Playing at the Loom Together: The Scandinavian Weavers Study Group Tackles Skillbragd

By Lisa Torvik

Karin Maahs made a pillow from her piece, and it won a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.

After enjoying our project in 2017 which focused on the Swedish art weave, “dukagång”, there was consensus to embark on a new group project in 2018 studying an overshot technique known as “skillbragd” [pron. “shill’ brahgd”] in Norway and as “Smålandsväv” [pron. “smoh’ lahnds vave”] in Sweden. Regional variations in Norway go by other names, too. Essentially, all forms secure long pattern weft floats with a single or double shot of tabby.

There are a few different ways to set up a loom for this technique, but most assume a loom with sufficient depth front to back to accommodate several harnesses separated in two groups, and the ability to adjust harnesses up and down independently of each other. Historically, this technique would have been set up with counterbalance. After review of a lot of different sources, and some experimentation, we found that setting up the ground on countermarch and the pattern harnesses using elastic bands worked the best. Even so, most found it necessary to use a pick up stick to create a good pattern shed, though the plain weave sheds were pretty good. Most of us used stick shuttles for the pattern yarn and some for the ground weft also. Keeping the warp damp aided in getting a better shed and strengthening the warp under high tension.

The ground is threaded on two or four shafts, and the pattern is usually on 4 or 6 shafts, but a larger number of pattern harnesses is possible if the loom can accommodate them. The warp is first threaded in regular heddles on the ground harnesses for plain weave. Then contiguous groups of warp threads, often four at a time, are threaded through pattern harnesses in front, using long-eyed heddles or by threading the group of warp threads under the eye of regular heddles. A single square in the drafts we used corresponds to one group of four threads in a pattern heddle.

The two groups of harnesses should be separated by a few inches. The sinking-shed pattern is created by treadling the pattern harnesses, one or more at a time, and following each pattern shot with a plain weave shot. A side fringe of loops can be created by catching the pattern weft around a finger. The ground weft is usually threaded so 2 or 4 warp threads create a selvedge that is not threaded through a pattern heddle. This selvedge locks in the loops or hides the pattern weft turns on the backside of the weaving if no loops are desired.

Loops at the edges. The two outer pieces are showing the “right” side, with the narrow selvedges.

We set up two warps in succession, both with Bockens 16/2 unbleached linen yarn. Weft was the choice of the weaver. The second was narrower than the first, but on the second warp, a smaller number of weavers wanted to weave longer pieces. In all, fourteen weavers completed nearly 30 pieces of varying lengths between the two projects. Most used wool weft, but some pieces were finished with all linen weft or perle cotton. (Draft for the first warp in pdf;

Lisa Torvik wove a a spring flower garden runner with bundles of linen threads

After the group settled on skillbragd as the technique, we had to come up with ideas for patterns and drafts to set up the loom. We had a number of printed materials to review, and among them was a photo and, conveniently enough, complete draft for a large traditional skillbragd tapestry from Gol in Buskerud, Norway that I found on the Husflid.no website. After discussion, I chose a few elements from the piece and created a draft for the narrower width we wanted. We decided that having the main pattern side up would make it easier to weave, though some traditional sources indicate that skillbragd was often woven backside up.(Draft for the first warp in pdf)

Pattern experiments abounded–Sara Okern stretched out one pattern element in the center of her runner.

When the second warp was proposed and a number of weavers wanted to join the project, Lisa Anne Bauch and I looked through several books and patterns and chose sections we liked to create a slightly narrower warp that featured more ground showing in the design. Several weavers on the first warp had commented that would be desirable. Interestingly enough, some of us found the more prominent weft pattern on the backside just as nice, so many pieces will be finished to be reversible. (draft for the second warp in pdf)

Sometimes it was difficult to decide whether the front or the back was more attractive.

I would like to acknowledge the weavers and, of them, the many that helped set up the two projects: Phyllis Waggoner, Robbie LaFleur and Lisa Anne Bauch worked with me to set up – and set up again when THAT didn’t work – the first warp.

Robbie LaFleur turning the crank, Lisa Torvik supervising and rolling on the warp, and Lisa Anne Bauch braced with the taut warp.

Robbie helped me monitor and aid those unfamiliar with the technique. Melba Granlund, Lisa Anne and I set up the second warp, though we agreed four is best! Help came from afar, too, with an “emergency” phone call while warping to Robbie’s colleague Shawn Cassiman in Michigan and a detailed letter from Ruth Ida Tvenge of the Øystre Slidre Husflidslag in Norway. Ruth Ida’s advice included,

“I have set up several warps for Kristnateppe [1], both here at home, and for weaving classes. And they have been good to weave on. Use Solberg yarn no. 24/2 for warp yarn [2]. And I have a Glimåkra loom also. They are good looms! I weave tapestries that are 1.20 meters [47.25 inches] wide and approx. 1.45 meters [57 inches] long. Use four harnesses for the plain weave and those I hang up with countermarch. I hang up the four pattern harnesses in elastic bands (of car tire innertubes). You must be sure to hang the pattern harnesses a little higher than the ground harnesses. When you beam on the warp be sure to hold tightly and firmly on it so that it is “hard” to turn for whoever is turning the warp beam. Really tighten up the warp when you start to weave. Use narrow (thin) and long shuttles for the pattern sheds.”

[1] Kristnateppe is a traditional Valdres tapestry, a “christening tapestry”, woven in skillbragd technique on a linen or cotton warp with wool weft, featuring natural black, green, red, gold and sometimes blue bands.

[2] Solbergspinderi of Norway manufactures exclusively 100% cotton yarns, 24/2 being one of their warp yarns.

Following this project, we displayed many of the pieces at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Some had been finished, others were in “right off the loom” state. See the article, “Celebrating TWO Group Skillbragd Warps,” on our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group blog. You can sign up to follow our future activities, too. Based on the success of this project, and the fun of seeing so much creativity within our group, we are planning a new warp, in monk’s belt, early in 2019.

At a monthly meeting of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group we had a ceremonial unrolling of the skillbragd pieces, toasted with sparkling juice.

Lisa Torvik credits early influences of her mother, grandmothers, aunts and friends in Norway for her knitting, sewing, embroidery and weaving interests. She spent a year in her youth studying weaving at Valdres Husflidsskule in Fagernes, Norway and now focuses on projects in traditional Norwegian techniques and more contemporary applications.

From the Heart, Made by Hand: An Exhibit of Swedish Textiles

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News from Trevor Brandt, Curator, American Swedish Historical Museum

An important exhibit of Swedish textiles, From the Heart, Made by Hand: Treasures from the Women of Sweden, is currently on view at the American Swedish Historical Museum (ASHM) in Philadelphia. Founded in 1926, it is the oldest Swedish museum in the United States. The exhibit includes selections of handmade textiles presented to the museum in 1938 from every province of Sweden. The gift speaks of more than Swedish regionalism, though–for the person who organized the gift, these artifacts represented female power.

