politics, fashion, and immigration have left their mark on this important part of Norwegian and Norwegian-American folk culture.
The program is open to the public and starts at 11:00 am. For more details about the event contact Dave Amundson at nissedal@mwt.net or visit HOME | Westby Syttende Mai (syttendemaiwestby.com).
“Hernmarck Tapestries at Hudson Yards: Artist Talk with Helena Hernmarck and Matilda McQuaid.” Wednesday, May 22, 7 pm. Free. (Reserve tickets.) Scandinavia House, located in New York City at 58 Park Avenue, four blocks south of Grand Central Station.
Tapestry artist Helena Hernmarck and moderator Matilda McQuaid discuss Hernmarck’s latest commission: two sets of monumental tapestries for a residential lobby at 35 Hudson Yards in New York City, Flowers and Maple Tree. The program will also include a screening of the documentary Hernmarck Tapestries at Hudson Yards (20 min.), which showcases Helena’s ongoing collaboration with weavers and spinners in Sweden. The film also explores the complex design and installation requirements for the unique commission, and highlights the relevance of tapestry as an art form in contemporary architectural settings.
“The Influence of Karin Larsson on the Art World and the Work of Helena Hernmark,” an artist talk by Helena Hernmarck. Sunday, June 9, 5-9 pm. American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis Minnesota. Cost: $30 ($25 ASI members) (Register here.)
Be the first to view Karin Larsson: Let the Hand Be Seen at this preview event featuring a special FIKA Café menu and artist discussion from the renowned Swedish textile artist, Helena Hernmarck, who was heavily influenced by the work of Karin Larsson.
Have you ever caught yourself marveling at the massive tapestry in the Nelson Cultural Center? Now’s your chance to meet the artist herself! Following a screening of a new short film about her work, Helena Hernmarck will discuss her work and the influence of Karin Larsson on the art world.
Join ASI for small plates in the courtyard available for purchase, featuring a menu inspired by Karin Larsson’s cookbook and curated by FIKA Café’s executive chef, Amalia Obermeier-Smith. Dress up inspired by Karin or come as you are!
This short essay begins, “Garments worn for special occasions make up a significant percentage of many museums’ collections because they are the textiles that people tend to save and pass along.” Beautiful textiles become even more meaningful when accompanied by the stories of the people who made and used them.
Anna Anderson began her tablecloth on her journey from Norway to the United States. “My mother gave me the tablecloth when I was leaving and told me that when I was feeling lonesome I should work on it,” she recalled.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson.“With Sail over the Baltic Sea.” (On the potential connection between the introduction of sails and the Viking phenomenon). Part of a 2022 conference, “Vikings before Vikings.”
From the description: “The iconic image of the Viking Age is arguably the sailing boat, as e.g. seen on the Gotlandic picture stones… Sail production was an extensive and in research often underestimated process, requiring extensive amounts of raw material that then had to be processed, spun and woven. Sailing provided quicker and less arduous means of transportation, increasing the range of travel, but the making of sails was an advancement that required a new level of organisation and planning. The connection between sails and the Viking Phenomenon is significant, but the social development it reflects is equally important, constituting an even more significant indicator of the beginning of a new era.”
This brief museum video highlights båtryer [pile coverlets, or rya, used on boats]. Båtryer has English subtitles. (It seems odd they chose to make it black-and-white.)
From the description: “Swedish Folk Weavings for Marriage, Carriage, and Home is an exhibition of rare and artful cushions and bed covers woven by women for their households. Many have inscribed dates ranging from 1750 to 1840. Such textiles were used on or displayed for special occasions and were a significant form of decoration for the typical household.
“The design elements and patterns reflect the influence of centuries of trade since the Viking era. Visitors will see colorful geometric patterns, exotic birds, real and mythical creatures, religious depictions, crowns, floral themes, and even patterns from Roman mosaics. Swedish Folk Weavings for Marriage, Carriage, and Home was developed in collaboration with Wendel and Diane Swan, both of whom are of Swedish descent, and whose collection is primarily featured in the exhibition.”
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you for all your appreciation along the way. Tusen takk!
Lisa Wiitala from the very Finnish-American town of Hancock, Michigan, studied rya rug weaving at Espoo Adult Education Centre’s weaving studio in the summer of 2023, with support from the American Scandinavian Foundation. Her grandmother was a weaver of rag rugs, but never passed on her skills to her granddaughter. Now Lisa has learned to weave and traveled to Finland to expand for expertise and inspiration.
