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Swedish Munkabälte [monk’s belt]

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By Emelie von Walterstorff

Translator’s note: This is an English version of the section on monk’s belt, or Swedish munkabälte, from the online Hemslöjds Guiden [Handcraft Guide] published by the Föreningen Sveriges Hemslöjdskonsulenter [Association of Swedish Handcraft Consultants]. I became interested in this monk’s belt variation with stars when I saw a beautiful coverlet purchased this year by my friend Annelie Holmberg. I found the Swedish guide describing these special star-filled monk’s belt weavings and received permission to share the information in English. Robbie LaFleur

Beautiful monk’s belt stars woven by an unknown weaver. Photo: Annelie Holmberg.

“Tärna” – Detail from a monk’s belt weaving produced in the 1990s by the Västmanland County Handicraft Association. It is part of an older weaving from Tärna parish in Västmanland County Museum’s collection, VLM 7097.

Munkabälte [monk’s belt], from the Scanian word for certain common four-shaft fabrics, is now widespread in Sweden. Two shafts are used to form the ground or base weave, and two for the pattern element, which, as in upphämta technique, lies loosely over the surface. The pattern threads are of two different lengths, for example over six and under two warp threads. The colored pattern threads, usually of wool (or cotton), contrast with the white linen ground weave.  Certain weavings in southern Skåne have a black wool ground weave.

It has been debated whether monk’s belt is a technique or just a pattern. It is a weaving technique that was done earlier with a pick-up stick. One of the pioneers of the revival of Scanian textile methods near the end of the 1800s, Mrs. Thora Kulle in Lund, described how monk’s belt earlier was woven with a wide pick-up stick that was raised behind the ground weave, to lift the pattern threads. The square “star” or the two different stitch lengths of which it consists, in different combinations, was characteristic of what is called monk’s belt. However, the star has not always been woven with loose pattern threads. Here we can surmise that it probably became known partly through the famous Dutch dräll (weaves in which warp-float areas contrast with weft-float areas) satin weave. These dräll weavings dated to the 1600s are preserved in upper-class homes. 

Retrieved from Svenska vävnadstekniker och mönstertyper: Kulturgeografisk undersökning [Swedish Weaving Techniques and Pattern Types: Cultural Geographic Survey]. By Emelie von Walterstorff. Proceedings of the Nordic Museum: 11. Stockholm, 1940.

Monk’s belt on Scanian blankets

Or why not call them “flower blankets from the region of the green hills,”1 as it is so romantically described in Gammal allmogeslöjd fra Malmöhus län [Historical Handicraft from Malmöhus County] about the large decorative blankets in monk’s belt technique that were woven in large quantities in the areas around Vemmenhög county in Skåne.

That the beautiful weavings are described as “flower blankets” is not so strange considering that the weaving technique has been used in such a way that the pattern shapes imitate flowers. “It’s as if the women in Wemmenhög set out to create their own ‘garden’ with their work within the farm’s walls, which would be in bloom all year round.”

The monk’s belt technique is the simplest among the Scanian art weave techniques and has therefore perhaps not received as much attention as blankets and cushion covers in, for example, röllakan, flamskväv and krabbasnår. Despite the relatively simple technique, the women around Vemmenhög developed the pattern shapes and the technique into something very special and the textiles are well worth highlighting and admiring. “They give a telling testimony of the Scanian people’s passion and ability to compose patterns even in simple forms.” What gives a monk’s belt pattern its basic character is the so-called monk’s belt star. This basic shape has since been assembled into a variety of patterns.

The monk’s belt star
Monk belt star, black and white sketch

Monk belt star, black and white sketch

The ground weave of a monk’s belt fabric consists of a plain weave, or two-shaft weave. The pattern is formed by a number of pattern elements that float above and below the base fabric. According to Anna-Maja Nylén2, monk’s belt is a Scanian dialectal term for a four-shafted fabric where two of the shafts form the base fabric and two form the pattern. Technically, monk’s belt and, for example, tärningsväv fabric are similar, but the pattern shapes differ. In tärningsväv fabric, the monk’s belt star does not occur.

Zickerman3 writes that the name monk’s belt does not really denote the name of an individual technique but a variation of the dräll technique, “but this form has come to – in some localities – make such a strong contribution to the village, that it has been counted as a separate technique.” Both in terms of pattern and technology, monk’s belt has a clear connection with textiles that were imported during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Map with Skåne's district divisions

Map with Skåne’s district divisions

Monk’s belt fabrics of various types have been manufactured throughout the country, mostly on linen bottom fabric with an interlaced pattern so that the textiles have cross-striped pattern formations. But in south-west Skåne, the monk’s belt technology developed in a very special way. In the areas around Vemmenhög’s district (see map) large magnificent weavings have monk’s belt stars that have been picked star by star in different colors so that the blankets have the expression of blooming meadows. The ground fabric of these weavings usually consists of black or black-brown plain weave in wool on a linen warp.

In an inventory of older textiles, dating from the 17th century to 1840, carried out by Lissie Möller under the auspices of the Malmöhus läns hemslöjdsförenings [Malmöhus County Handcraft Association] during the years 1918-1925, no fewer than 561 monk’s belt blankets were inventoried in Malmöhus County, mainly around the Vemmenhögs, Skytts and Oxie districts. This can be compared with how many blankets were inventoried in other weaving techniques at the same time in Malmöhus County: 122 blankets in röllakan, 97 blankets in krabbasnår, 34 in dukagång, 6 in flamskvävnad, 94 in rosengång, and no less than 2,205 blankets in opphämta.

Through the inventory, it can be established that blankets in monk’s belt technique were the second most common technique when it comes to woven blankets in Malmöhus County during the period. However, we cannot know for sure whether all of these 561 weavings were of the “flower blanket” type with inlaid pattern details. It is possible that also blankets with only inlaid patterns appear among the inventory material.

Through Möller’s inventory, we can also deduce that the monk’s belt technique in Malmöhus county was mostly used for blankets and not for cushion covers. In terms of woven cushions, only 59 in monk’s belts have been inventoried in the county compared to 1,232 in röllakan, 852 in opphämta, 462 in flamskvävnad, 355 in tränsaflossa [a half-pile technique], 297 in krabbasnår, 68 in dukagång, and 20 in rosepath.

What is characteristic of the flower blankets around Vemmenhög is that the monk belt stars are picked in different colors and not shuttled across (which is more common). On the vast majority of blankets, the stars also form diamond-shaped patterns over the surface. There are two main groups within the blankets – those with a striped bottom and those with a solid color. In addition, there are four different ways to insert the monk’s belt pattern. The different pattern placements depend on how the warp is threaded, or alternatively how the pick-up stick has been used in the weaving.

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Striped Ground Weave

The striped blankets are considered to be the oldest1 and on some there are both picked and shuttled monk’s belt patterns. The bottom striping can consist of only wide fields in different colors, color fields that are separated by one or more narrow stripes, or stripes with shuttled monk’s belt patterns. Examples of different stripes can be found in pictures 1, 2 and 3. Sometimes the shuttled pattern has been excluded in favor of the picked one (for example on the blanket in picture 1). You can guess that the blanket was then woven with a pick-up stick and not with a threaded pattern. When a shuttled monk’s belt pattern occurs, the entire star is often not included vertically in the stripes (see examples in pictures 2 and 3). Sometimes the stars have been placed colorwise so that diamond shapes form across the surface, but this is not as common as on blankets with a plain base. Diamond shapes on the surface often become a little more indistinct and harder to perceive on blankets with a striped bottom because you are distracted by the stripes. Borders around the edges seldom occur on striped blankets. On the other hand, they are very common on those with a solid color base.

Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 6
Plain Ground Weave 

Most of the blankets have been woven with a plain base, usually in black or black-brown. On blankets with a plain background, the stars have almost always been placed in terms of color so that diamond patterns are formed over the surface in different ways. You can see that in pictures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Most of them also have a border of some kind either in monk’s belt or krabbasnår (the blankets in pictures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 all have a border in krabbasnår but with slightly different pattern shapes). Picked-up krabbasnår stars are also often included in the center of the pattern shapes, as on the blankets in pictures 4, 5 and 7. On blankets with a single-colored base, pattern stripes with shuttled monk’s belts never occur. Often the bars have been used so that large coherent diamond shapes show clearly in the patterns. In picture 8 you can clearly see this (green bars). On the blankets in pictures 4 and 7, the bottom has been kept solid black and not filled with bars, here only the independent monk’s belt star has been used in the pattern shapes together with the krabbasnår stars. On the weavings in pictures 5 and 6, there are also no bars used as padding between the monk’s belt stars. Here, instead, it is the visible ground weave between the stars that highlights the diamond pattern formed by the monk’s belt stars.

Picture 7
Picture 8
Every one is unique

The main thing that can be said when you look at the monk’s belt blankets from south-west Skåne is that there are great variations in pattern compositions and expressions. Many blankets seem quite similar at first glance, but upon closer inspection you will see that there are differences. This is probably due to the fact that a development of the pattern forms has been ongoing. A blanket was woven, another weaver used it as a template and changed something a little in the pattern composition or treadled differently. Perhaps she moved a star, wove a different border or chose a different color combination. The blankets have been given different expressions depending on the patterns, tools, aids and knowledge the weavers had. One might think that the monk’s belt star as a flower shape has been the central thing and not the technique itself.

One can’t help but admire these women who had such imagination and skill to compose different flower blankets and one has to agree with the statement that “Nowhere has it flourished as in the green hills.”1

Below are more examples of how the blankets could look. The pictures show black-and-white, ¼ part hand-colored, photographs from Lizzie Möller’s inventory in Malmöhus County in 1918-1925, which are stored in Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd SSH’s [Institute for Scanian Handcraft] archive in Landskrona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes in the text

1. Malmöhus County Handicraft Association. Old peasant craft from Malmöhus county. Malmö: Förlagskatiebolaget’s printing house in Malmö, 1916.

2. Nylén, A. Hemslöjd [Handicraft]. 4 ed. Stockholm: Bokförlaget Cordia, 1995.

3. Zickerman, L. Sveriges folkliga textilkonst [Sweden’s folk textile art], part IV-V Munkabälte och uphämta, manuscript. The Nordic Museum’s archives, Stockholm.

Source list

Höst, C. “Blomstertäcken från de gröna kullarnas bygd” [Flower blankets from the green hills region], essay from Handarbetets Vänners school, 1999.

Zickerman, L. Volume 29, Munkabälte och krabbasnår i alla landskap [Monk’s belt and krabbasnår in all landscapes] and Volume 188, Monk’s belt, Skåne A-O, photographs. The Nordic Museum’s archives, Stockholm.

Inventory material of the Malmöhus County Handicraft Association from 1915 – 1927, Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd, Landskrona.

Wemmenhög County’s Historical Society’s Textile Exhibition 1929, photographs of textiles and associated text material. Folklivsarkivet [Folk Life Archive], Lund.

Image material

Map of Skåne’s county division, Möllegården culture in Åkarp, www.mollegardenkultur.se

Picture 1-8, Photographer: Thomas Hansson. All the monk’s belt cushion covers in these pictures are stored in Svaneholm Castle’s archive in Skurup. The archive material is shown only for research purposes by agreement.

Hand-colored images of monk’s belt weavings. Photographer: Camilla Höst. They are stored in Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd’s archive in Landskrona. If you are interested in studying the material in more detail, contact the chairman of Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd.

Other literature tips

VÄV Skånska allmogevävnader, by Gunvor Johansson, Stiftelsen Skånsk Hemslöjd. In this book there is both a bit of history and three different weaving drafts for the Scanian monk’s belt (as well as material on many other Scanian common fabrics such as röllakan, krabbasnår, halvkrabba, treskaft, dukagång, trensaflossa and opphämta). The book can be ordered through Hemslöjden Skåne AB in Landskrona. It is available in the U.S. in the English version, Heirlooms of Skåne, through the Vävstuga Weaving School bookshop. 

Full Circle: A Return to Sweden to Repurpose Family Heirlooms

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By Nancy Gossell

My mother, a first generation Swedish American, never practiced Swedish death cleaning.    For those unfamiliar with the term, Swedish death cleaning is a method of decluttering to get rid of the stuff neither you nor your family needs after you pass away.

As I emptied my parents’ house to ready it for sale, I discovered a box filled with linens. I immediately recognized woven patterns I had seen in the homes of family members when we were in Sweden.  In my mother’s handwriting, slips of paper identified which immigrant family member the item came from.

To say I was dumbstruck is an understatement.  Mom had several Swedish cousins who wove but I could not recall any mention of weaving done by those who immigrated, including my grandmother who I often spent time with.  

The linens were in good to excellent condition. Quickly doing the math, I realized many were 100+ years old, traveling to their new life in Minneapolis.  

The largest linens had a handsewn seam connecting identical weave patterns precisely together.  Looms back then were constructed wide enough to weave towels, some table coverings and rag rugs.   The bed sheet and tablecloths for dining, discovered in this box, were wider than the 22-26” width of the loom, so meticulous seams connected two identical lengths together.  Talk about pressure to weave with no treadling errors!

In my time spent at the Tingsryd Vävstugan in Småland, Sweden the past two years I have admired the many items on display sewn from damask and various dräll patterns woven there.  Pillows, handbags, cosmetic bags, and stuffed animals are constructed from fine cotton and linen weaving. 

Here is an example of the items one finds at the Tingsryd Vävstugan.

items made with repurposed linens

Late fall, 2023, I wrote asking if I could bring  family items woven in Småland to the Tingsryd Vävstugan in 2024 to repurpose. Pictures were included so they knew what I had: 

I hoped to create items that upon being offered to the multigenerational USA descendants of the weavers, their response would be an enthusiastic YES, as opposed to a side glance questioning what would they do with (fill in the blank).

In late January I packed the 9.5 lbs. of woven items to return to Sweden once again.

The first day at the Vävstugan I laid every piece out.  After measuring each item, identifying wear and stains, suggestions and tentative conclusions were made. I left that afternoon with a list of items to purchase at the local Yarn/Fabric/Notions store and research to double check sizes of pillow inserts available in the United States.  

I spent the next 15 days at the Vävstugan cutting, pressing, sewing and baste stitching. Did I mention pressing, often with a wet piece of fabric to add more steam to the linen?  I had never sewn an exterior pillow cover. Thankfully, 50+ years ago I had sewn all my clothes, so I dug deep in recessed memory to baste, cut the fabric to make sure patterns matched at seams and installed zippers.   I conducted silent conversations with my grandmother and grandfather’s sister as I cut the linen woven by them to create new memories from their work.  

Nancy Gossell

One night the last week I was there, the left-over pieces came front and center to my mind.  Was I to leave these pieces to be recycled/ composted in Småland or what could I do with them?  I remembered a handmade drawstring bag I had in my suitcase filled with lavender.  I had a plan.   I was not leaving the pieces in Småland.  This spring I will be creating drawstring pouches and a small handbag or two from the left-over dräll.  

I am extremely happy. The results exceeded my expectations: large and semi-large square pillows, long pillows, neck rolls, pillow cases for sleeping and 4 thick linen twill aprons.  

The “new” pieces of Swedish linen returned to Minnesota from Småland.    

March 2024

Nancy Gossell, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is not letting grass grow underneath her as she takes full advantage of an open calendar and her long held interest in Swedish weaving.  She has strong Nordic roots, learning and working in Norway as a young adult.  From her 30s on she and her family visited many of her mother’s cousins in southern Sweden where she saw the magic in community based Vävstugor.

Read more about Nancy’s weaving adventures in an earlier Norwegian Textile Letter: “A Weaver’s Dream: The Weaving House in Tingsryd.”

Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk!

 

Ryas at Sörmlands Museum

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By Elisabet Jansson

Editor’s note: These photos of charming older Swedish rya coverlets were originally published in Elisabet Jansson’s blog, Textila Inslag, on February 28, 2020, and shared here with the author’s permission. 

In Sörmland’s museum’s collections there are three old ryas. When we hear rya, we might think of rugs, but these ryas have never been used on the floor, but as coverlets. A little over 15 years ago, I looked at the ryas together with then domestic crafts consultant Lille-Mor Boman. A few days ago it was time again. A weaving colleague, Åsa Viksten Strömbom, and I had the opportunity to study the ryos together with home craft consultant Maria Neijman. A conservator was constantly in the background and made sure that the worn and fragile textiles were handled properly. We spent a couple of interesting hours with the old ryas. We have not decided if and how we will proceed after this visit, but something will surely happen.

Here are some brief notes about the three ryas.

The rya in the top and following photos was most likely used in a boat out on the Baltic Sea for overnight stays in connection with fishing. It is sewn together from three layers, with a width of approx. 83, 83 and 61 cm respectively (2’7”, 2’7”, and 2’). The bottom fabric is woven in equilateral twill and the pile knotts are embedded in the bottom in such a way that they are not visible on the smooth side. Where the pile is worn, you can see how they are distributed irregularly over the surface. Inventory number SLM 9210, look HERE.

The next rya is woven in two lengths in weft rib with a fairly regular pattern in brown, white and yellow between the rows of knots. The pile is largely worn out. Inventory number 3203, look HERE.

The third rya is woven in bound rosepath in several colors. Each side is different, and the right side of the rosepath is on the smooth side. There is no regular repetition of the rosepath borders.  The pattern in the two lengths match, except for one border on one of the edges. The pile knots build a pattern of gold and white squares. The inventory number is 3204, here.

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Elisabet Jansson lives in Eskilstuna. She weaves and embroiders, sometimes for a living but since she became a pensioner, often just for her own pleasure. When she isn’t weaving or embroidering, she dyes textiles, reads about textiles, looks at textiles, attends courses on textiles, or holds  courses on textiles. She shares all the elements of her textile life on her blog, Texstila Inslag.

[Editor’s note: this is one of my favorite blogs. I recommend it, even if you don’t speak Swedish. In particular, she posts many photos of wonderful textile works from Swedish museums and gallery shows.]

Translated by Robbie LaFleur, with help from Edi and Roland Thorstensson. Edi wrote an article about a Swedish rya in the Norwegian Textile Letter in 2014. See: “A Fabulous Find: A Rya from Ryd.” Also,  the article “Celebrate the Rye – or Rya – or Ryijy!” compiled all of the articles on rya that appeared in the Norwegian Textile Letter up to 2019.
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk! 

Flamskväv (Tapestry) in Skåne, Sweden: Then and Now

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By Marianne Asp

Marianne Asp’s modern use of Flamskväv, in a jacket modeled by her daughter. Photo provided by Marianne Asp.

Weavers from Flanders came to Skåne (southwestern Belgium and northwestern France) as early as the beginning of the 16th century. At the royal castles, tapestries were hung as decoration and as protection against cold and drafts from cold stone walls.

The weavers were men who lived in a castle until a tapestry was finished and then moved to the next castle and the next weaving task. Famous battles and pictures from the Bible were depicted. The tapestries were large, usually around 13′ x 19′ (400cm x 600cm).

The weavers had a pattern collection (cartoons) from which the nobility ordered motifs. By the 17th century, tapestries became less popular and male weavers could not support themselves and their families. Weaving then became a task for women and the art of weaving tapestry transitioned from a profession to handicraft.

At the same time, folk artists, mainly in southwestern Skåne, began to weave tapestry. The land was very fertile in that region, and supported servants working in the fields. Women on the farms had time to weave and embroider. The largest production was in 1750 – 1850.

Swedish digital Library image: https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023369651/akedyna. Unbleached linen warp, wool weft. “The Lion Castle ” is surrounded by flowers and flying birds, framed by a blue zigzag border. It has wool fringe and a back of red calfskin. Woven in 1790 by Bengta Olsdotter. The motif is described in Ernst Fischer Flamskvävnader i Skåne, pp. 280-283. 

Large cushions called äkdynor became status symbols; a sign that you were rich. The cushions were used on Sundays, when traveling to church by horse and carriage. Most important was the bride’s journey to church before her wedding: she could sit on up to ten cushions!

The images were religious or taken from folklore. Flowers and birds were also depicted, strewn throughout the image. The cushion dimension were usually 20″ x 39″ (50cm x 100cm). The joy of color is evident, and there are many shades.

https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023711729/akdyna. No date given. Very large flowers and vases; very small people! Look closely to find charming birds. 

Museums and handcraft organizations in Sweden play an important role in maintaining interest in handcrafts. Handcraft consultants teach courses in Flamskväv and handicraft stores sell all needed materials. the classes have been completely full in the past year.

We who weave Flamskväv have a responsibility to carry on the knowledge, tradition and joy of weaving.

Flamskväv by Marianne Asp. Photo provided by Marianne Asp.

Marianne Asp teaches traditional Swedish tapestry, Flamskväv, with Hemslojd (the Handcraft Association) in Skåne, Sweden. She has also taught at Sätergläntan. She has woven in a variety of techniques for many years, but always returns to Flamskväv, inspired by the richness of color and pattern in the old tapestries. 

To delve more into the tapestries of Skåne, see Anne Whidden’s post in the Swedish Rug Blog, “Traditional Swedish Tapestry Weave.”

August 2022
Help support wonderful articles on Scandinavian textiles with a donation to the Norwegian Textile Letter. Thank you! Tusen takk! 

Across the Border: Exploring a Similar Swedish Technique

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By Robbie LaFleur

Many weavers who encounter coverlets in flesberg technique ask, “But isn’t that the same as the well-known Swedish bunden rosengång på tre skaft (bound rosepath on three shafts)? Yes, it is.

Gunnvor Johansson describes three-shaft bound rosepath in her book, Heirlooms of Skåne: Weaving Techniques. 

In Skåne, the popular terminology for bound rosepath with three shafts is treskaft or tresolv (“three-shaft” or “three-heddle”). It is a very old technique, found in ancient Egypt and worldwide. The oldest preserved bound rosepath weavings in Sweden date from the beginning of the 1700s and were woven with three shafts…The treskaft weaving technique was used to create the backs of cushions that featured more elaborately woven front sides.

Johansson describes two types of threading for three-shaft rosepath. The v-punkt solving (v-dot threading) is the equivalent of the Norwegian flesberg technique. The spetssolvning (pointed threading), in Norway, would be considered a three-shaft krokbragd threading. 

You can see many examples of Swedish coverlets in bound rosepath on three shafts by searching the Swedish digital library, digitaltmuseum.se. Search the collection with the key words “bunden rosengång tre skaft.”

Swedish Digital Library identifier: 1M16-96661. Coverlet used as a car and horse cover. Woven in bound rosepath on three shafts.

The Nordiska Museet in Stockholm published a compilation of beautiful Swedish weaving in 1925, Textilt Bildverk, edited by Emelie von Walterstorff. The English version, Swedish Textiles, came out in 1925. A digital version is available here. In the section on rosengång, or rosepath, #102 is a three-harness rosepath with the same tie-up as the Norwegian flesberg coverlets. 

 

 

 

 

 

Nordic Notes: Articles, Exhibits, and News

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Beginning with this issue, the Norwegian Textile Letter will include a regular column to alert readers to recommended online Scandinavian textile information. I often hear of interesting articles online, and this will be a venue to share. Several times each year I learn of Scandinavian textiles in gallery or museum exhibits. This “catch-all” Nordic News column will include websites, blogs, conferences, or projects. Let me know if you have items to share! 