Dr. Hanna Rydh (1891-1964) was a member of the Swedish parliament, international women’s rights activist, Sweden’s first female archaeologist, and a great friend of the American Swedish Historical Museum. She organized one of the museum’s most extensive collections—a gift of 75 textiles and other hand-crafted materials made by women in every Swedish province. Through this gift, Dr. Rydh won a place of international honor for Nordic craftswomen.

In celebration of the collection’s 80th birthday, ASHM is presenting the material legacy of Dr. Hanna Rydh through the gift presented in 1938. Of course, the objects are marvels in their own right—all celebrating the identities of Swedish provinces. But even more than highlighting regional craft, these goods are activist objects emphasizing the role of craftswomen through history. To Rydh, handicraft—within the traditional women’s sphere—was a symbol of female accomplishment and signified their equality with men both in Sweden and America.

What makes the perfect gift?

For many people, it is something that is handmade. This collection is one of the museum’s most cherished gifts. Monsters and animals weave their way around these objects and delight the eye. Both explosions of color and tame geometric patterns inspire curiosity. The variety within this collection means that each object reflects elements from the Swedish provinces to Americans and Swedish Americans.

Explore all that these textiles communicate by visiting From the Heart, Made by Hand: Treasures from the Women of Sweden on view between September 16th, 2018 and March 10th, 2019!

Until then, enjoy these images.

Women Weaving Women

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By Hilde Opedal Nordby
August 2018

Women Weaving Women (WWW) is a collection of home textiles that were handwoven on a TC2 digital loom in the spring of 2016. The collection is a contribution to the exhibit Future Traditions, a collaborative project between MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) in Budapest and the University of Southeast Norway (Universitatet i Sørøst-Norge) at Rauland. The collection focuses on representations of women in folk art and abstraction as a tool historically and today.

Future traditions, 2015-2019

From the exhibit Future Traditions at Skien Kunstbank, Norway. Photo: Marianna Brilliantova

From 2014-2017 I studied for my bachelors degree and masters degree in traditional art and textiles at the University of Southeast Norway campus at Rauland. During this period I participated in the collaborative project Future Traditions. The goal was to interpret traditional expressions of folk art from the two countries, Hungary and Norway, and to investigate how folk art and traditional patterns can find new life today, with a special focus on traditional handcrafts as a part of the work process. The exhibit consisted of the work of 21 students, with representation from several countries. The exhibit was shown in Budapest, Hungary; in Skien and Rauland in Norway; and in Bucharest, Romania. It will travel to Istanbul in Turkey in 2019. The exhibit includes works in textile, wood, metal, and mixed materials.

Women Who Weave Women

The collection WWW took its starting point with a popular motif in Norwegian billedvev (tapestry) from 1500-1900, the so-called “virgin tapestries.” The pattern is taken from an image of the five wise and five foolish virgins, one of the several biblical themes that were woven from images spread through church art and illustrated pamphlets. In a rural society where people usually could not read or write, these pamphlets and coverlets had a strong narrative and instructive function. The coverlets were often woven for a woman’s marriage and represented the important shift from youth to adulthood, from virgin to mother.

An older tapestry from Gudbrandsdal, before 1700, illustrating the story of the five wise and five foolish virgins. Photo: https://digitaltmuseum.no/021067335049/billedteppe

Illustration 3. A newer tapestry from Gudbrandsdal, around 1800, shows a more abstract and independent composition. https://digitaltmuseum.no/011023161804/teppe

My work with the motif sprang from my interest in weaving and for how the female figure has been represented in folk art, with a special interest in how women represent themselves in the woven coverlets and thinking about how we represent ourselves today. During the 1900s weaving was an obvious way for a woman to express herself, and it has gradually become recognized as a form of artistic expression. Coverlets woven before 1900 were primarily woven as functional items for the household, but they can also be seen as an expression of a woman’s life. Even though craft has been seen as the basis for mens’ worklife for hundreds of years, textile handwork in the home has always been the women’s arena. WWW is my representation of women today, who are independent and strong, but at the same time in need of community and something that is larger than ourselves.

Abstraction in Folk Art

A book that has been inspirational is Professor Mikkel Tin’s De Første Formene (The First Forms), which describes how geometric, abstract forms like the circle, cross, zig-zag, and rhombus are universal forms that form the basis of folk art around the world. This phenomenological approach that implies that people have an inherent expression that springs from folk arts’ self-taught, spontaneous practitioners, which again can be seen as an expression of their environment and world views.

An interesting feature with the virgin tapestries is how the oldest preserved weavings from around 1600 have a richness of detail that tells the whole story of the wise and foolish virgins. The earliest tapestries, which technically resembled German or Dutch tapestries, were likely woven by men who had established studios. Through the 1700s and 1800s when it became common to weave figurative coverlets also in the countryside, the motifs changed and interesting compositions developed, in which the story of the virgins disappeared and the women in the tapestries stood as staunch women ringed by geometric decoration and natural forms. The religious story disappeared and was replaced by what I interpret as a collective world understanding—women as a part of something larger, with strength and knowledge from one another. The tapestries show a strong understanding and knowledge of form, color and composition. The representation is lively and individual, with strong roots to common patterns.

Working with the TC2–Weaving and Drafting

The TC2 digital loom. Photo: Hilde Opedal Nordby

WWW also involved research into working with a digital loom of the TC2 type, developed by Tronderud Engineering and a part of Digital Weaving Norway. The loom can raise each warp thread individually, opening new design possibilities. The loom works on the same principles as a Jacquard loom and is a link between handweaving and industrial processes. The advantages of a digital loom are the possibilities of expressions and integrating many weave structures. The drawback is that working a great deal on the computer distances the weaver from the weaving itself, and with digital weaving it becomes easy to think like a machine–to become consumed with perfection and a result that looks just like the one on the computer. Digital weaving takes away the spontaneity of handwork. It takes longer to weave than on a floor loom because the machine requires time to pull up each of the threads, which gives a different rhythm and flow than working on a floor loom.

Abstract women underway. Photo: Hilde Opedal Nordby

The collection WWW consists of five long (.7 x 4 meters) wall pieces woven in eight-shaft satin weave where the warp and weft intersections are used to create light and dark sections. The pieces were woven in red, green, blue, gold and white, all on black warp. The colors were inspired by those in the virgin tapestries. The motif was created in Illustrator and later combined using the same program. The weave structure was drawn in Photoshop and laid over the various areas of color in the composition. For each weft shot, the digital loom reads the pixels in the row to decide which threads should be raised. It is a challenge to combine different weave structures; it is necessary to weave many samples or have deep experience with combining weave structures to get a good result. Irregular shapes can give fuzzy lines between changes in the weave structures, which I experienced in my work.

Setting up the exhibit in Bucharest, Romania. Photo: Bodil Akselvoll

Sampling of the weave structure, materials and colors. Photo: Hilde Opedal Nordby

Sampling. Photo: Hilde Opedal Nordby

Why I’m a Weaver

Work with the collection and with the virgin tapestries has given me insight into the enormous amount of work that went into weaving the tapestries, the knowledge and skills of the weavers, and the communities in which they lived and wove. The conditions of our society and creative lives are completely different than when the original tapestries were woven, but that doesn’t stop us from being inspired by them. They spark our interest in their motifs, colors, and techniques–reasons they become only more intriguing. They give us riches today that we can build on. I think that as long as we continue to weave and work with handcrafts, our knowledge and possibilities to understand the tapestries from within will live on.

