Embellishment

Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, Decorah, Iowa
July 6, 2023–January 5, 2024

Laura Berlage. Hayward, Wisconsin.  “Purse of Dreams”

Offering an embroidered bag or purse was a common gift of devotion or courtship. I wanted this purse to have that feeling of specialness and magic. All the elements, from the loom-beaded top with wire warp to the braided handle to the butterfly pin, were in my stash.

I was delighted with embroideries from the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Inspired by curving, floral designs in crewel and braided goldwork, I couldn’t keep myself from trying it. Little did I know how difficult embroidering on velvet would be! Every element had to first be padded with a felt or corded base, so the embroidery and beadwork could be stitched on top. The process took months. 

I’m a prolific fiber artist and Vesterheim instructor, living and working on my family’s homestead farm in northern Wisconsin. My work delights in the overlap of narrative and visual and bringing ideas into form. Artist website: erindaletapestrystudio.com 

 

Marcia Cook. Decorah, Iowa. “Holiday Vest”

My inspiration for this holiday vest came from a Scandinavian dress. Originally, it was to be all wool except the polyester lining. I soon tired of trying to complete a mirror image. I added silk ribbons, threads, and glass beads and had fun coloring outside the lines. 

I’m a career goldsmith from the Pacific Northwest. I am a maker of my own clothes and started making embellished jackets when I moved from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska, 25 years ago. Travel in Alaska required patience and needlework filled the time. Since moving to Decorah, I’ve become more involved with my Norwegian heritage. I love the swirls and floral patterns in rosemaling. 

 

Janette Gross. Santa Cruz, California. “Chaos to Wisdom” Weaving

Runes have always fascinated me. Rather than carving them in stone, I used soumak (weaving technique) to add texture and embellish my tapestry to tell a story of moving from chaos to wisdom and understanding. I am exploring wedge weave which originated with blankets woven by the Diné Nation (Navajo) in the late 19th century. Wedge weave is woven diagonally which distorts the warp and results in scalloped edges. I add a card-woven edge to further define the scallops and create a neat and even selvedge. I mostly use wool singles, adding an additional twist to better reflect light. 

I naturally dye wool and weave with it but sometimes add silk, cotton, plastic, or whatever is called for in the piece. This is part of my climate change series to encourage others to take care of the planet. I live in Santa Cruz with my husband and dog Finnegan. Social media: janettemgross104

Rune translations:

1. Chaos/hail/storm
2. (top) Challenge (bottom) Hopes/ fears/ water
3. Shield/protection/defense
4. Trust/faith/support/progress
5. War/battle/victory/honor/ justice
6. Vitality/wisdom/understanding

 

Elea Jourdan. Decorah, Iowa. “Northern Lights” Wall Hanging

My wall hanging was inspired by a photo of the northern lights in Norway. I knew the best way for me to express this was with the technique of wet felting. Traditionally, a Scandinavian pile wall hanging would be created by laying down long locks of wool as one is weaving. But my “wet felting” technique starts with a layered strip of merino wool, laid out on a flat table. I proceeded to lay these beautiful locks along the outside of the merino wool and wet it down with warm, soapy water. Then the locks are felted-in with a felting paddle.

I have been a textile and clay artist for the past 30 years. Textiles have been a continuous part of my creative life. I have been influenced by my own Norwegian heritage. My work is a remembrance of our Nordic traditions and folklore, inspiring me to create my distinctive type of art. 

 

Robert Lake & Mary Jane Lake. Viroqua, Wisconsin. “Celebration of Norwegian Rosemaling through Quilting” 

Mary Jane is a quilter and is always looking for inspiration. Finding rosemaled fabric for this project was a dream come true. She combined her knowledge of rosemaling and free-motion quilting to create this wall-hanging. Using the rosemaled fabric as the focal point, she added two borders. Next, she pinned the backing, wool batting, and top together into a sandwich and filled the entire piece with free-motion quilting. The dark red piping in the binding added another embellishment to bring the entire quilt together.  

Robert has been a woodworker for 50 years; he fills their home with beautiful handmade furniture and other wooden objects. He discovered chip carving about 30 years ago and hasn’t stopped since. He created the chip-carved basswood hanger to “top” it all off.

The Lakes moved to Wisconsin 55 years ago to pursue a dream of growing their own food while continuing their careers in education.  Mary Jane was a special education teacher for 34 years and Robert was a guidance counselor. They continue to grow and preserve most of their food today.

 

 

Miranda Moen. Austin, Minnesota. “Hamarvotten Mittens.”

This work follows the Hamarvotten (Hamar mitten) pattern designed by Mette-Gun Nordheim. It depicts the signature arches of Domekirkeruinen, the Hamar Cathedral ruins, which survived the Seven Years War attacks in 1567 and are a present-day icon of the city. While in Hamar, Norway, due to pandemic restrictions, I started to learn to knit. Over the following months, I continued knitting almost every night and through which I found camaraderie with others. Every time I look at this pattern it brings back memories of one of the best years of my life.