From the post: “At the start of August I arrived in Tapiola to begin my studies at Omnia, Espoo Adult Education Centre, using a Finnish-made Toika loom generously lent to me by the Weaving Studio. For three weeks I studied with Ulla Karsikas, learning different ways to create a design template, how to choose yarns and color combinations that blend well and achieve the right density, and how to properly finish a rug after being removed from the loom. I also learned to weave a rya in a shape other than rectangular, and how to use different lengths of yarn to create a transitioning of height along the surface. During my time at Omnia, I wove a total of three ryas – I tied a lot of knots in a short amount of time!”
A Norwegian Cat in Love with Knitting
Perhaps you have owned a cat who likes to bring rewards to your doorstep, a baby mouse, perhaps – but probably not hand-knit mittens. The story of Siri, the kleptomaniac cat, was described in the Norwegian media earlier this summer, in Aftenposten and NRK. You can meet Siri in this one-minute video (Scroll down a bit in the article.) It is in Norwegian. You could largely get the point even without a translation, but here are the titles that appear, in English translation.
Meet: Kleptokatt Siri. Tone Lund, cat owner. “She is especially interested in wool clothing. She came home first with a Selbu mitten. I didn’t know it was her who showed up with it. But then another one came. Then it was like they came one after the other. And I didn’t know where she got them.” Siri has built up a large collection of mittens. “In all there are 12 mittens, a knitting project with knitting needles, and two hot pad holders. I am sitting with them and wonder who is missing them. It’s begun to be embarassing. I’ve begun to feel like a thief myself, having these things I don’t own.” Where do the mittens come from? “No, unfortunately I haven’t found the owner, But I really hope the owner turns up. Then she will get back all the beautiful things she knitted. If there is anyone out there who has knitted Selbu mittens and can’t find them, there are here in my house.”
An American Weaver Helps Save an Old Swedish Loom
Judy Larson also helped restore an old Swedish tape loom
From the post: “Scandia, Minnesota is the site of the first Swedish settlement in Minnesota. Gammelgården Museum in Scandia helps preserve this history … while celebrating the stories of all immigrants and their communities. On the second floor of the Välkommen Hus, there is an old floor loom. The loom was made in Sweden by a father with the intention that it would go to America with his daughter and her husband who would leave shortly after their wedding. The year 1879 is painted on the loom.”
Judy Larson, from the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group, brought the loom to working order and taught the museum volunteers how to help visitors try out the loom. She said, “I reset the worm gear rotation wheel to engage correctly, and then got the treadle cords and heddle cords to pull evenly and adjusted the reed height to get a better shed. The loom was now functional, and weaving could happen.”
The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group Experiments with Telemarksteppe Technique
Telemarksteppe by Melba Granlund
“Telemarksteppe Project.” Lisa-Anne Bauch. Scandinavian Weavers Study Group Blog, July 4, 2023.
The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota warped a Glimakra loom for a group project. It was the group’s first warp set up in the new home of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, the Open Book building in Minneapolis. It was a joy to work in this bright space and also have the opportunity to demonstrate weaving Telemarksteppe to visiting students, guests, and Guild members. People were especially interested in the loops left on the edges of the pieces, which is traditional to this Norwegian technique.
Pop-up Exhibit of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group in Minnesota
In connection with a Scandinavian weaving workshop at the Weavers guild of Minnesota, the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group held an open house. The wide range of weaving brought by members for a pop-up display was remarkable, and visitors were very interested in several demonstrations underway. See more photos of the pop-up exhibit in the post.
Exhibit in Norway
Alt Henger Sammen: Billedvev [Everything Hangs Together: Tapestry] Nelly Aasberg. Veien Kulturminnepark, Hønefoss, Norway. October 1-.
The artist statement: “Everything together” is an exhibition that holds experiences and impressions from nature. It’s everything from forests, mountains, plains, marshes, trees, plants and even small seeds and soil.
Everything has a connection, a reason, and an end that in turn gives life. People, animal life, insects, nature – Everything has a connection. The loom is connected with warp and weft – warp and yarn… I am a tapestry weaver and painter; one does not exclude the other. Nelly Aasberg.” Nelly Aasberg Instagram: @nellyaasberg. Nelly Aasberg Art Facebook: Nelly Aasberg Art.
Exhibit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Karin Larsson: Let the Hand Be Seen. American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 19, 2023 – February 2, 2024.