Hilde Opedal Nordby is a Norwegian textile artist, working with traditonal weaving techniques, as well as contemporary and digital weaving. She is based in a small village called Stokke, where she does custom made projects and teaches weaving around the country. She is educated in traditonal arts and crafts from the University of South-East Norway.

National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibit 2018

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If you were not able to make it to Decorah, Iowa, for the year’s National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibit, here is a digital next-best alternative. Krokbragd is very popular these days; seven of the thirteen entries featured the technique. This is the first year that the entry forms requested information about the pieces and the weavers–a marvelous addition for our annual article celebrating the exhibition.

Nancy Ellison, Zumbrota, MN

Krokbragd and Rya Stole

My favorite weaves of krokbragd and rya are combined in this piece. Stitching uncut rya lengthwise on the weft floats on the back of the Krokbragd is my creative idea. It has the effect of sheepskin backed weaving without a sheep having to give up its hide. I enjoy spinning the natural undyed colors of sheep in my flock. Each sheep is a much loved pet as well as my cats and dogs.

The first weaving class I took was at Monica Skolen in Oslo in 1968. I’ve enjoyed half a century of weaving since then, taking classes at Vesterheim and elsewhere.

Melissa Brown, Decorah, IA

“Darlene said, ‘Trondheim!’” Danskbrogd and Krokbragd Table Runner

Last winter was dark and cold, inspiring me to weave with black and gray wool. Rear taillights brought the use of red, thinking of cars driving down a snow packed Water Street at night in Decorah. The yellow represents Christmas lights along the street.

I have been weaving for 44 years. Weaving in the Norwegian tradition is my respite from production weaving of scarves and table linens.

Rosemary Roehl, Gold Medalist, St. Cloud, MN

“Winter” Figurative Bound Weave

“Winter” is a wall hanging in a figurative bound weave using a rose path tie-up. The design is my own and I have included the more colorful aspects of winter. The blue represents the awesome Minnesota blue sky which makes up for the dirty grey snow and cars. “Winter” is the third season that I have represented in a weaving. I have found figurative bound weaves fun to work with.

I am a self-taught weaver in the Norwegian tradition. I fell in love with Norwegian weavings during my first trip to Norway in 1979. Soon after I took a community education course in St. Cloud, MN to learn about looms. I started competing in the Vesterheim National-American Folk Art Exhibition in 1992. I enjoy exploring different ways to use the traditional techniques and color. My mother’s ancestral relatives lived on farms on the Nordfjord. The bunad for this area has more weaving in its national costume than most. It was very satisfying for me to weave my own apron and the numerous decorative bands for the dress and apron.

Carol Culbertson, Evansville, WI

“Brita Remembered” Krokbragd Wall Hanging

Honorable Mention Winner

This piece was inspired by a large wool wall hanging given to me by a family member in Norway. The colors and design are those used in the original. I have woven in the Navajo tradition for about ten years. After receiving the wall hanging, I wanted to learn how to do weaving in the Norwegian tradition. I have been weaving this style after teaching myself three years ago.

Kathryn Evans, Lena, IL

Card Woven Poncho
Blue Ribbon Winner

This piece is inspired by the wide, card-woven bands used with women’s Telemark folk costumes, especially the beltestakk. I’ve used cotton cordonnet instead of wool for the card weaving due to availability and sturdiness in withstanding the twisting that is inherent in the card weaving process. I wanted something wearable so I added the crocheted sides to create a poncho-like garment. The weaving pattern is original and is based on belts that use close combinations of reds and pinks. Note that the single turning line marks the shoulder seam.

Peg Kroll, Suttons Bay, MI

“Stash” Krokbragd Rug

I was inspired to make this krokbragd rug, woven with assorted wool available in the closet, by rugs seen at the Stalheim Hotel in Stalheim, Norway, featuring kyrve and bordgang pattern motifs. I had fun trying to identify the patterns in the pictures from the Stalheim Hotel and chose two, kyrve and bordgang to try to replicate.

I started weaving about 18 months ago, so I’m quite a novice. I am enthralled by the textiles I encountered in Norway, which has inspired the leap from knitting and spinning to weaving and hopefully tapestry. I resurrected my mother’s old leClerc four harness loom from the garage where it sat for 40 years and cleaned it up.

Meredith Bennett, Free Union, VA

“Break on Through” Rya and Wedge Weaving

I wanted to combine two very different techniques- rya and wedge weave- to get a pointillistic effect in the overall design. Both techniques lend themselves to this effect using the variegated yarn but the textures are opposite. I’ve been weaving since the early 70s. I’m attracted to ethnic art but I like to make my own designs based on these techniques and designs.

Ann Vonnegut-Frieling, Dyke, VA

Telemarksteppe-Style Wall Hanging
White Ribbon Winner

This wall hanging is woven in a Telemarksteppe style with the loops on the selvages. It is a style from the Telemark area of Norway. The design was inspired by Laura Demuth, a teacher that taught at John C. Campbell Folk School in March of 2017. I wove this during the summer of 2017

My inspiration came to me when I saw the blues and greens together it reminded me of water, and the oranges, browns, and deep red reminded me of autumn and the circles reminded me of round leaves from the redbud tree falling into the water.

I have been weaving for 10 years, but only recently started weaving with the Norwegian techniques of Telemarksteppe and danskbrogd. I took a class with Jan Mostrom at Vesterheim last fall. I am enjoying weaving and learning about the different Norwegian styles and techniques.

Robbie La Fleur, Gold Medalist, Minneapolis, MN

Danskbrogd Wall Hanging

This weaving was inspired by the graphic X patterns found in coverlets from the Vest-Agder region of Norway in danskbrogd technique.

I am a handweaver of contemporary textiles inspired by Scandinavian folk textiles. The language of my looms is based on centuries-old techniques, learned in weaving school in Norway. The core graphic impact of old folk textiles drives each new weaving, in a search for balance, color and boldness. Even when the planning process is computer-assisted, or a technique is done at a new scale or in unusual materials, I honor the fine craftsmanship of the past.

Judy Ann Ness, Gold Medalist, Eugene, OR

“Playa: Impossible Sky” Krokbragd and Tapestry

“Best in Show” Award

Playa: Impossible Sky” is a fusion of krokbragd and tapestry techniques. It was woven after an artist’s residency at Playa Summer Lake in the eastern desert of Oregon. Linen warp wool, mostly hand-dyed, rayon, silk weft.

I was inspired by the stark beauty of an alkali lake only present in the winter and spring. The dry season comes with the heat and the lake disappears until the next season of hard rain and wind. It looks empty but is full of wildlife. It’s free space, still wild, and an inspiration for the art and the heart.

My heritage is Norwegian-all four grandparents immigrated from southwest Norway in the 1850s. In exploring Norwegian weaving techniques I began to try and blend krokbragd and tapestry techniques around 1998. Still working on it.