I am an architectural designer driven to serve rural communities through cultural heritage research, attainable architecture, and creative projects that ignite economic development. In 2020 I founded MO/EN, a regional design and research practice headquartered in Austin, Minnesota. I was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship to Norway in 2022. Artist website: www.moendesignpractice.com

 

Rosemary Roehl. St. Cloud, Minnesota. “The Dog Days of Summer” Weaving

I find figurative boundweave (creating figures while weaving boundweave or krokbragd) fun to weave. I used bows and fuzzy yarn and French knots to add bees, cardinals, apples, and pesky ladybugs. This weaving was inspired by nature. I am a self-taught weaver focusing on traditional Norwegian weaving. I fell in love with Norwegian weavings during my first trip to an ancestor’s home on the Nordfjord in 1978. 

I started competing in the Vesterheim National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition in 1983. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Rosemaling in 1992. I enjoy exploring different ways to use traditional techniques and color. I taught at St. Cloud State University (MN) in the College of Education and retired in 1997. 

 

Juli Seydell Johnson. Iowa City, Iowa. “Reaching to the Sun” Quilt 

This piece began as a very basic quilt. When done, it was pretty, but didn’t feel “finished.” I was inspired to transform the quilt after painting in the Telemark style in a workshop with Nancy Schmidt. My own designed embellishment for this quilt flowed quickly after a weekend of painting and it grew into a vibrant interpretation of flowers growing toward the sun.

I am an artist who primarily works with textiles. My art is often inspired by nature and everyday activities. I like to make bold interpretations of what I see. I use fun colors that brighten a space and make people smile. I started taking rosemaling classes in 2019 to connect to my Norwegian heritage. The colors, shapes, and techniques have added a new and exciting dimension to my textile work. Artist website: buffalograce.com

 

Renee Thoreson. Rochester, Minnesota. “Hardanger Elegance” 

I love the feminine lines and delicate detail of the pattern. I also love blue, and the master level of skill needed to execute the design. When I heard that the theme this year was “Embellishment,” I just had to add a little glam with the crystals and beads! I hope you like it too!

I am a folk artist who loves all things Norwegian. I have been stitching since I was three years old. It started with lacing cards and progressed to embroidering hens on potholders. I did cross stitch until I ordered hardanger embroidery books from Nordic Needle (Fargo, ND) which then became my new folk art passion. I also love to rosemal and grew my skills here at Vesterheim. My late dad introduced me to wood carving, and we enjoyed classes together at Vesterheim. Engaging in folk arts is my dad’s legacy and one I will pass on.

 

Joshua Torkelson. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Selbu Hat” 

This hat is made using patterns and motifs found on historic examples of mittens and sweaters from the Selbu area of Norway. What I love about these patterns is that they can be found on all clothing, ranging from Sunday best to everyday clothes. Functionally, the colorwork adds two layers of yarn when knit, making the garment twice as warm. The folded brim also gives extra warmth around the ears.

I am a woodcarver, knitter, and folk artist. I have been carving since middle school and find inspiration in historic carvings and patterns. I also began knitting in earnest in 2020 and found a passion for colorwork, particularly Norwegian Selbu motifs. In all my work, I am fascinated by repeated patterns and the elaborate decoration of everyday objects. Instagram: @josh_torkelson 

 

Lisa Torvik. St. Paul, Minnesota. “Kalendar” Weaving

The medieval Baldishol tapestry discovered in a church in Norway in the late 19th century is the inspiration for my piece, “Kalendar.” I used the overall dimensions and decorative framework of the original’s design, which consists of two panels, “April” and “May” showing activities of sowing and warfare, respectively. This is believed to be the surviving fragment of a long frieze depicting all the months of the year. I chose the months of my birthday and my husband’s birthday to showcase elements of our lives and interests and incorporated several different techniques of textile construction and embellishment.

Growing up in Decorah, I was exposed to art and culture and a lot of Norwegian influences. My mother encouraged artistic expression and music and introduced me to knitting and weaving. In high school, I participated in a youth exchange with Valdres, Norway, and it deepened my interest in textile arts and weaving. Higher education and work have delayed my return to the loom for the past 10 years or so. Now I enjoy letting my weaving knowledge develop in new directions. 

 

Robbie LaFleur. Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Post Lockdown: Together Again”   

Rag rugs are common textiles in Scandinavian homes. This rug includes bed sheets from three sources: a sheet from my great-uncle’s time, a decades-old sheet of my own, and thrift store sheets. This rug is a companion to a very different wool krokbragd rug woven during COVID-19 lockdown. This rug was woven as part of a group warp at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. I truly appreciate the time to be “together again” with fellow weavers, friends, and family. 

I have been following a thread of Scandinavian textiles since I studied weaving at Valdres Husflidskole in Fagernes, Norway, in 1977. I received a Vesterheim Gold Medal in Weaving in 2002. I coordinate the Weavers Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and publish the Norwegian Textile Letter (norwegiantextileletter.com). In 2019, I received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study the transparency technique of famed Norwegian tapestry weaver Frida Hansen in Stavanger, Norway. Artist website: robbielafleur.com  

 

The Best of Show Award and Jurors Choice Awards did not include a winner in fiber, but perhaps none could compete with a rosemaled plate including Edvard Munch Skrik heads!

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

August 2023