The American Swedish Historical Museum is honored to debut the artistic work of Karin Larsson for the first time in America! Immersed in the world of the Swedish countryside, Karin Larsson’s work in the textile arts, furniture construction, and interior design reflect her artistic training, curiosity, innovation, and openness to the emerging trends facing life in the late 1800s. Karin’s contributions to the prevailing art movements like Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts style, and regional folk techniques, are distinguished by her boldness, simplicity, and taste for abstraction. Karin embraced new methods while embroidering, weaving, knitting, crocheting, making lace, sewing clothes, and producing tapestries for the home she shared with her children and husband, the celebrated painter Carl Larsson. Read more…
Exhibit in Red Wing, Minnesota
Click on the image for a pdf version
Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving. Red Wing Arts Depot Gallery, 418 Levee St., Red Wing, Minnesota. October 27 – December 24, 2023.
Woven textiles from Nordic countries evolved over the centuries into an acclaimed decorative art, both in the home countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland and wherever immigrants traveled. The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota traces this journey in the curated exhibition “Domestic to Decorative: The Evolution of Nordic Weaving,” as each of the twenty weavers present a personal take on the theme. Some are inspired by treasured family heirlooms and traditional techniques, others by the possibilities of modern looms and materials. The exhibit will include demonstrations of weaving and spinning.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
East Coast friends! Please join me for a wonderful opportunity to view Frida Hansen’s monumental 1903 tapestry, Sørover [Southward], at Peter Pap Oriental Rugs in Dublin, New Hampshire. An exhibition and sale of rugs from private collections will be held at the gallery this coming weekend, with opening festivities (including a jazz band!) on Friday, September 29th. The show is timed for peak leaf season, a perfect time to visit Peter Pap’s extensive collections, only an hour and a half from Boston.
Frida Hansen’s tapestry will be a highlight. As Peter Pap wrote in his newsletter,
Many of you already know the amazing story of my discovery of the monumental tapestry by Norwegian artist Frida Hansen entitled Sørover in the collection of the late David McInnis. Now it is back in our Dublin, NH, gallery after hanging at LACMA and the Milwaukee Art Museum in the exhibition Scandinavian Design in America: 1890 to 1980. This exhibition originated in Oslo, Norway and my discovery hadn’t been made at the time of printing of the catalogue so they devoted a full page with a black and white photo from 1925!
Frida Hansen, Sørover [Southward], 1903
Lecture
I will hold a lecture on Frida Hansen and the wonderful tapestry of swimming swans and maidens on Saturday at 4pm. The Norse mythology image is of swans and maidens sailing southward after bringing summer to the northern lands. My stories will focus on what happened after the swans “swam” to America – exhibitions in New York and around the country, its disappearance, and rediscovery. The best part of attending this lecture will be the opportunity afterwards to ask questions and walk right up to the tapestry to understand its beauty and structure.
“Frida Hansen’s Southward Tapestry: The Sailing Swans and Maidens in America“
Peter Pap Oriental Rugs Gallery
1225 Main St., Dublin, New Hampshire 03444
Saturday, September 30, 2023 : 4 pm Eastern time
Reservations are not needed, but I’d love to know if you are coming. (lafleur1801@me.com) You can review the articles on Frida Hansen and the rediscovered tapestry here: norwegiantextileletter.com/sorover/
Instagram Live
In addition to the lecture, I will hold an Instagram Live session at 2 pm on Saturday, September 30, with Southward as the special guest. Please ask questions about the tapestry, request to see a close-up of any sections of the image (except those I can’t reach ten feet up on the wall), and share your comments and observations.
Instagram Live: @robbie_lafleur, 2 pm, Saturday, September 30, 2023, 2 pm Eastern time
And the Rugs!
Peter Pap will be offering rugs from the collections of noted collectors. Featured will be the remainder of the late Dr. Charles Whitfield’s collection, including his exceptional group of Baluch rugs. Rugs and classical fragments from the collection of the late Dirck Bass of Guernville, California are included. Rugs from the collection of Thomas Edwards of Rhonert Park, California, are another outstanding addition to this exhibition. All these the offerings are new to the market. Some of these rugs were in a landmark exhibition called “Tribal Visions” that took place in Marin County, California, in 1980.
Rugs in the show will be featured on Peter Pap’s website, peterpap.com, and on his Instagram feed, @peterpaprugs, on the days preceding the show.