Laura Demuth, Gold Medalist, Decorah, IA

Doubleweave Pick-Up and Rya Blanket

I wove this blanket as a gift for my son, Gabriel Oak, when he completed his Ph.D. It is a delight to weave for Gabriel because he appreciates the skill and practice of handwork. This one is for him.

I have been weaving for over 35 years, and enjoy all aspects of textile production, from raising sheep to taking a finished piece off the loom. I especially enjoy traditional weaving and have found Vesterheim’s textile collection to be a continuous source of inspiration.

Helen Scherer, Shawnee, KS

Sæterjentens Søndag Wall Hanging

Red Ribbon Winner

This is an åkle wall-hanging primarily in krokbragd technique. The design was inspired by Jørgen Moe’s lyrics to Ole Bull’s classic violin piece, Sæterjengen’s Søndag (The Herdgirl’s Sunday). The herdgirl wished she could be walking to church and singing, but must tend the cattle at the mountain dairy. From the top we have:

1. Ole Bull’s 400+ bottles of French wine

2. Snippet of Sæterjentens søndag music

3. Sun peeking over the mountain at dawn; trees

4. Herdgirls in work dress carrying milk buckets

5. Mountain pasture full of cows; more trees

6. Churches in the valley

7. Women in Gudbrandsdalen festbunads walking to church

8. River at the bottom of the valley

My mother, Marit Nordheim, had been a weaver in Øyer, Oppland, Norway before immigrating to the USA in 1953. So I grew up with a floor loom in the house and shared her love for textiles.

Veronna Capone, Gold Medalist, Brookings, SD

“Connecting Cultures” Krokbragd weaving

The inspiration for this piece was a woman’s buffalo robe in an exhibit called “Lakota Emergence” at the South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, South Dakota. I’ve been weaving for over 40 years and enjoy working in wool from Scandinavia and learning techniques from Norwegian textiles and studying their use of color.

The Swedish Art Weave Tradition Continues in Minnesota

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By Robbie LaFleur

Interest in Scandinavian weaving techniques is strong in the Midwest, and each semester of classes at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota includes at least one with a Nordic focus. Most recently, Jan Mostrom taught a workshop in Swedish Art Weaves to eight enthusiastic students. Jan was one of several Minnesota weavers who studied with Gunvor Johansson at the Swedish Handicrafts Center for Skåne in Landskrona, Sweden, in the summer of 2017. (Read articles about their experiences in the November 2017 issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter.) Their instructor is the author of the newly-translated comprehensive text on Swedish art weaves, Heirlooms of Skåne.

Jan combined instruction and inspiration from that trip with her excellent skills as a weaving instructor to design this class, new to the Weavers Guild, which was described by one student as “exceptional, beyond measure, beyond expectation.”

The sampler included four techniques: halv-krabba, dukagång, krabbsnår, and rölakan (double-interlock square weave), indicated on this sampler by student Deb Reagan. (See all the samplers here.) Jan supplied suggested patterns for each band, and included a special challenge as well–for each student to at least graph out their initials and the date. The first three full days of the class were roughly devoted to the first three techniques, followed by a no-instructor “catch-up day” of weaving for the students.

The last day of class was devoted to weaving a narrow band of rölakan and to discussing finishing techniques. Jan had sewn a prototype pillow to show traditional cushion construction, including the opening where the pillow is inserted. They discussed the Swedish method of making fringe for the edge.

Often, hooks and eyes were used to close the pillow opening; Jan chose bands.

The students who attended the class in Sweden in 2017 were impressed by the methods used to embellish a smaller piece of weaving, like a sampler, with braid, fringes, and tassels to make a festive folk art pillow cover. This is how Melba Granlund, who also attended the course in Sweden, added braid to her 2017 sampler in fine Swedish style.

The class wasn’t merely technical; it was valuable for the enthusiasm and background that Jan imparted. Deb Reagan wrote,

“Four techniques of Swedish Art weaves were presented but Jan went far beyond teaching us these four techniques. She provided us with a history lesson on these weavings, describing what they were used for, what area of Sweden they originated from, and why they were made. While we were weaving she would read to us from her personal library, furthering and deepening our connection with the Skane weavers of the past.”

The students in this class had another unique source of inspiration–the exhibit of Scandinavian weavings owned by Carol Johnson on the walls of their classroom. (See this article.) Several pieces were in Swedish art weave techniques. Weave a sampler today, perhaps this next?

Learning Swedish art weave techniques is challenging, and that was clear by the complete silence in the classroom as students wove intently. In particular, weaving from the back of a piece was new to most students. Keeping the weft pattern bundles in order takes concentration. Students chose yarn colors from a range of Swedish singles Faro yarn supplied by the instructor, a single strand for the plain weave background and three strands for the pattern shots. Some chose to mix shades in the pattern bundles.

Thanks to Jan Mostrom’s commitment to sharing her knowledge of Scandinavian weaving techniques, these traditional Swedish techniques are finding new fans in the Minnesota through the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.

See the gallery of student samplers here.

Robbie LaFleur weaves in Minneapolis. Her Swedish Art Weave sampler based on the Johansson book used the art weave techniques to interpret Cold War images. See “So Why Not Weave an Atomic Bomb?” and “Cold War Piece–Weaving Notes.”

A Passionate Pursuit: Scandinavian Weavings from the Collection of Carol Johnson

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By Robbie LaFleur

Visitors to the Weavers Guild of Minnesota through June, 2018, have the opportunity to see a rich tableau of 28 Scandinavian weavings, a tantalizing fraction of the collection of Carol Johnson of Minneapolis. You can expect future exhibits and articles in this publication based on artifacts she owns. Here’s a taste of the exhibit and an attempt to answer–how did this all come to be?

This skillbragd weaving led Carol Johnson to a lifelong passion for Scandinavian textiles.

Carol grew up in chilly, damp Seattle, 100% Norwegian by heritage. A linen and wool skillbragd coverlet kept her warm at night, especially during the fuel-rationed years of World War II. It was sent to her grandmother as a wedding gift in 1911 by Carol’s great-grandmother, Guri Olsdatter Aune.

“I was a sickly kid,” Carol recalled,” so I had plenty of time to lie in bed and look at the front and the back.” There always seemed to be a new way to examine the patterns, to see how they shifted from the front to the reverse. The remaining fragment looks remarkably intact, considering Carol remembers her mother sending it through the wringer washing machine countless times.

Years later, the coverlet was divided in four, one for each sibling. When Carol’s youngest uncle died, she took his section of the skillbragd back to Norway, where it now hangs in the home of a second cousin in the bedroom of her great-grandmother, a tangible piece of an immigrant family’s history. Carol’s Norwegian relatives were grateful to have the weaving, as most family textiles had been used up and discarded during the war years.

While Carol has a passion and an eye for Scandinavian textiles, she doesn’t weave herself, claiming that she has bad hand-eye coordination. “I got a D- in Home Economics, “ she quipped, “This isn’t my thing and I haven’t improved with age.”

With a special place in her heart for Norwegian skillbragd (Swedish opphampta or smalandsvev), it makes sense that Carol’s collection contains several in that technique, including these on display.