Articles

The Journal of Dress History is the academic publication of The Association of Dress Historians. This very readable historical article from 2018 chronicles the development of bunads (regional national costumes), and their relationship to traditional peasant dress. See: Solveig Strand. “The Norwegian Bunad: Peasant Dress, Embroidered Costume, and National Symbol.” The Journal of Dress History, Volume 2, Issue 3, Autumn 2018, pp. 100-121. (The link is to the whole issue; scroll to page 100 for the article.)

 

Claudio Cocco traveled all the way from Arizona to study drawloom weaving with Anne Nygård at her Damaskvev studio in Bjorn, Norway. Read about Claudia’s travel and textile adventure in her extensive blog post, Damask Adventure – Weaving at the 66th Parallel. You can follow Claudia’s further weaving adventures on her blog, Vairarenbeth’s Blog, and on Instagram, where she posts under the name #teacatweaver.

Exhibits

Ann-Mari Forsberg (Sweden, 1916–1992) for Märta Måås-Fjetterström, Red Crocus hanging, 1945. Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

A trip to Milwaukee this summer is in order, to visit a major exhibit, Scandinavian Design and the U.S., 1890-1980 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, from May 15–September 7, 2020.  There are a substantial number of textiles included, 32 of the total of 180. From the overview: 

Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890–1980, will be the first major international loan exhibition to examine the extensive design exchanges between the United States and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) during the twentieth century. The exhibition will examine how both Nordic ideas about modern design and the objects themselves had an indelible impact on American culture and material life, as well as demonstrate America’s influence on Scandinavian design.

Read more.

Envelope from Sweden,” 1992″

MIA (the Minneapolis Institute of Arts)  recently opened Cloth Paper Scissors: Helena Hernmarck Weaves the Everyday, February 15-October 18, 2020. (Note: Hernmarck will deliver a lecture in connection with the exhibition, date TBD, in July or after.)

What sparks the artist’s imagination? Helena Hernmarck often finds inspiration in the stuff of everyday life: a letter, admission tickets, paper money, even dry cleaner tags. She contemplates these humble items, scales them up, and weaves them into large tapestries that display her virtuosic skills in photorealism. Showcased in this installation are four of Hernmarck’s “paper illusion” textiles in Mia’s permanent collection alongside works of art and archival materials from the artist’s private collection.

The Swedish American Museum in Chicago, Illinois, is holding an exhibit from March 7-June 7, 2020, Double-Weave in Sweden: New Materials and Applications. 

Double-weave is a special weaving technique that creates textiles with two layers…This exhibit is put together by nine weavers from Sweden. Their aim is to preserve this cultural heritage and teach people about its history and techniques. The weavers hope that by finding new uses, materials, and applications for double-weave, they will increase awareness around this weaving form and renew interest in the craft.

Designs from the Oleana company near Bergen, Norway, are featured in the Galleri at Norway House in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from February 14-May 10, 2020. 

News

In Minnesota, the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group is embarking on a group project. 18 members will weave pillow tops in rosepath, inspired by Anna Östlund’s book, Från Januari blues till December röd: 18 kuddar i rosengång (From January Blues to December Reds: 18 pillows in rosepath). Watch for updates about the project on the Scandinavian Weavers blog, at scandinavianweaversmn.com. 

 

 

 

 

Traditional Norwegian Weaving: A Long Distance Weaving Lecture

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Rutevev from Sogn og Fjordane

Editor’s Note:

What are contemporary Norwegian students taught about traditional Norwegian weaving? Let’s peek at the notes from a weaving lecture by Hilde Opedal Nordby, when she taught a weaving course at Rauland Academy in Norway in the spring of 2017.  Her original notes appeared on her blog, “Vevportalen: Om tekstiler, vev, håndverk og tradisjonskunst” (The Weaving Portal: On Textiles, Weaving, Handwork, and Traditional Arts), and she graciously agreed to posting an English version in The Norwegian Textile Letter.  Reading her notes will make you wish you were there for the whole lecture and discussion. Translation by Robbie LaFleur and Lisa Torvik.

Studies in Culture and Tradition
Lecture #1: Traditional Weaving 

By Hilde Opedal Nordby

Weaving Course Module 5–Traditional Weaving

Rutevev, unknown origin

This lecture will not go in depth, but point out some local variations.  It is taken from the weaving draft booklets we will use in the course.

Some questions come to mind when working with traditional weaving: how should you weave based on old pieces–reconstruct them, re-create them, or create something new? Use copying as a work method? Is it a utilitarian weaving or decorative? We have different ways of using things because we live in another time. Weaving has moved from the bed to the wall.

What is traditional weaving? Why are some coverlet techniques seen as more traditional than others? Tradition is a dynamic concept.

Åkle (Coverlet) Weaving in Norway—Scratching the Surface

Åkle – a woven coverlet used to place on a bed. From the Old Norse áklæði which means bed covering.

Brotkvitlar and brautåkle. “Brot” which means edge or a break, or border–a coverlet that is put together of stripes and borders. Kvitel is used for bedding. Åkle is a catch-all word today (p. 49, Skinveit).  Brosse and rugge are other local names–are there more? 

Tjukkåkle (thick-åkle)–thick weft-faced coverlets such as ruteåkle (geometric square weave) and krokbragd. The weft is dominant; it covers the entire warp. 

Tynnåkle (thin-åkle)–Overshot coverlets woven on a ground of plain weave, such as skillbragd and tavelbragd (monk’s belt).  In Vestland they are often used for rituals such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. In Trøndelag they are often sewn to the backside of a skinnfell (sheepskin)–a fellåkle. (p. 34, Skinveit).

Many coverlets are sewn together, and often several techniques are used in one coverlet. Many are woven of two pieces sewn together in the middle. The materials, patterns and colors are related to the area it was made and the environment. Technical improvements, industrialization, aniline dyes and the growing importation of cotton after 1850 allowed for many new variations. New working methods raised the possibility for new techniques, and new colors and materials opened the way for excellent compositions, which in turn gave new expressions to traditions. Easier access to materials and already-spun yarn freed up more time for weaving or other activities.

In discussing composition, were weavers motivated by a fear of blank spaces, or the need to create, or affected by the limits of the weaving technique? 

Local variations: what was found where, tendencies.

 

Vestlandet – Hordaland, Sogn and Fjordane – geometric square weave (rutevev).
Rogaland, Agder-fylkene – square weave (rutevev)
Buskerud – krokbragd (single and double), square weave (rutevev), skillbragd.
Sør-Trøndelag – skillbragd, tavlebragd, fellåklær, doubleweave, saumaåkle
Telemark – skillbragd
Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag and generally along the west coast – båtryer (boat ryas)
Vestfold – Vestfold technique (vestfoldtepper/vestfoldsmett), blokkvev

Inlay and Interlock Techniques

In these weavings, the pattern is plucked or laid in by hand, between the ground weave. The binding is either a weft-faced weave where the laid-in weft completely covers the warp, or a binding with a ground weave where the pattern threads are laid in on top of an open or tightly-woven plain weave ground.  

Kelim

With kelim you weave in separate yarn butterflies in the warp without interlocking them. Small openings grow between the colors and the weaving hangs together by shifting the pattern sideways.  The front and back are the same. (p. 108, Zetterman)

The technique is little used for coverlets in Norway, but was used for narrow bands in Telemark, saumabelte.

 
 

Square Weave — Rutevev / smettåkle (Norway), rölakan (Sweden)

Swedish Scanian rölakan has double interlocks, and there is a right and wrong side. Norwegian rutevev is a single interlock technique and is the same on both sides.  (p. 108, Zetterström). Rölakan is woven in two ways. Either you interlock the colors with each shot (double interlock) or interlock on every other shot (single interlock). The double interlock creates a right side and a wrong side, where there are raised ridges along the color changes. That type is especially used in Skåne and is called skånsk rölakan. The single interlock technique creates a reversible weaving, and is called norsk rölakan by Ulla Cyrus-Zetterström in her textbook on weaving. 