Opening: Friday, September 29, 2023. Beginning at 5 pm
Peter Pap Oriental Rugs Gallery
1225 Main St., Dublin, New Hampshire 03444
RSVP to Peter Pap (917) 545-2318
It would be wonderful to see you here next weekend, at this gorgeous gallery, but with even prettier leaves surrounding it.
This special folk art show focuses on the importance of detail in folk art and features 71 pieces by contemporary folk artists from around the country.
The Norwegian Textile Letter regularly features weavings from Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum’s National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition. Going forward, the National Exhibition will be held every other summer, and alternate with special themed exhibits like this year’s Embellishment. There were a number of objects in fiber included — wonderfully embellished! Thank you to the staff at Vesterheim for supplying photos and the artists’ statements for us to enjoy a virtual visit.
Laura Berlage. Hayward, Wisconsin. “Purse of Dreams”
Offering an embroidered bag or purse was a common gift of devotion or courtship. I wanted this purse to have that feeling of specialness and magic. All the elements, from the loom-beaded top with wire warp to the braided handle to the butterfly pin, were in my stash.
I was delighted with embroideries from the 16th and 17th centuries. Inspired by curving, floral designs in crewel and braided goldwork, I couldn’t keep myself from trying it. Little did I know how difficult embroidering on velvet would be! Every element had to first be padded with a felt or corded base, so the embroidery and beadwork could be stitched on top. The process took months.
I’m a prolific fiber artist and Vesterheim instructor, living and working on my family’s homestead farm in northern Wisconsin. My work delights in the overlap of narrative and visual and bringing ideas into form. Artist website: erindaletapestrystudio.com
Marcia Cook. Decorah, Iowa. “Holiday Vest”
My inspiration for this holiday vest came from a Scandinavian dress. Originally, it was to be all wool except the polyester lining. I soon tired of trying to complete a mirror image. I added silk ribbons, threads, and glass beads and had fun coloring outside the lines.
I’m a career goldsmith from the Pacific Northwest. I am a maker of my own clothes and started making embellished jackets when I moved from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska, 25 years ago. Travel in Alaska required patience and needlework filled the time. Since moving to Decorah, I’ve become more involved with my Norwegian heritage. I love the swirls and floral patterns in rosemaling.
Janette Gross. Santa Cruz, California. “Chaos to Wisdom” Weaving
Runes have always fascinated me. Rather than carving them in stone, I used soumak (weaving technique) to add texture and embellish my tapestry to tell a story of moving from chaos to wisdom and understanding. I am exploring wedge weave which originated with blankets woven by the Diné Nation (Navajo) in the late 19th century. Wedge weave is woven diagonally which distorts the warp and results in scalloped edges. I add a card-woven edge to further define the scallops and create a neat and even selvedge. I mostly use wool singles, adding an additional twist to better reflect light.
I naturally dye wool and weave with it but sometimes add silk, cotton, plastic, or whatever is called for in the piece. This is part of my climate change series to encourage others to take care of the planet. I live in Santa Cruz with my husband and dog Finnegan. Social media: janettemgross104
My wall hanging was inspired by a photo of the northern lights in Norway. I knew the best way for me to express this was with the technique of wet felting. Traditionally, a Scandinavian pile wall hanging would be created by laying down long locks of wool as one is weaving. But my “wet felting” technique starts with a layered strip of merino wool, laid out on a flat table. I proceeded to lay these beautiful locks along the outside of the merino wool and wet it down with warm, soapy water. Then the locks are felted-in with a felting paddle.
I have been a textile and clay artist for the past 30 years. Textiles have been a continuous part of my creative life. I have been influenced by my own Norwegian heritage. My work is a remembrance of our Nordic traditions and folklore, inspiring me to create my distinctive type of art.
Robert Lake & Mary Jane Lake. Viroqua, Wisconsin. “Celebration of Norwegian Rosemaling through Quilting”
Mary Jane is a quilter and is always looking for inspiration. Finding rosemaled fabric for this project was a dream come true. She combined her knowledge of rosemaling and free-motion quilting to create this wall-hanging. Using the rosemaled fabric as the focal point, she added two borders. Next, she pinned the backing, wool batting, and top together into a sandwich and filled the entire piece with free-motion quilting. The dark red piping in the binding added another embellishment to bring the entire quilt together.