She formerly bought textiles mostly at estate sales and from antique stores and dealers. Time passed, her collection grew, and then it got a real boost with modern technology and eBay, her biggest source in recent years. When Carol’s husband Darold learned that the title of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota exhibit included, “A Passionate Pursuit,” he immediately added—more like an addiction. Happily, he is an interested supporter of his wife’s textile pursuits.

On a special afternoon in March Carol shared many of the items in her collection with the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group. As they sat in amazement at the obvious success of Carol’s eBay sleuthing, one person asked, “What search words did you use?” As a start, Carol suggests Swedish handwoven, Norwegian handwoven, Swedish woven, Norwegian woven. She often searches for Finnish pieces, too, but lately there haven’t been many offered.

She has found many more Swedish than Norwegian weavings online. Why would that be? It may be that Norway was a smaller country; on the whole, there weren’t as many pieces woven. The economy was difficult in Norway, and it may be that weavings were used and worn out. In contrast, in the rich farming area of Skåne in Sweden, there was a strong tradition of weavings as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Many pieces were made for decorative and seasonal use, and carefully stored for generations. It was common for Swedish girls to have hope chests full of beautiful textiles. Some were used, some were forgotten, and over the years, many ended up at auctions.

The sheer amount of work in all the pieces in Carol’s collection is difficult to fathom. Weavers especially appreciate the complexity of many pieces and understand how time-consuming they are to execute. Carol commented that it is sad that she sometimes paid so little for weavings that are beautifully made. Wasn’t there anyone in the weaver’s family who appreciated something as lovely as this Swedish Art Weave piece?

In general, she has paid less than $100 for her textiles, inexpensive indeed for such fine workmanship and materials. Shipping generally runs $20-50. Occasionally, she has paid more for postage than the weaving itself—for example, when purchasing a small tapestry. “I’ve made a lot of money for the Norwegian and Swedish and American post offices,” she noted. Perhaps that was the case for the smallest tapestry in her collection. Are they seagulls? They are sweet.

Each package that arrives to Carol’s home in south Minneapolis is a marvelous mystery to open. It’s difficult to gauge the condition of a textile from often inadequate online photos. Will the colors be faded or vibrant? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. And sometimes it doesn’t much matter. This beautiful Swedish Art Weave piece has lovely soft colors, with a silvery-gray band contrasting with blue, red, and light gray dukagång stars. The palette looks intentional.

Turn over the back, however, and you’ll see that the background was originally a deep blue-gray, and the red in the narrow bands has bled.

Many of the pieces are quite large and were folded to display in the exhibit. We left one Swedish Art Weave piece folded over to show the reverse side on purpose. You can see the vibrancy of the colors before the piece faded, and admire the exquisite workmanship.

Some coverlets were so large that they were folded in half and then folded over a wooden rod for display, like this beautiful finely-set monks belt coverlet.

Carol once bought a Swedish opphampta weaving because of its beautiful red and green star pattern.

When she received it, she found that it was sewn to a more simply woven fabric.

Carol wondered, why would someone put these two together? She started to undo the stitching, but stopped when she received the recently translated book, Heirlooms of Skåne: Weaving Techniques by Gunvor Johansson (translated by Birgitta Esselius Peterson, published by Vävstuga Press), because the mystery of the two sides was solved. She realized she shouldn’t take them apart. The weaving is a carriage cushion, and the backs of cushions were often woven in a simpler three-shaft technique. They also tended to be woven in the less expensive yarns: brown, yellow, green, and white. Carol’s example has other colors, too, and the patterning is fairly elaborate.

It all made sense then. She could see where tassels were sewn in each corner, traditionally added to protect the valuable textile during hard wear. Johansson wrote in her book about the use of wheat flour and water rubbed into the fabric to prevent the stuffing from leaking through the fabric. Check! Carol noticed a good bit of dust on the interior of the cushion fabric. Oh, and she found a feather, too.

The majority of Carol’s weavings came with no provenance, including no dates. This exquisitely woven Swedish double-interlock square-weave tapestry (rölakan) is a favorite of Carol’s, as it includes the date of her birth, 1940.

This exhibit and the sharing opportunity for the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group covered only a portion of Carol Johnson’s collection. As we look forward to close study and admiration of other pieces in the future, it seems we’ll have to work hard to keep up. Just this week Carol pointed to a deep-hued weaving on a chair by her front door. “It just came two days ago,” she said. Also, this is just the beginning of prime eBay season for this sort of weaving, as people in Scandinavia visit outdoor flea markets and find textiles to sell online. Happy hunting, everyone!

A Wonderful Scanian Art Weaves Adventure

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By Edi Thorstensson

Our teacher, Gunvor Johansson

This issue includes contributions made by weavers—all of us Americans– enrolled last June 2017 in a Scanian Art Weaves class, taught at the Swedish Handicrafts Center for Skåne in Landskrona, a beautiful city on the western coast of southern Sweden. Here we experienced the unforgettable opportunity to study classic Swedish weaving techniques under the tutelage of master weaver, Gunvor Johansson.

Skåne (often referred to as Scania in English-speaking countries) is Sweden’s southernmost province and, historically, one of its most prosperous and populous. Rich in textile tradition, Skåne has been influenced by its proximity to Denmark, of which it was a province until 1658. Still, it’s culture is distinctly Swedish. Landskrona is a quiet, thriving city with a citadel dating from 1549 and a lovely community garden colony, where one in twenty-seven city inhabitants has an allotment. (For more information, see the Landskrona Wikipedia entry.)

Landskrona’s Old Train Station, home of Skånsk Hemslöjd.

Seven of us—Mary Erickson, Melba Granlund, Liz Hunter, Sharon Marquardt, Jan Mostrom, Mary Skoy, and Edi Thorstensson — came to Scandinavia with the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum’s 2017 Textile Study Tour through Denmark and Norway. It ended on June 24, and we prepared to leave Bergen for Copenhagen, the closest air connection to Southern Sweden. A flight cancellation had us rebooked for a late arrival that gave us little time to catch the train from Copenhagen to Landskrona, but all went well, and we arrived at our destination in the dark— even though it was the weekend of Midsommar, the summer solstice celebration! The eighth member of our group, Janis Aune, met us in Landskrona. Here, we settled into the comfortable Hotel Öresund, situated within walking distance of Skånes Hemslöjd, located in Landskrona’s old railroad station, where our class took place.

Classroom, with Liz Hunter at the table, Melba Granlund and Edi Thorstensson at the looms

On Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd’s archives and the appreciation for historical textiles

In addition to rewarding class time at our looms, we were treated to a very special insiders’ tour of the SSH archives and a visit to Bosjökloster, where we saw a beautiful exhibit of our instructor’s work in a lovely historical setting (see Mary Ericsson’s article, “Gunvor Johansson’s Exhibit at Bosjökloster.”