 
 

In rutevev butterflies are used to weave over a specific number of warp threads to result in squares, on an open shed with two shafts, and is woven wrong-side-up.  It can be woven on an warp-weighted loom, an upright loom or a floor loom.  On a floor loom it’s easy to get a distorted perspective and weave flattened squares; measure carefully. The ends per inch in the reed must be suitable to the weft yarn and the tightness; the weft should cover the warp completely. While weaving the yarn end is laid under a warp thread to secure it and is clipped off with 1 centimeter remaining on the wrong side (with double-interlock). The weft is laid in with even bubbles and beaten in the closed shed, after changing sheds. (Zetterstöm). 

In Hardanger the coverlets are called dokkåkle, or doll coverlets after the yarn-dolls (butterflies) they are woven with. In Sunnhordaland it’s called inlay-coverlet (smettåkle).  Ruteåkle, or square-weave coverlet, is the general name for the technique and tells us that the pattern is composed of squares. These coverlets have had high status. 

In Hardanger double-interlock is used the most, which means that the weaver interlocks the weft in both directions. With double-interlock the joins appear as vertical ribs on the wrong side. The coverlets are thicker and the right side is smoother than with single interlock, where the interlock join is woven when weaving in only one direction. The single interlock lies between the warp threads and the coverlet looks the same on both sides. 

In Hardanger square-weave coverlets are characterized by small squares and patterns. Typical weavings sold by traveling peddlers were the so-called “hardangeråkle.” Square-weave coverlets from Sogn had larger squares and patterns. In communities in Agder rhombuses dominated. 

Left: from Ullensvang, Kinsarvik, purchased 1895. Center: Sogn og Fjordane, Førde, purchased 1895. Right: Vest-Agder, Lindesnes, purchased 1896

Hotel Ullensvang in Lofthus (in the Hardanger region of Hordaland county) has a number of old coverlets hanging on its walls. 

“Solstol”, Hilde Opedal Nordby

“Solstol”, by Hilde Opedal Nordby, shows rutevev used in a contemporary way.

References: p. 106-107 Skintveit, p. 108-109 Zetterström

HV-technique

Handarbetets Vänners technique (Handarbetets Vänners is the Swedish Handcraft association)  is a simplified rölakan/billedvevsteknikk (tapestry technique) where the pattern is laid in in certain sections, while the ground weave is woven with a shuttle. The ground is a tight weft-based plain weave and the inlay thread is in the same shed is the ground weave. Weaving shifts between two inlay shots and two ground shots. (See diagram.) (p. 117, Zetterström).

MMF-teknikk

Märta Måås-Fjetterströms-technique (MMF) is woven in plain weave. The inlay pattern and the base weft are woven in the same shed.  It is used mostly for decorative weavings–draperies, curtains, and wall hangings. 

Vestfoldsmett (Norway) – Krabbasnår (Sweden)

Krabbasnår is a much-used technique in Sweden. Patterns placed with much space between them are typical for Norrland, and used extensively in Gästrikland og Hälsingland. In southern Sweden, however, the patterns are set so closely that the ground weave almost disappears.  It is reminiscent of smøyg (a form of embroidery), with similar pattern elements. 

Krabbasnår from Skåne

Krabbasnår from Småland

Krabbasnår from Dalarna

 
 

Nøtterøyteppe

In Norway the technique is especially known in Vestfold and has pattern elements tightly or more loosely placed, always in borders, with unusual and varied patterns.  It is not widespread, with just coverlets from Vestfold and one in Telemark, but it pops up in combination with other techniques in other areas of Norway. 

Asketeppe

It was a popular technique for runners and pillows in the 1940s and 50s with new patterns and colors. 

A runner in new colors and designs

Vestfold inlay is woven with the wrong side up.  The pattern threads are plucked on a closed shed under a certain number of warp threads (often 3). Between every pattern thread the ground thread is thrown in plain weave, which gives the colored background for the pattern. The pattern inlay is moved one warp thread diagonally for every inlay. The warp is linen or cotton; the ground is woven with a single strand of wool and the pattern woven with doubled wool yarn. The number of ground shots must be chosen so that the inlay pattern threads are neither too close nor too far from each other, for example two,  three or four shots between each pattern inlay. The ends are fastened by laying the yarn end under a warp thread so the fastened end is hidden by the pattern float.  1 centimeter of the thread can remain on the wrong side. 

References: p. 216-217 Brodén & Wiklund; p.119 Zetterström

Vestfold Husflid organization research: There were 12 old coverlets found in Vestfold and one from Solum outside of Skien in Telemark. The oldest is dated 1708 and the latest, 1840. The coverlets received their name from the place they were found. Vestfold was on the rise at that time. Andebu, especially, is notable for many coverlets. At this time, many of the large farms in Norway were being divided.  These coverlets were special, and not owned by everyday citizens. In comparing the Vestfold coverlets, you see they are all composed of borders of varying sizes, separated by narrow borders in pick-and-pick or small pick-up designs. Many of the borders are symmetrical over a mid-horizontal line. 

They were originally used on beds, which were the living area’s finest pieces of furniture. Later they were hung on walls as decoration. 

It is not a typical Norwegian technique.  The Vestfold area had a lot of contact with foreign countries and little rural culture. Perhaps it was easier to access textiles to purchase?  It resembles the Swedish krabbasnår technique that is very common in Sweden, especially Skåne and Norrland.  Perhaps Norwegians adapted it to their area?

022wXzpgYbVp lily zickerman, skåne foto 1910
Teppe fra Skåne in Sweden

Else Poulsson from Husfliden (the handcraft store) in Oslo drew patterns based on coverlets.  They were displayed in Stockholm in 1939 at a Nordic handcraft meeting (Nordiske Husflidstinget). They were woven in new colors popular then–rust, green, beige, sheep-black (a deep brownish-black), and gold. It became popular to weave the patterns, often combined with rosepath, in coverlets, runners, and pillows.

Examples of “new” Vestfold designs

Blokkvev (Norway) – halvkrabba (Sweden)

Block-weave draft

Blokkvev (block-weave) was used mostly in combination with other techniques, especially Vestfold. The pattern threads are laid under two warp threads (or 3-4 threads) and shifting to the side is always done over the same number of threads to give a checkerboard pattern. Each square has the same number of pattern threads. Block-weave is usually woven from the back, and the pattern shed is picked. One or two ground shots are woven between each pattern shot, and enough pattern shots should be woven to made the design square. 

References: p. 216-217 Brodén & Wiklund; p.119 Zetterström

 

Sjonbragd (Norway) – Dukagång (Sweden)

The pattern is characterized by lines along the warp direction.  The pattern threads always float over the same number of warp threads, bound by an even space between. Common divisions are over two and under one warp thread, or over three and under one warp thread as in the example below. In the first instance you thread 1,2,3,2,1,4.  Here it is shown with the right side up. 

Left: over two threads, under one; right: over three threads, under one

Sjonbragd is woven with the back side up so that when the pattern weft is picked in different colors, it is easier to manage the butterflies. If the pattern weft is woven in the same color across the whole width, the pattern weft can be inserted with a shuttle and can be woven right side up. 

In Sweden the technique is most used in Skåne and nearby areas. It has been used in decorative weavings, combined with other techniques in clothing fabric, and woven in both wool and linen. 

References: p. 119-120 Zetterström; p. 241 Brodén & Wiklund

Pile Weaves – båtryer og andre ryer

From the book Båtrya i gammel og ny tid (Boat Ryas in the Past and Present), by Ellen Kjellmo, Orkana forlag, 1996.

To the highest degree, the båtrya was a practical item and served its purpose–to keep fishermen warm in cold and wet conditions. Important characteristics were insulation, ventilation, humidity-absorbing abilities, suppleness, and elasticity.  The båtrya acted like a sheepskin, which was the common coverlet inland–but a sheepskin would become stiff and heavy when wet. 