Robert has been a woodworker for 50 years; he fills their home with beautiful handmade furniture and other wooden objects. He discovered chip carving about 30 years ago and hasn’t stopped since. He created the chip-carved basswood hanger to “top” it all off.
The Lakes moved to Wisconsin 55 years ago to pursue a dream of growing their own food while continuing their careers in education.Mary Jane was a special education teacher for 34 years and Robert was a guidance counselor. They continue to grow and preserve most of their food today.
Miranda Moen. Austin, Minnesota. “Hamarvotten Mittens.”
This work follows the Hamarvotten (Hamar mitten) pattern designed by Mette-Gun Nordheim. It depicts the signature arches of Domekirkeruinen, the Hamar Cathedral ruins, which survived the Seven Years War attacks in 1567 and are a present-day icon of the city. While in Hamar, Norway, due to pandemic restrictions, I started to learn to knit. Over the following months, I continued knitting almost every night and through which I found camaraderie with others. Every time I look at this pattern it brings back memories of one of the best years of my life.
I am an architectural designer driven to serve rural communities through cultural heritage research, attainable architecture, and creative projects that ignite economic development. In 2020 I founded MO/EN, a regional design and research practice headquartered in Austin, Minnesota. I was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship to Norway in 2022. Artist website: www.moendesignpractice.com
Rosemary Roehl. St. Cloud, Minnesota. “The Dog Days of Summer” Weaving
I find figurative boundweave (creating figures while weaving boundweave or krokbragd) fun to weave. I used bows and fuzzy yarn and French knots to add bees, cardinals, apples, and pesky ladybugs. This weaving was inspired by nature. I am a self-taught weaver focusing on traditional Norwegian weaving. I fell in love with Norwegian weavings during my first trip to an ancestor’s home on the Nordfjord in 1978.
I started competing in the Vesterheim National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition in 1983. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Rosemaling in 1992. I enjoy exploring different ways to use traditional techniques and color. I taught at St. Cloud State University (MN) in the College of Education and retired in 1997.
Juli Seydell Johnson. Iowa City, Iowa. “Reaching to the Sun” Quilt
This piece began as a very basic quilt. When done, it was pretty, but didn’t feel “finished.” I was inspired to transform the quilt after painting in the Telemark style in a workshop with Nancy Schmidt. My own designed embellishment for this quilt flowed quickly after a weekend of painting and it grew into a vibrant interpretation of flowers growing toward the sun.
I am an artist who primarily works with textiles. My art is often inspired by nature and everyday activities. I like to make bold interpretations of what I see. I use fun colors that brighten a space and make people smile. I started taking rosemaling classes in 2019 to connect to my Norwegian heritage. The colors, shapes, and techniques have added a new and exciting dimension to my textile work. Artist website: buffalograce.com
I love the feminine lines and delicate detail of the pattern. I also love blue, and the master level of skill needed to execute the design. When I heard that the theme this year was “Embellishment,” I just had to add a little glam with the crystals and beads! I hope you like it too!
I am a folk artist who loves all things Norwegian. I have been stitching since I was three years old. It started with lacing cards and progressed to embroidering hens on potholders. I did cross stitch until I ordered hardanger embroidery books from Nordic Needle (Fargo, ND) which then became my new folk art passion. I also love to rosemal and grew my skills here at Vesterheim. My late dad introduced me to wood carving, and we enjoyed classes together at Vesterheim. Engaging in folk arts is my dad’s legacy and one I will pass on.
Joshua Torkelson. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Selbu Hat”
This hat is made using patterns and motifs found on historic examples of mittens and sweaters from the Selbu area of Norway. What I love about these patterns is that they can be found on all clothing, ranging from Sunday best to everyday clothes. Functionally, the colorwork adds two layers of yarn when knit, making the garment twice as warm. The folded brim also gives extra warmth around the ears.
I am a woodcarver, knitter, and folk artist. I have been carving since middle school and find inspiration in historic carvings and patterns. I also began knitting in earnest in 2020 and found a passion for colorwork, particularly Norwegian Selbu motifs. In all my work, I am fascinated by repeated patterns and the elaborate decoration of everyday objects. Instagram: @josh_torkelson
Lisa Torvik. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Kalendar” Weaving
The medieval Baldishol tapestry discovered in a church in Norway in the late 19th century is the inspiration for my piece, “Kalendar.” I used the overall dimensions and decorative framework of the original’s design, which consists of two panels, “April” and “May” showing activities of sowing and warfare, respectively. This is believed to be the surviving fragment of a long frieze depicting all the months of the year. I chose the months of my birthday and my husband’s birthday to showcase elements of our lives and interests and incorporated several different techniques of textile construction and embellishment.