Field inventory, showing provenance, yarns, and pattern

A short walk from Hemslöjd to a quiet street, we entered a secured building that houses the Skåne Handicrafts Foundation’s textile archives. Climbing a narrow stairway to a locked door, we followed Åsa and Gunvor into a room lined with storage cabinets and drawers where precious textiles encompassing many genres are stored. Here are the historical links to a vibrant textile heritage, examples reflecting the skills of women who wove for their households and, in some cases, for others. Much of the collection has been documented for provenance, but it includes items that have not been documented and field records, as well. All are cared for with respect and pride, all are inventoried. All are important and valued parts of Skåne’s and Sweden’s cultural history, its textile legacy.

Åsa and Gunvor in the archives. Gunvor is wearing gloves used when handling textiles, paper, photographs, and other materials. The gloves help protect archival materials from skin oils and other substances that might cause damage.

Following are examples of items in the archives.

Closing Words and Images

Each weaver came away with special memories, only some of which are told here. Liz Hunter writes,

“this time in Landskrona was a joyful turning point for me! i knew i wasn’t going to do the classical patterns. i did gain a greater understanding [for] them. instead, i concentrated on flossa and rya. these will give me the ability to combine painting with weaving….and to turn from production weaving to more artistic expression. gunvor and asa were so kind to me: i’m sure having one student going in a different direction, and trying to speak to them in broken norwegian from 40 years ago, was not easy. at the end of the session, they each gave me a vintage rya pile measuring tool, which i treasure. i also treasure their passion and love of swedish weaving!”

Each weaver brought home with her a story and a sample of her own making. Here are three samples that have found or are finding their way to completion:

Mary Skoy plans to make her sample into a pillow with ribbon embellishments.

Janis Aune’s sample, fashioned into a purse to wear with her folk costume.

Edi Thorstensson’s sample, showing knotted finishing in progress, for a wall hanging that will eventually include bobbin lace and inkle loom-woven band embellishments.

Special praise for Gunvor Johansson’s excellent book, Heirlooms of Skåne : Weaving Techniques. Shelburne, MA : Vävstuga Press, 2016. This is an excellent resource for both textile historians and weavers. It features chapters on various techniques mentioned above, as well as three-harness weaving. It is beautifully illustrated and includes pattern drafts. Highly recommended.

We students share a feeling of deep gratitude for all that Gunvor Johansson and Åsa Stentoft gave us during our time with them. They welcomed us and treated us with great optimism, patience and kindness. They taught us skills that we will incorporate in our weaving–some of which will find its way into loved ones’ lives–and pass along to others. This is community. This is who we, as weavers, are.

I wish to thank everyone who contributed words, photographs, and moral support to make this set of Skane adventure articles happen. I apologize for not crediting photographers individually for the images they shared in our Skane articles. Can you live with our being a collective of pretty good anonymous photographers?

Read more about how this textile adventure came about and what it entailed in the other articles in this issue.

Weaving the Art Weaves of Skåne
Inspiration, Outreach, and Connection
Gunvor Johansson’s Exhibit at Bosjökloster
Fika and the Joy of Lingonberry Cake

Edi Thorstensson is a retired librarian and archivist who has appreciated the history and creation of Scandinavian textiles since her first visit to Europe in 1961. She is a member of the Minnesota Weavers Guild Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and the Pioneer Spinners and Fiber Artists guild. She lives in St. Peter, Minnesota, with her husband Roland and Icelandic sheep dog Ára.

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Gunvor Johansson’s Exhibit at Bosjökloster

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By Mary Erickson

Gunvor Johansson

As with most weaving classes, I tend to focus on weaving and finishing the project. So I was somewhat reluctant to be “pulled away” from the loom to go on an excursion. As it turned out, an invitation such as this gave me a rare opportunity for an understanding of place and history of weaving that I could not have experienced on my own.

Gunvor invited us to view an exhibit of her work called “HISTORICAL THREADS : Scanian Art Weavery & Church Textiles” at the Bosjökloster Castle and Gardens. She and her husband both drove cars to transport us and, as we traveled through the countryside, we passed farmsteads and field after field of crops, which gave us a sense of the landscape.

Bosjökloster originally was a Benedictine abbey, founded in 1080, and remained so until the Reformation. Today the site is privately owned and open to the public. Gunvor’s weavings were displayed in two rooms of the Bosjökloster Castle. The extensive exhibit included traditional weave structures we had been studying and liturgical weaving.

The liturgical textiles on display were examples of Gunvor’s work, designed and created through a business she co-owns, Kyrkotextil i Syd (Church Textiles in the South). Below are examples of Gunvor’s beautiful liturgical textiles.

Janis Aune inspects a beautiful robe.

More information and images can be found at: www.kyrkotextilisyd.com.

Mary Erickson lives on the Mesabi Iron Range and is interested in the cultural connections found in weaving traditions. She recently retired as an exhibit researcher at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, MN and is currently a fiber artist focusing on the influence of landscape and place in our lives. Mary holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education from Bemidji State University and a Master of Art Degree from the University of Wisconsin, Superior.

Virgin Tapestries and the Bridal Theme

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By Randi Nygaard Lium

Editor’s note: The most-woven motif at the peak of medieval Norwegian tapestry weaving was the biblical story of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. The two rows of virgins with a highly patterned background are emblematic of Norwegian billedvev (literally, picture-weaving) and recognized by museum-goers worldwide, like this version owned by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA). Why did this image resonate with weavers of the era? We are grateful for permission to present this translation of Art Historian Randi Nygaard Lium’s expert analysis, which appeared in her new book, Tekstilkunst i Norge (Textile Art in Norway).

The most popular Norwegian medieval tapestry motif is, as earlier mentioned, the Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins. The fundamental basis of the image is a representation of virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. The background text is from Matthew, Chapter 25, Verses 1-13.

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 “But at midnight * there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. (These verses in English are from the New American Standard Bible.)

The motif was used in European visual art in the Middle Ages. When it became popular in Norway, the image spread through prints. In all the tapestries the virgins are woven in two horizontal lines, with the wise virgins uppermost and the foolish virgins below. The wise virgins proudly hold up their lamps. The foolish virgins hold handkerchiefs to dry their tears; their situations were difficult. They couldn’t have known beforehand how much time it would take for the bridegroom to arrive. This image shows the high demands made of young women. To be pure and innocent when the bridegroom arrived was not enough; they also needed to be alert and vigilant.

Along with the ten women in long dresses, men are woven in as side characters. It is interesting that the bridegroom is Jesus. In several tapestries the oil seller is placed in the lower right hand corner, and one tapestry even has the inscription “eros kiøbe” (eros purchase). This male figure has associations to something completely apart from virginity and purity. It is as if to purchase extra oil could be interpreted as having to do with prostitution. Therefore there are many layers of meaning to this theme. The tapestries were used as bedcovers, and as a beautiful covering for the marriage bed it was a reminder of moral demands.

In the oldest virgin tapestries from around the middle of the 1600s, the women are dressed in festive renaissance dresses, jackets with a high waist, and pleated collars. They often have crowns, and the long dresses are richly detailed, with a center section that resembles an apron. Behind the upper women you see architecture that looks like a city. The women are woven in two horizontal rows, one over the other, with a border between.