Ryas are known from various parts of Norway back to 1500.  Ryas from inland were used as bed  coverings or in sleds. In Nord-Norge (Northern Norway) ryas were commonly used as equipments in boats, fisherman’s shanties, and beds. They were especially found in the Lofoten islands, Vesterålen, as well as the coast of Helgeland (more richly decorated the farther south you go). Ryas lost their popularity around 1900. Aside from one rya from the Grytøya community, there are no known preserved ryas from Troms or Finnmark–probably because most were lost during the Second World War (p. 22, Kjellmo). 

A single båtrye could weigh up to 1 vog, or 17.95 kilos (almost 44 pounds). They were from 130-170 centimeters wide (51-67″) and 180-200 centimeters long (71-79″). Two or more woven strips were sewn together. 

The smooth side was often woven with symmetrical stripes or squares. The knots were not visible on the smooth side, to protect the backs of the knots from wear. They were woven in three- or four-shaft warp-faced twill. The warp was quite closely set, with 50-90 threads per ten centimeters (approximately 12-22 ends per inch), depending on the thickness of the yarn. The warp yarn needed to be strong, even, and smooth, often left-twisted yarn, always two- or three-ply. It was spun of the guard hair of the wild sheep (utegangersau). The under hair was used for the knots. The weft is spun from the coarser hair of the belly and leg. It could have been twisted in the opposite direction of the warp yarn, but most often the warp and the weft were both left-twisted. The weft was not packed so hard, from 3-6 shots per centimeter (approximately 7-15 shots per inch). (pages 62-77, Kjellmo)

The pile side is the “noppasiden.” The pile length varied from 5-9 centimeters (approximately 2-3.6″). The pile side was meant as the back side and was often without pattern. The wool pile yarn was often supplemented with rag strips. It varied between 1-2 centimeters (.4-.8″) between each knot. The pile was cut beforehand in double lengths, often with the use of a “noppakjevle” (a “noppa-pin,”  or rolling-pin sort of implement).

 
 

Knots are tied on an open shed. 

The knot is the Smyrna knot or the gjordes knot, known from Turkish, Caucasian, and some Persian rugs. It is tight and is not visible on the back side. It was the most often used knot in Norway and in båtryer. It can be knotted with short ends or with one strand over a ruler. 

The Senné knot is used in central and east-Asian, in Egyptian and in Persian rugs. This knot is easier to pull out and the back of the knot is not completely hidden on the smooth side. 

The Berber knot, or soumac, is a variation of the smyrna knot.  It gives a rougher look.  (page 101, Kjellmo). 

Pile has been used in many decorative textiles, different from the båtrya’s useful and practical function. 

Pile was used in combination with knitting and as edging of various garments.

 
 

 

References: p. 106-107 Skintveit; p. 108-109 Zetterström

Taatit

Rugs from Shetland use a coarse base where the pile is sewn on after weaving, to free up the loom for other projects and to give more freedom in designing patterns afterwards. (VÄV, Number 4, 2016, pages 27-29).

http://donnasmithdesigns.blogspot.no/2015/06/taatit-rugs-exhibition.html

Chenille

Noppväv, or chenille, became common during the 1800s in Sweden, along with the increasing availability of cotton.  Cotton was especially suited to nopp-technique. The technique is known back to ancient Egypt. It was especially common in the western Swedish areas, where the access to cotton was good through the cotton mills both in Uddevalla and Göteborg.

Left: Skirt from the mid-1800s. https://digitaltmuseum.se/011024287337/kjol

It was less known in Norway; it was a newer city phenomenon, with examples like pillow covers from the collections of Husfliden in Oslo.

 

It was also a traditional technique in Sardinia, called “pibiones” which means grapes.  It was used for interior textiles such as pillow covers, tablecloths and curtains, and it is still woven today. 

Shuttled Techniques

Gammelbragd

Gammelbragd (“old-weave”) is a combination of pick-and-pick and other picked techniques. In galmmelbragd the patterns are picked over two, three or four warp threads, with the remaining warp threads used as the tie-down. It is often combined with pick-and-pick and you can achieve many interesting color effects. 

Synnøve Erdal from Ålesund analyzed a fire-damaged cradle blanket from Norddal in Sunnmøre. The warp-weighted loom continued to be used in Sunnmøre longer than in many areas; coverlets have a “third selvedge” on the upper edge where it was attached to the loom. 

References: p. 35 Skintveit; p. 49-58 Skintveit

Monk’s Belt: Tavlebragd (Norway) – Munkabälte (Swedish)

Monk’s belt, or tavlebragd, is a simple and easily-executed weave structure woven with four shafts and treadles. The pattern is woven with a shuttle or picked so that the pattern weft floats freely over and under the ground weave.  There are no binding threads, so the floats can’t be too long. The ground weave is most often plain weave in linen or wool. Tavlebragd is always threaded in at least two sections and creates a stacked pattern.  Each stack consists of several pattern shots with the same treadle, always with one or two ground shots between. 

 
 
 

Monk’s belt examples

Tavlebragd is found in many areas of Norway. 

A monk’s belt from Flat, and its draft

http://www.husflid.no/fagsider/aaklaer_fra_buskerud/tavlebragdaakle_fra_flaa

References: p. 221 Brodén & Wiklund; p. 82 Zetterström

Skillbragd (Norway) – Upphämta, Smålandsväv (Sweden)

In Sweden the technique is called uppämta and has several place-specific names such as Smålandsvev, Västgötateppe, Morateppe, and Åsedaväv.

Well-known examples in Norway are telemarksksteppe and nordlandsåkle, along with  åmotsdalsåkle (in Sør-Trøndelag). Skillbragd is common throughout Norway. It is often been used in religious contexts such as baptism, bridal coverlets, and coffin covers. This is reflected in descriptions such as kristnaåkle (christening blanket)  og likåkle (funeral cover). These items were well-cared for and not in daily use– perhaps that is why we find so many well-preserved skillbragd coverlets today? 

 
 
 

Skillbragd is a group name for weave structures of plain weave ground with pattern shots with floats, most often across the entire width. Inlay can also be used to include several colors in the same width. It is common to have six distinct pattern shots, and correspondingly, 6-8 pattern harnesses. 

It was originally woven with pick-up.  The ground weave is created by straight threading on four harnesses and a plain weave treadling, and that explains the name skillbragd (shed-weave), because the pattern was picked.  The pattern is picked up on half-heddle sticks that are raised behind the plain weave harnesses. This variant gives the greatest design freedom, but is very time-consuming. The pattern is built up of mirrored borders. 

Looms with Horses and Pulleys: 

It is important to have a loom deep enough to accommodate both sets of shafts and with room between the two sets. The ground weave shafts for plain weave are hung farthest back.  The ground weave shafts are tied up [in countermarch] at normal height with the warp threads resting at the bottom of the heddle eye.The pattern shafts are hung 20 cm (8 in) in front. Tthe pattern shafts hang in elastic bands at a height that places the warp threads in the upper end of the heddle eyes, in order to obtain a clear shed as pattern shafts are treadled. It is easiest to weave if the plain weave treadles are placed in the center so the plain weave shafts are well-balanced without lams as those shafts are tied directly to the treadles. The pattern treadles are tied one by one through a corresponding lam and to the shafts. 

How is the pattern read and threaded?

The plain weave is threaded with one thread in the each heddle on two shafts. 

The pattern is threaded in heddles with long eyes (the warp is threaded under the eye of the heddle with common heddles) on four shafts, with 2-4 threads in each heddle depending on the pattern. On the pattern shafts you thread the warps that create the pattern.  You have the right side up. 

Each pattern square is one pattern shot (of 2-4 threads). An empty square = no heddle; the thread passes the respective shaft.  A filled square = threading a thread pair per pattern heddle and respective shaft. 

