From the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum press release, Summer 2022:
Six weavers were awarded ribbons in the annual “National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition” at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School. The exhibit was on display from July 2 -July 30, 2022.
Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
The exhibition also included knifemaking, metalworking, rosemaling, and woodworking categories. Vesterheim, which has some of the most outstanding examples of decorative and folk art in the nation, established the rosemaling exhibition in 1967 and added weaving, woodworking, knifemaking, and metalworking in later years.
Each year judges award blue, red, and white ribbons representing points that accumulate over successive exhibitions toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal. Judges also present Honorable Mention and Best of Show Awards and the public votes for People’s Choice Awards.
Judges this year for weaving were Mary Skoy, master weaver from Edina, Minnesota; Robbie LaFleur, Gold Medal weaver from Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Rachelle Branum, art educator from Decorah, Iowa.
Kathleen Almelien, Washington, IA. “Granddaughter’s Confirmation” Blue Ribbon
Kathleen Almelien is an artist/teacher from Washington, Iowa. She began investigating the process/product of band weaving in 2016. Kathleen has become interested in reading the Norwegian emoji’s that are woven into this historic rope.
“Granddaughter’s Confirmation”
The 120“ long band is ⅝” wide and was produced on a rigid heddle. My rigid heddle is held in a West Telemark vertical loom. The tape is made in 5 colors of Vavstuga 20/2 wool and 2 colors of perle cotton.
I was inspired to make my granddaughter’s conformation belt to protect her from harm. The protection is historically strengthened by the giving of one generation to the next.
I produced this pattern from a historic collection of motifs published by Magnahid Peggy Jones Gilje in her book Woven Treasures, published in 2020.
The word waist translates from Norwegian as ”life.“ Historically wrapping the apron band around the waist not once but twice gives a doubling of protection. The first “barrier” at the end of the band is a woven checkerboard, used for protection from nightmares. Then St. Anders cross/ humility. Finally, the heart/ the center of life’s functions represents the soul of the being and means everything positive – such as love, warmth and good feelings. The heart emotes falling in love/being in love. I wish all of this for her future.
Kathleen Almelien, Washington, IA. “Oseberg Endless Sign Band” Red Ribbon
“Oseberg Endless Sign Band”
The 120“ long band is ⅝” wide. The band is made in six colors of Vavstuga 20/2 wool and two colors of cotton. The rope has three areas of design. The four reds and white mid-band is woven with a warp of no 10 cotton and 13 “pick up“ yarns. The band’s length, 120″, is divisible by both three and four, which are Norwegian power numbers that protect from evil. It also uses the number three in the pick-up pattern.
The inspiration for this intertwined protective pattern came from the treasure trove of the Oseberg burial ship (carbon dated to 850 AD). The double wall of zig zag is to catch and hold evil. This emoji is reminiscent of sharp teeth or saw blades.
The band’s colors are equally important:
Green: spring /renewal /promise,
Gold: the sun for warmth /growth/ hope/wealth
Red: the color of life and blood.The rope has three areas of design. The strengthening edges consist of three cotton warp and 3 colors of yarn to weave the ”goats hoof” pattern distinct to the region of Telemark.
Carol Culbertson, Evansville, WI. “Diamonds Galore” Honorable Mention
“Diamonds Galore”
After weaving for 25 years, I taught myself Norwegian traditional weaving techniques 7 years ago. Since then, I have taken 3 weaving classes at Vesterheim’s Folk Arts School, learning how to expand and improve my weaving skills.
My inspiration for this piece comes from weavings I saw while taking a weaving class in 2018 and the celebration of our 60th wedding anniversary. It was most enjoyable putting together the colors and different elements.
Carol Culbertson, Evansville, WI. “Chris’s View” Red Ribbon
“Chris’s View”
Warp: Patons “Grace” 4 ply 100% cotton spun to an overtwist
My great-grandfather’s memories of his home in Vik i Sogn, Norway, inspired this weaving. When asked what he remembered most about Norway, he replied, “the mountains and fjords.” As I stood by his home in Vik and looked towards the harbor, this is what I saw – his view every day from his home. The two 16 1/2″ X 23″ panels are displayed in side by side “windows.”
Laura Demuth, Decorah, IA. “Two Long Winters” People’s Choice Award
I live on a small acreage just eight miles from Decorah, and have been weaving since the late 1970’s. I weave using mostly Norwegian techniques which I have learned in Vesterheim classes with inspiration from the textile collection.