In the tapestries from the 1700s you see stylization and abstraction, which results in figures that are increasingly ornamental in their expression. The skirts, upper parts of their clothing, faces, and crowns create an ornamental whole. The inscriptions disappear, as well as the extra figures. The architecture behind the row of wise virgins is gone, replaced by decorative elements. The virgins’ lamps and handkerchiefs have disappeared, and with them much of the meaningful symbols of the story. Perhaps the message was forgotten over time, and when weaving a bridal coverlet the weaver perhaps followed a pattern she inherited.

Three original coverlets from 1760 from Bøverdalen have been preserved. The weaver was called the “bibelsprengte” weaver (the weaver who broke with the Bible), because she interpreted the motifs in her own style. Her unique tapestries included her rococo tapestry, Kristi forfedre (“Christ’s Ancestors”), and three identical Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins tapestries, which included a whole row of accompanying figures. The three virgin tapestries were gifts for three sisters.

1760, Bøverdalen in Gudbrandsdal. Nordenfjelske Kunstindustrimuseum. Photo: Dino Makridis

Above the upper virgins is a whole new row depicting from the left: Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child, and the three Wise Men. On the right is Jesus, the heavenly bridegroom. Beside the virgins Jacob stands to the right in the upper row, and Joseph to the right in the lower row. The names of Jacob and Joseph are woven in.

This is an innovation of the virgin motif. The three tapestries from Bøverdalen aren’t rigid in the same manner as the other 1700s coverlets. Now the figures are freer and more lively, and they are clothed in elegant rococo clothing. “Christ’s Ancestors” is quite special, with many elegant men placed in diagonal rows up the tapestry. They wear a rococo costume with a long, narrow jacket in brocade, knee pants, and knitted stockings. The women have beautiful dresses—narrow in the middle, with a skirt bustling over a form. The weaver was well-acquainted with fashion of the day. In “Christ’s Ancestors” we find a rhythm and liveliness that is new in tapestries from Gudbrandsdal. Rococo playfulness and feminine elegance have made their marks?

Tapestries with the virgin motif were woven in the western part of the country, too, but were not as common as in the valleys of eastern Norway. The western virgin tapestries also had a unique expression, and were seldom the main motif of the tapestry. Virgins were often placed in the center of the tapestry, surrounded by borders and ornamental designs. The virgin motif was persistent in the area, and was woven all the way to the beginning of the 1800s.

A west coast virgin tapestry from the collection of the Norsk Folkemuseum. https://digitaltmuseum.no/011023130651/teppe

Virgin tapestries from Valdres and Trøndelag have been preserved, too. They echo the Gudbrandsdal tapestries, which shows that work from that area was an inspiration for weavers in both Valdres and Trøndelag. Many fine tapestry pillows from the 1700s are also found in Oppdal (in Sør-Trøndelag).

The virgin tapestries were used as wedding coverlets, and their symbolism signals moral expectations of the bride. That was indisputable and universally known. But it is less known that during that time marriage between a man and a woman was also a symbol of a woman’s bridal relationship to Christ, a marriage with spiritual meaning.

A young, god-fearing woman could enter into a spiritual marriage with Christ, dedicate her life to religion. In this way the purpose of marriage was both earthly and spiritual. Therefore Jesus was the heavenly bridegroom—and woven into the coverlets. The coverlets were religious beyond having just a moral point: they symbolized Christian purity and faith.

Marriage was holy and formed the basis of the church’s moral requirements. Among other things, there were rules about when a couple could make love. The rules were strict and difficult to abide by, resulting in guilt. The couple were not supposed to have sex on weekends or during holidays, or during pregnancy. The function of sexuality was procreation and furthering your family, not unfettered intimate relations; that was sinful.

At that time there was often a close relationship between individuals and the parish minister. The worship service was a time away from work and an occasion that helped support people in holding themselves faithful to God. The minister had a double function. From the pulpit on Sundays he was an authority who admonished those who listened about a Christian life without sin, and at the same time he was a spiritual provider from whom people sought guidance in difficult times. Perhaps it was also the minister a woman might visit to seek consolation when relations with her husband had been too lively or moving toward the forbidden. The guilt was difficult to bear alone, and her husband may not have been the easiest one to confide in under those circumstances.

Young women also had the opportunity to write a letter to the minister, called a “virgin letter.” However it wasn’t only unmarried women who confided in a minister; in Iceland a written confession is preserved from a young married woman who felt guilty because, according to church rules, she had an overly active sex life with her husband. The minister learned the most intimate details of the couple’s relationship in this confession.

Through his presence a minister was a sort of psychologist of that time. He gave penance and forgiveness for sins, and that helped women with issues they struggled with alone.

When we examine the many preserved coverlets with the virgin motif, we come to understand their meaning is about more than just the requirement to be a virgin when entering marriage. It encompasses also a holy marriage that required one to lead a religious life.

A Wise and Foolish Virgins tapestry owned by the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. http://collections.vesterheim.org/items/show/561

Randi Nygaard Lium is a textile artist, author, and curator. Educated in Denmark, she has a degree in Art History from Aarhus University and studied weaving at Det Jyske Kunstakademi (Jutland Art Academy). She is the Senior Researcher at the Museum for Decorative Arts (Kunstindustrimuseet) in Trondheim, Norway. She was the Director of the Trondheim Art Museum (Kunstmuseum) from 1998-2011, and the Head Curator at the Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim, 1986-88. She has written several books on textile art, including Tekstilkunst i Norge (2016 and Ny Norsk Billedvev – Et Gjennombrud (1992). Her work has been shown in many exhibits in Norway and other countries, including a solo exhibition at the Design Museum Denmark in Copenhagen (2006). Her work is represented in several museums and in commissioned work in public buildings.

Book excerpt translated by Robbie LaFleur, who constantly runs into more depictions of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.

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2017 Vesterheim Textile Tour to Denmark and Norway

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By Robbie LaFleur and Laurann Gilbertson

The 2017 Textile Tour sponsored by the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in June was the first one to add travel to Denmark as well as Norwegian destinations. This brief overview should give you an idea of why these tours sell out as soon as they are announced.

Copenhagen was our first stop, and our learning and inspiration began with a visit to Christiansborg Palace, the only government building in the world that houses all three branches of a country’s government. We toured the Royal Reception Rooms to get an overview of 1,100 years of Danish history through tapestries designed by Bjørn Nørgaard. The tapestries depict scenes from Viking times to today and were presented to Queen Margrethe II for her fiftieth birthday in 1990. The guide planned to visit other rooms, but the weavers in the group, in particular, were entranced by observing the tapestries and reading about the historical events depicted in them. Laurann asked the guide, “Is it OK if we just stay here instead?”

Lapidarium of Kings. Frederick V, King of Denmark-Norway, commissioned life-sized statues of Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen for his palace grounds. Completed in about 1773, the figures from Nordmandsdalen (Valley of the Norsemen) are used today by researchers to understand the clothing worn in rural Norway in the past.

The number of tour participants is small enough that we can take advantage of visiting artist studios and sights that would’t be possible for huge groups. Our group divided in two for a visit to Knitwear Designer Geske Svensson. Read about that experience in the article by Marilyn Huset.