Weave with narrow shuttles and many spools. 

Rosepath — Single rosepath or bound rosepath

 
 

Rosebragd is known for a wide variation of both pattern and color.  The pattern is often improvised so that the weaving is different from the start to finish.  It is also woven with borders in plain weave of weft-faced sections between. 

Rosebragd is called rosengång in Sweden and is one of the most common decorative weaves. Perhaps that’s why it is sometimes called svenskåkle, or Swedish åkle, in Norway?  It is a common and popular technique that is often used in teaching and home weaving of practical textiles here in Norway.

Rosebragd is woven in two variations; as a weft-faced boundweave or as a pattern that floats on a plain weave background. 

Single rosepath (Norwegian: rosebragd, Swedish: rosengång) is a shifting weft-faced weave where the even-numbered weft shots always bind the opposite warp threads of the odd-numbered weft shots. The same combination [of weft shots] is often repeated several times before the weft-faced pattern shifts.The shuttles are thrown around each other to secure the edges.In a weft-faced weave the warp threads lie unbound inside the pattern and the weft can slide on the warp. Picks on the opposite warp threads can therefore be replaced by a weft shot in plain weave, thereby achieving a tighter woven fabric; Zetterström calls this a ”twill on a plainweave ground.” In Sweden they also have a variant of rosepath which is called “bound rosepath,” and is similar to the Norwegian krokbragd technique.

References: p. 33-37 Zetterström; p. 46-47 Skintveit

Krokbragd

 
 

Krokbragd or krokåkle is one of the most popular coverlet techniques, with an unbroken weaving tradition up to today (page 59, Skinveit). The technique has been common over large areas of the country for practical textiles such as bed coverings, coverlets for sleighs, and in rocking chairs; many bear signs of wear and use. Today it is common to have krokbragd in the entire weaving, but in older traditions krokbragd was used as borders in combination with two-shaft pattern techniques from gammelbragd, and woven with warp-weighted looms. Krokbragd is also called  tjukkåkle (thick coverlet), because they are thick due to using at least three shots to cover the warp in each row. 

Krokbragd is a weft-faced weave where the weft covers the warp and it is the color changes that create the pattern. The pattern is dominated by small squares and zig-zag borders in uncountable combinations. Krokbragd is threaded on three or four shafts. The relationship among the warp, weft, and yarn quality must be correct. The weft will too easily slide or shift if the warp is too open. It can be smart to use doubled warp threads. 

In Sweden there is a technique called bunden rosengång (bound rosepath); in Norway the technique is called krokbragd with rosepath threading (V-point threading) because it is woven in the same method as krokbragd, but always on four shafts and the V-point threading. It is called losningteppe in Åmli.

“Svenskbunden” krokbragd fra Brekkebygd i Sør-Trøndelag, vevd i 1940. Bunden rosengång eller krokbragd med rosebragd-hovling.

How do we use traditional weaving today? 

  • Copying and reconstruction
  • Decorative work and commissions
  • Inspiration for your own work, new creations and new development

Berit Overgaard weaves rutevev hangings with plastic bags, with political undertones. 

 

www.ruteaakle.no

Brita Been is a textile artist from Porsgrunn, who was a weaving instructor.  She is great with color. 

 

http://www.britabeen.no/#2_repetisjoner

Hilde O. Nordby’s contemporary bag in krokbragd

 

Companies: 

 

Røros Tweed tradisjonally inspired wool blankets 
– Anderssen&Voll – “åkle”

 
 

– Kristine Five Melvær – “Åsmund” og “Mikkel”

 

http://www.kasthall.com/en/products/chenille-bloom

Kari Traa – åkle

 
 

Angie Parker is a British handweaver, living and working in Bristol on a Glimåkra loom. She is inspired by Scandinavian weaving traditions. 

http://www.angieparkertextiles.com/

References: 

Brodén,  and MärtaSignild Wiklund, Vävning. LTs förlag, Stockholm, 1976.

Cyrus-Zetterström, Ulla. Handbok i vävning – Bindingslära med konstvävnader. LTs förlag, Stockholm, 1974.

Gauslaa & Østbye. Åkleboka – nye mønstre i gamle teknikker. Landbruksforlsaget, Oslo, 1977.

Kjellmo, Ellen. Båtryer i gammel og ny tid. Orkana forlag, Stamsund, 1996.

Lund-Iversen, Berit.  Å veve – grunnbok i bindingslære.  Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, 1980.

Lundbäck,  Maja and Märta Rinde-Ramsbäck, Småvävar. ICA-förlaget, Västerås, 1957.

Skintveit, Kristi.  Åklebragder frå Jondal og kring Folgefonna – historier, mønster og oppskrifter. Jondal : KristiAneVev, 2012.

http://www.rorostweed.com/

http://kristinefivemelvaer.com/

http://www.husflid.no/fagsider/aaklaer_fra_buskerud/tavlebragdaakle_fra_flaa

Hilde Opedal Nordby is an Norwegian textile artist working with traditional weaving techniques, as well as contemporary and digital weaving. She is based in Sundsvall in Sweden and is working as a teacher in the weaving department at Sätergläntan Institute of Crafts in Insjön, Sweden. She also has her own company offering courses and weaving services as well as hand woven textiles such as interior textiles and textiles for clothing.
See also Norby’s previous article for the Norwegian Textile Letter, “Women Weaving Women,” in the August 2018 issue. 

Nordic Weaving Network

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A new group has emerged for those who follow weaving in the Nordic countries.  The Nordic Weaving Network was established in February 2018, initially by Danish and Swedish weavers and researchers. Anyone can be a member, and through an active Facebook group you can follow weaving activities in the Nordic countries (plus Nordic weaving activities in the U.S.).

When American weavers hear “Scandinavian weaving” or “Nordic weaving,” they might think about historical coverlets with regional differences, like Norwegian skillbragd or Swedish opphämta weaving. Or Sami woven bands from the north of Scandinavia. They might think about a simple, graphic båtrye (a boat rya) from the West coast of Norway or a 20th century art rijuy from Finland. But an overall Nordic definition of weaving? To Americans in general, that might conjure an image of clean lines, a mid-century modern feeling.

It’s safe to say that most people in the Nordic countries are familiar with weaving traditions in their own countries, but don’t think about a group identity as Nordic weavers.  The Nordic Weaving Network hopes to spark conversation and discussion about this concept of Scandinavian or Nordic weaving, with members who are interested in historical research and contemporary weaving. They hope to build relationships, encourage research, and promote weaving generally among the countries.

Follow along with the conversation by joining the Nordic Weaving Network Facebook group.  New members are encouraged to post about their connection to Nordic weaving.  There have been many links to exhibits and conferences. Whether your interests are in historical textiles or the latest contemporary weaving in Nordic countries, this is a great resource. 

Origins and Ongoing Work of the Nordic Weaving Network

In June, 2018, Vævernes Hus i Denmark arranged an international seminar entitled “Scandinavian Weaving” where 25 participants from 8 different countries came together, partially funded by the Nordisk Kulturfond. It was there that the Network was conceived, a steering group was formed, and future goals and initiatives were planned. A report to the Nordisk Kulturfond on the seminar was approved in October 2018.

In 2018 the steering group worked on expanding the network, and many organizations, schools, and workplaces now support the Network. 

An important goal of the Network has been to establish leadership representing the five Nordic countries.  Currently, the steering group includes: 

Annelie Holmberg, Textile Studie, Uppsala University, Sweden

Arianna Funk, Textile artist at Studio Supersju, Sweden

Gitte Karlshøj, Weaver and Designer at Vævernes Hus, Denmark

Kikka Jelisejeff, Development Manager for Taito, the Finnish Crafts Association, Finland

Merethe Stavnsbjerg, Board-member of Vævekredsene i DK, Denmark

Ragga Thorsdottir (or Ragnheiður Björk Þórsdóttir), Textile Artist at the Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduós, Iceland

Åse Eriksen, Textile Designer at Nordic Textile Art, Norske Tekstilkunstnere and
Norske Kunsthåndverkere, Norway

Tove Engelhardt Mathiassen, museum curator of historical dress and textiles at Den Gamle By in Aarhus, Denmark, is administrator of the Nordic Weaving Network Facebook group .