Growing up in Decorah, I was exposed to art and culture and a lot of Norwegian influences. My mother encouraged artistic expression and music and introduced me to knitting and weaving. In high school, I participated in a youth exchange with Valdres, Norway, and it deepened my interest in textile arts and weaving. Higher education and work have delayed my return to the loom for the past 10 years or so. Now I enjoy letting my weaving knowledge develop in new directions.
Robbie LaFleur. Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Post Lockdown: Together Again”
Rag rugs are common textiles in Scandinavian homes. This rug includes bed sheets from three sources: a sheet from my great-uncle’s time, a decades-old sheet of my own, and thrift store sheets. This rug is a companion to a very different wool krokbragd rug woven during COVID-19 lockdown. This rug was woven as part of a group warp at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. I truly appreciate the time to be “together again” with fellow weavers, friends, and family.
I have been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since I studied weaving at Valdres Husflidskole in Fagernes, Norway, in 1977. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Weaving in 2002. I coordinate the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and publish the Norwegian Textile Letter (norwegiantextileletter.com). In 2019, I received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study the transparency technique of famed Norwegian tapestry weaver Frida Hansen in Stavanger, Norway. Artist website: robbielafleur.com
The Best of Show Award and Jurors Choice Awards did not include a winner in fiber, but perhaps none could compete with a rosemaled plate including Edvard Munch Skrik heads!
Juror’s Choice: Jerry Johnson, Stoughton, Wisconsin. “My Scream Plate”
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
This blockbuster exhibition is dedicated to the extensive design exchanges between the United States and Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland during the 20th century. It includes a whole Volvo; a troll doll; amazing silver, furniture and pottery; and many textiles. It also includes Frida Hansen’s monumental tapestry, Sørover (Southward).
Want to read more before planning a trip? Here are reviews:
This exhibition will feature traditional and contemporary floral and geometric designs from Ojibwe, Nordic and Sami textile traditions. Ojibwe floral beadwork and regalia from Fond Du La Reservation members and Swedish-Norwegian inspired paintings of folk dress motifs, embroideries and tapestries will be presented in an installation to promote the healing power of nature and to celebrate cultural traditions of the North.
Scandinavian Design in the United States, 1890-1980
An Article about Sámi Weaving Traditions
Safeguarding Practices is a website designed to share experiences in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the Nordic and Baltic region, under the auspices of The UNESCOs 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The webpage is developed in collaboration with the Nordic and Baltic network on Intangible Cultural Heritage.
One of the articles about Norway, “Good Practice from Norway: Keeping Sámi Weaving Tradition Alive,” begins: “The weaving of belts, shawls, shoelaces, bands and other garments is typical of traditional Sámi handicrafts, called duodji in the North Sámi language. Duodji is an essential part of the living culture of the Sámi, the indigenous peoples of Northern Europe who live in Norway, Sweden, Finland and North-West Russia.”
Find Inspiration in Beautiful Norwegian Textiles from Husfliden
Norwegian Textile Letter readers who have traveled in Norway know about Norsk Husfliden stores found in towns throughout Norway. Their website is a beautiful place to browse. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know Norwegian — You’ll still find inspiration, and I’ll bet you could even figure out how to order items. The page says: “Norsk Design. Made to be used. Made to last. Norwegian design is always a good idea. Here are some of our favorites.”
Sign up for their nyhetsbrev (newsletter). It doesn’t come out often, but each time you will be inspired by the beautiful products and photography.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!
Norske Kunsthåndverkere(The Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts, referred to as NK) is a membership organization working to promote and support Norwegian contemporary craft artists nationally and internationally.
NK has a current membership of more than 1000 professional artists and makers in a range of media from all of Norway. The group arranges an annual exhibit, the Arsutstillingen; sponsors thematic exhibits around Norway; publishes a magazine, Kunsthåndverk; administers art grants; and works to influence art policies.
NK runs two galleries – Format in Oslo and KRAFT in Bergen. Another arm is Norwegian Crafts, a non-profit organization funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) that aims to strengthen the international position of contemporary crafts from Norway.