Our stay in Copenhagen was short, and we headed off to visit Greve Museum to learn about Hedebosom. Some even took a mini-course. Read Edi Torstensson’s account of the museum in a separate article, here.

Through gorgeous, trim countryside (and once having to change course because the bus was too big for the road), we reached Sagnlandet Lejre. Solving Pollei wrote about the experience, here.

Heading across country, we stopped at the High School for Design and Handwork in Skals for their annual summer exhibition and market, with fabulous exhibits of student work in weaving, clothing design, embroidery, hand- and machine-knitting, leather work, and ceramics. In tents in the sunny courtyard outside the school, leading Danish designers sold their work. Molly Miles was struck by beautiful embroidered towels with hearts, and Ingebjørg Monsen loved a cleverly embroidered coat. She commented, “So happy young people take embroidery to a new level, but the quality prevails!”

Our final stop in Denmark was at Hørvævmuseet, a linen weaving museum in the heart of Denmark. The museum is staffed by dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the collection of jacquard looms, with educating visitors about the processing of flax to linen, and the history of linen production in Denmark. This stop was a highlight of Elizabeth Hunter’s tour, and she described our guides as “a couple who are the oldest and most charming hosts ever!” The museum is housed in a former cowshed of a large estate. The looms and equipment, from a linen mill that closed in 1972, sat unused for 33 years until it gained new life. And after our group left, the gift shop staff had some serious re-stocking to do.

Molly Miles loved the jacquard cards used on the looms to create letters.

After the Linen Museum we traveled by ferry over the Skagerrak, the strait between Denmark and Norway. The food was great on the boat, but the crashing, bumpy waves made the ride one that several of our group would like to forget.

On a sunny Sunday morning the group traveled by rowboat ferry out to Bragdøy, an island outside of Kristiansand, for a lecture and class with Annemor Sundbø. Annemor was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit in 2013 for her work to research, share, and preserve Norway’s knitting history. Her latest book is on the native short-tailed spelsau sheep. After giving a talk about the spelsau in folk belief, art, and everyday tradition, she gave a short class on knitting right from the sheep; in other words, the students sat in front of a giant pile of fleece and pulled strands into instant yarn and knitted it up. This day was a highlight for Linda Devitt, who later translated her memories to a painting of sheep (above), which she gave to her tour roommate, Carole Johnson.

Molly Miles noted that one of her highlights was watching Annemor guide Kay Larson through the fleece-washing process.

We visited the Kristiansand Museum learn about regional textile traditions, including danskbrogd, a boundweave variation done only in Norway. When we toured the historic buildings moved in from rural Vest-Agder County the guide did her best to pull out all of the textiles, since she knew we were interested.

We visited Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrikk in Mandal, a working textile mill museum that interprets the history of commercial spinning, dyeing, and weaving.

In the village of Moi, which for years has been a center for the production of spinning wheels, we learned about spinning and the special Moi-style wheel at Lund Bygdemuseum.

After a drive with breathtaking scenery of the Jøssingfjord, we stopped for lunch in Sogndalstrand. This tiny seaport village is the only place in Norway where old wooden buildings and the surrounding landscape are protected as a cultural heritage site. The food was amazing at the Sogndalstrand Hotel.

Floral detail from a Frida Hansen tapestry

In Stavanger we concentrated on Frida Hansen (1855-1931), a tapestry weaver who captured the essence of both Norway’s nationalistic movement and Art Nouveau style in her tapestries, including her patented transparent tapestries. We toured her house to learn more about her life, then continued on to Stavanger Kunstmuseum to learn more about her work. Elizabeth Hunter loved the lecture in the gallery with Frida Hansen’s work. ” It was brief, but so insightful!!” Elizabeth is following up now, by reading Japanomania in the Nordic Countries 1875-1918.

We traveled on an often ocean-side route to Bergen, and the group appreciated the fact that our bus driver, when faced with the choice of two roads, always opted for the more scenic route. In Bergen, our first stop was USF (United Sardine Factory), home to 200 artists, musicians, dancers, architects, and filmmakers, as well as offices for cultural organizations and performance spaces. We met several artists in their studios, including Kari Aasen, Åse Ljones, Sissel Blystad, and Kari Myrdal. A favorite of many was the artist Marta Nerhus, who crafted life-sized flat figures in metal wire.

North of Bergen, we visited the Osterøy Museum. Our group arrived at a good time; the Museum recently set up a beautiful new permanent exhibition featuring local craft traditions, including warp-weighted loom weaving, knitting, and beadwork. Marta Kløve Juuhl shared her current project, a 91-foot weaving in the museum’s main exhibit hall, one that was described in previous issues of the Norwegian Textile Letter (here and here). It stretches over a whole wall and down the long, tall room. And aren’t visits even better with food? We enjoyed coffee and a local treat, stompekake.

It would be interesting to know how many projects are completed by tour participants after a tour, based on inspiration from pieces seen in museums and shops and studios along the way. Martha Schumann wrote, “Even though my favorite hobby is knitting, I only took one picture of a knitted item – a mitten at the Osterøy Museum. It has a flame colorway in the patterning instead of being knit in two colors. As soon as I saw it, I knew would like to copy it, so I took a picture.”

Oleana sweaters are renowned in Norway and the U.S. In business since 1992, Oleana A/S is the only knitwear factory that knits and sews all their products in Norway. Combining art, culture, and good design, Oleana creates sweaters of fine wool and silk from Solveig Hisdal’s award-winning designs. The group toured the factory and explored the outlet store.

The farewell dinner was prepared by chef Ingvild Bøge of Spisekroken i Bergen, who uses local products to create rustic food with a contemporary twist. If you travel to Bergen, you should eat there.

Carol Johnson wrote that the highlight of the tour for her was the people. From her comment, you can see that her enjoyment of the trip began in the airport!

The highlight of Vesterheim’s Textile Tour for me was the people. There was the buzz in the MSP gate area as travelers checked in with Laurann, greeted old friends and got acquainted with new ones. Arriving in Copenhagen, we were met with hugs from IngebjØrg and met more tour members who had flown directly there. During meals and breaks, stories were shared on a variety of topics. One learns that the spectrum of textile interest within the group ranges from awesome textile experts, some internationally known, to those of us who are merely textile spectators. It was energizing to meet textile designers, curators at small local museums and volunteers and staffs at small textile mills, all passionate about keeping traditional techniques alive, sometimes in new formats.

Who planned this fabulous trip for us?

Tour Leader Laurann Gilbertson has been Textile Curator for 19 years and is now Chief Curator at Vesterheim. She holds a B.A. in anthropology and an M.S. in textiles and clothing from Iowa State University. She cares for the museum’s collections, curates exhibitions, and has planned and led seven textile study tours to Norway (with Sweden, Iceland, and Finland).

Tour Guide Ingebjørg Monsen is an electrical engineer, but is enjoying a second career in textiles. She teaches classes in weaving and sewing and specializes in constructing men’s bunader (national costumes). She has been president of the Bergen Husflidslag (handcraft association) and has planned and led them on tours in Norway, Iceland, and Denmark. Ingebjørg has offered textile instruction, interesting tour information, and lots of fun on Vesterheim’s seven previous textile tours.