This triptych by Anne Marie Pedersen is currently the featured image on the Facebook page. Steering committee member Gitte Karlshøj wrote about it Pedersen, “She is a brilliant weaver and a wonderful person. I have never seen anything like her tapestry made in the technique of “Rosengang”. It demands lots of patiense, brainwork and creavity. Anne Marie Pedersen is a member of  Weavers in West Zealand (Vævere i Vestsjælland) and the House of Weavers (Vævernes Hus). Here we are were proud of her and appreciate her skills very much.”

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Dipping Into Carol Johnson’s Tapestry Collection

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Carol Johnson has over 60 tapestries in her collection–some Swedish, some Norwegian, and a handful of Scandinavian-inspired American ones. Most are modest in size. Many of them were woven by novices, probably by women learning tapestry techniques during a resurgence of textile interest in the 1950s-1970s.  One piece is undisputedly a learner piece…

…Because here’s the Swedish book with the pattern!  Flamskvävnad: Flemish Weaving, by Ernst Fischer and Gertrud Ingers (Västeros: ICA Förlaget, 1961).

Pieces in the collection represent many popular traditional images. She has two small tapestries of a man and woman surrounded by a floral border.  It’s a segment of a well-known Swedish tapestry cushion pattern, “The Engagement.”

The pattern for this weaving is found in Flemish Weaving: A Guide to Tapestry Technique, by Gertrude Ingers (NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1971, originally published in Swedish, 1967). It is a portion of a image that was popular during the height of Swedish flamsk weaving in southern Sweden, from around 1750-1850.  

Flamsk means Flemish, meaning a type of tapestry based on continental styles.  In Sweden the weaving techniques and the images were simplified and, similar to Norwegian billedvev (tapestry), used dovetail techniques to avoid slits.

Woven in southern Sweden, owned by the Kulturen Museum in Lund.

Vivecke Hansen, a Swedish author and expert on flamskväv and other Scanian weaving techniques, posted a photo of a cushion with a more elaborate background, woven in the 1800s. (“Historical Reproductions–18th and 19th Century Dove-Tail Tapestry.” Textilis, No. XXXIX, May 22, 2015) 

Sometimes scanning images in the Swedish DigitaltMuseum turns up patterns similar to those in Carol’s collection. This relatively modern flamsk weaving was dated 1960-1980. It is a common floral pattern with a bouquet of flowers flanked by two parrots, surrounded by a wreath, on a background of flowers. 

In Carol’s tapestry, which may be older, guessing from the condition, the red urn switches to one festively adorned with zigzags. So many of the individual pattern elements are the same shapes in both tapestries, but vary in execution. For example, look at how the parrots were woven in the two pieces. 

Another popular Swedish flamsk pattern is the red lion surrounded by a laurel wreath and on a background of flowers. Over 70 tapestries with the lion image still exist from the historical 1750-1850 time period. Here is the example owned by Carol, woven in the 20th century. 

Carol’s collection of weaving in tapestry techniques includes several pieces in square weave, with designs built geometrically.  Swedish pieces, called rölakan, use a double-interlock technique. This photo shows the back of a rölakan with the characteristic rows of raised edges where the colors join and interlock.  This photo also show how older pieces can be quite faded on the front, with the richest colors–sadly–evident only on the back. 

Carol’s collection includes two rölakan versions of the Swedish Bäckahäst, the river or sea horse, another popular Swedish tapestry image. This mythological creature was thought to lure people to ride on their backs and then plunge into the river. Although I thought this was a dragon-like creature spouting fire, I have seen a few references to a lily in the mouth of the horse.

Another find from the Swedish Digitalt Museum was this hand-colored photograph of a historical textile with similarities to one in Carol’s collection. It is part of a collection of 120,000 photographs by Lilli Zickerman, posted by the Svenska Hemslöjdsförening  (The Swedish Handcraft Association). Lilli Zickerman undertook a massive inventory of Swedish folk textiles between 1910-1932.  

This piece in Carol’s collection reproduces many of the abstracted flowers of the larger historical piece. In the center of both pieces, note the modern-looking abstracted lilies of the valley.

This Swedish rölakan, woven at a fine sett with thin yarn, features birds and stars. 

 

Here is a Norwegian piece at a larger scale. In Norway the geometric tapestry technique is called rutevev.

Although double-interlock square-weave pieces are found in Norway, single interlock is more usual. With that technique, once the loose threads are woven in, the back is as beautiful as the front, and the weaving is reversible. We would guess this is a Norwegian rutevev because the back is as lovely as the front, but there is also a label.

Traditionally, larger Norwegian square-weave pieces were woven with thicker yarn at a wider sett than Swedish square-weave tapestries, probably because they were woven as utilitarian coverlets.  In Sweden the square-weave technique was more commonly used for decorative textiles, with more complex patterns in finer threads. 

The next two single interlock rutevev hangings are likely from patterns by noted Norwegian designer Else Poulsson, who worked in a variety of textile techniques. Poulsson was the head of Den Norske Husflidsforening (the National Handcraft Association) for 25 years, beginning in 1929. While her abstracted patterns were sometimes compared to spare patterns of German Bauhaus designs, her images focused on Norwegian culture; rural people in traditional costumes were frequent subjects. 

A similar horse and rider design is found in an entry about Else Poulsson in the Store Norske Leksikon (Large Norwegian Encyclopedia). 

Carol Johnson’s collection includes the head of a figure in the famous Norwegian Baldishol Tapestry, the most spectacular historical Norwegian tapestry, dated from the mid-1100s. It is woven in billedvev (literally, picture-weaving), the Norwegian tapestry technique that employs decorative joins and avoids long slits. Norwegian billedvev is also characterized by areas of solid color with little hatching. 

It’s one of the few pieces in the collection with initials and the date of completion on the back, “S.H. 14/7 1966.” 

A cartoon for this weaving is included on the Swedish Digital Museum site, from the collection of Vänersborgs museum. (Full record here. The record says it is from Johanna Brunssons Vävskola (a weaving school). 

Clearly this cartoon has been woven many times.  Ulrikka Mokdad from Copenhagen wrote, “Baldisholmanden – I remember 26 years ago when I was taking classes at The Weavers’ Guild, we would choose between several details from the Baldishol tapestries at the end of course one. I chose the face of the April man .” Another Danish Facebook reader wrote that she had inherited the same piece from her great-aunt, and assumed it had been a weaving school assignment. 

If you were hunting for the most iconic image of medieval Norwegian billedvev, you would have to find an image of the wise and foolish virgins.  As expected, Carol has one–this weaver only wove the five wise ones.  

In the early 1900s the Handcraft Associations in Norway (Husfliden) and Sweden (Hemslöjden), in an attempt to revive traditional handcrafts, sold weaving patterns based on historical pieces.  This billedvev piece in Carol’s collection was likely from a pattern from Husfliden in Norway.

This image is from a medieval cushion cover is in a set of books by Henrik Grosch.

Carol Johnson’s tapestries are tantalizing puzzles.  They came with little background–perhaps they were sold off from a relative’s stash or were flea market finds for the sellers. They are woven with care in a time-consuming process.  Who made them? Where did they get the patterns? When did they fade from fashion or lose meaning for the weaver or her family?  As the title states, this article only dips into Carol Johnson’t tapestry treasures. 

Fans of Scandinavian tapestry can look forward to an exhibit of Carol Johnson’s collection at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota in early 2019.  Here is a GALLERY of many of the pieces.  If you have knowledge of the designers or other background about them, let me know.  

Robbie LaFleur
lafleur1801@me.com