This wall hanging was woven using 12/6 cotton seine for the warp and Rauma Prydvevgarn for the weft.
In 2017, my husband gifted me with a 60 inch wide Glimakra tapestry loom. I wanted to weave at least one piece on the loom that made use of its entire width. Woven using the Rutevev technique, the finished piece measures approximately 56″x71″.
Helen Scherer, Shawnee, KS. “Skis and Rails” White Ribbon
“Skis and Rails”
As a weaving hobbyist, I enjoy a variety of handlooms and traditional Norwegian weaving techniques for clothing fabrics and home textiles. My mother taught me the basics, but I continue to learn from many different resources.
This 25″x41″ skillbragd wall hanging was woven with thin 30/2 and 24/2 unbleached cotton for the background and mostly dark red, blue and green 6/2 Spælsau wool for the pattern weft.
“Skillbragd” means “shed weave” and is characterized by pattern weft floats over a plain weave background. Vertical background stripes are commonly seen with this technique, but the pattern is difficult to achieve without a rather unusual loom setup. On a countermarch loom, I used a group of four shafts for the ground separated by a few inches from a group of four shafts for the pattern. Each warp end was threaded through one ground heddle and above the eyes of from zero to four pattern heddles.
“Skis and Rails” is a traditional woven wall hanging in memory of my father, who enjoyed skiing and worked as a railroad roadmaster. The design was inspired by combining elements from a variety of old coverlet patterns in the “skillbragd” technique.
Sandra Somdahl, Decorah, IA. “Stars and Rosettes” Red Ribbon
“Stars and Rosettes”
I’ve been weaving for over 20 years but fell in love with the Norwegian techniques, yarn and colors. Living close to Vesterheim has given me easy access to classes and old Scandinavian woven pieces to use for inspiration.
The weft is linen and the warp is Norwegian Rauma Prydvevgarn.
Inspiration comes from a late 18th century piece from Sweden, possibly a south western province.
Wendy Stevens, Decorah, IA. “Firestorm Sunrise” Blue Ribbon
“Firestorm Sunrise”
I have been weaving since 1976 when I took an adult education class in beginning weaving on a rigid heddle frame loom and must admit that I was amazed to realize that I was making cloth. I have also taken classes at Vesterheim in tapestry technique from Lila Nelson and in danskbrogd from Jan Mostrom and discovered that I enjoy the detail that both techniques require. I am a member of the Oneota Weavers Guild and enjoy the sharing and encouragement within that group.
I wove Firestorm Sunrise in the winter of 2020 when devastating wildfires were sweeping across Australia. I chose single interlocking tapestry to show the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean. Danskbrogd technique allowed depiction of the sun’s rays both reflecting from the ocean surface and radiating out into the smoke-filled sky showing the beautiful yet terrifying atmospheric changes that accompany wildfire. High overhead flocks of birds, the only living animals that were able to escape, are making their way to new lands.
Following in Lila Nelson’s footsteps, I would like this weaving to reflect the beauty of nature as well as make a political statement. I hope that the viewer will come away from this weaving with a renewed sense of urgency to address climate change by government, business and individuals.
Firestorm Sunrise was woven in honor of and respect for my son, Thomas T. Stevens, who has been a wild land firefighter for over 20 years.
Lisa Torvik, St. Paul, MN. “Hordaland 3rd Generation.” Blue Ribbon and Best of Show
“Hordaland 3rd Generation”
My first weaving project was on a loom at home. As a teenager, I took backstrap weaving from Lila Nelson. I went to Valdres with the first Samband exchange group in 1970, as a museum guide in 1972 and a weaving student in husflidsskule all of 1974.
This is a transparent inlay weaving based on the traditional borders of a Hordaland coverlet. The materials are primarily 16/2 Swedish linen, unbleached and colored, and some perle cotton.
When I was at Valdres Husflidsskule, our weaving teacher showed us a Hordaland coverlet she had woven when she was a student. A classmate and I studied and drew its borders, shot for shot, on graph paper. I used that as the pattern to reproduce the piece in half-width. Last year, there was a couple meters of warp left on my loom from my Baldishol show piece so I was inspired to weave it down using my Hordaland tapestry as the model. Starting at the bottom, I wove inlaid borders with the same shot-for-shot pattern until I ran out of warp. This is why I call it “third generation.” (See: Three “Generations” of an Old Hordaland Weaving Design)
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media.
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