NK arranges thematic exhibits in various areas of Norway, and the themes are chosen by one of the seven regions that are part of the association. In 2020 the Norske Kunsthåndverkere regional group in Viken worked with NK on the juried exhibit “MENDABLE—Climate and Environment in Today’s Art Practice.” The jury and project group included Margrethe Loe Elde, Barbro Hernes, Svein Ove Kirkhorn and the project leader Ann Kristin Aas. 16 artists were chosen for the exhibit at the House of Foundation in Moss, August 29-October 11, 2020.
[Editors note: NK includes artists working in a variety of media. For the Norwegian Textile Letter, we focus on the artists working in fiber-related materials. You can see the full list of artists here. You can watch a Facebook video of many of the artists here. The following general description and the entries about the fiber artists are taken from the NK website.]
The Mendable Exhibit, 2020
We posed the question of how artists take a position on climate and environmental questions in today’s material-based art. We wanted to know about how the choice of materials, technique, content and expression in art were affected by thoughts of, or consideration of the environment. In the exhibition MENDABLE, we wanted to investigate how environmental activism is present in fine craft, and how the artists reflect on creating works of art in a world that is already full of things.
The title MENDABLE indicates something that can be repaired, both in a physical sense, but also as repair of a relationship or improvement of a situation. The artists in the exhibit seek relevant ways to express their unease with the climate situation through their work. They seek to help us find deeper understanding and insight through varying forms of expression and artistic methods. In this lies a hope that something can be done about the situation, that it is possible to repair something destroyed, and that it is possible to change and improve our way of living in the world.
The artists pose questions around overproduction, overconsumption, and the exploitation of natural resources. What are the consequences for nature, and for us? Several of the artists use a working process that is close to nature to explore these questions. Many gather the raw materials themselves, like clay, wood, resin, and plants, directly from nature. Recycling and manual work are strong aspects of the artists’ works. Reworking found materials, building step by step, sewing stitch by stitch, repairing, unraveling, whittling, and weaving create room for reflection and new realizations—a method to find a deeper understanding of nature and the world around us.
Eline Medbøe | I FIND SHELTER IN OUR REMAINS
It is strange that something that is so woven into our daily lives and our personalities is something that, at the same time, we respect so little. We throw away enormous amounts of completely usable clothing every year. Clothes are consumer products where the prices are out of line with the human and environmental resources used to produce them. By using recycled materials like cast-off clothing in my work I try to comment on us and the times in which we live. I sew my works with repetitive hand stitchesand I am concerned with the actions I take while I transform the textiles. There is something ruthless and brutal in sewing into a skirt, a pretty piece of clothing that someone has worn next to their skin. I hope the viewers of my work will become more conscious of their own relationship to clothing, and the value of the materials we toss away so easily.
With my “Unweaving” project, I reflect on the production of art at a time we are swimming in products. We don’t understand how things are made, what they are made of, who makes them, nor where the makers are. When these layers of knowledge are erased, one begins to ask questions about the meaning of making art or crafts. I am trying to answer the question for myself, and in dialog with the public by the dismantling of work I have used several months to create.
https://austikristina.com [Editor’s note: The artist’s name is now Kristina Austi.]
Instagram: @austikristina
Karina Presttun Nøkleby | RUBIN
I began to investigate wood shavings as a possible method to stiffen textiles because a friend who creates frames of recycled materials had a sack of shavings. Great, I thought. Free, locally produced and environmentally friendly. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work out as I intended, but worked out as something completely different. I think this happens continuously; in attempting to do something “a little more climate-friendly,” possibilities pop up, disguised as restrictions.
“Space junk is waste and discarded or lost objects from human activity in space. Most are in orbit around the Earth in or close to the original orbit they were put in.” Wikipedia. The European Space Agency ESA monitors 20,000 objects that, among other things, monitor global warming and other environmental issues. The agency sends out alerts to satellites so they can be maneuvered manually to avoid collisions. In the event of a collision, even a small nut can cause major damage.
“Space Debris” by Kristin Sæterdal. Source: Mendable exhibition catalog.
These are only a few of the talented artists working in textiles that are part of Norske Kunsthåndverkere. From this page listing all the artists, you can choose among materials used, including tekstil. There are other catalogs to download from thematic exhibits and the annual exhibition, Årsutstillingen, on the NK website page, “Fagstoff.” Many are in English.
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Alt Henger Sammen: Billedvev [Everything Hangs Together: Tapestry] Nelly Aasberg. 
Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890–1980
Safeguarding Practices
