I had a bit of warp left over when the “Baldishol Duck” was finished, so I wove a small woodpecker on a tree limb. He
Frida Hansen’s Beautiful Black Roses
During this whole pandemic isolation, I have been enormously grateful that I was able to travel to Norway last year (May 2019) with a fellowship
The Baldishol Duck
I finished my piece for the upcoming show at Norway House, The Baldishol: A Medieval Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles. I made a short video showing
“Red is the Finest Color I Have”
I posted an article to the Norwegian Textile Letter today, in the middle of the publishing cycle, an extra article for the February issue. It’s
Medieval Mash-Up with Margaret: Finished
I wove “Medieval Mash-Up with Margaret” to bring to the Norwegian tapestry workshop I planned to give in Denver in late March. (Insert sad face)
Dipping into “Gammel Norsk Vævkunst”: Volume 2
For my small unicorn billedvev I was looking for some flowers to add to the background–a perfect reason to examine some of the old pieces in a volume
Baldishol Duck Background
The water and columns of my tapestry are underway. Next–the duck! The wooly water is woven with a beautiful skein of variegated indigo-dyed yarn I
A Billedvev Unicorn
My seven-year-old granddaughter Cora, far away in Vermont, is a great fan of unicorns. Coralie is also a textile fan. She thinks I can accomplish
Minnesota Duck Stamp–Medieval Style?
A marvelous exhibit is planned for Norway House in Minneapolis this summer, The Baldishol: A Medieval Norwegian Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles. Will it open as
Dipping Into “Gammel Norsk Vævkunst”
Each time I prepare for my Norwegian Billedvev (tapestry) workshop, I check out these ten volumes from the Textile Center of Minnesota Library: Gammel Norsk Vævkunst:
Jennifer E. Moss, “Marked: Rusted Wovens”
By chance, while visiting Savannah this week, I was able to attend an exhibit opening, “Marked: Rusted Wovens” by Jennifer E. Moss, which will be
“What is Norwegian Weaving?”–A New Booklet from Vesterheim
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum recently published the third in a series of beautifully-illustrated pamphlets on major types of folk art in their collection: rosemaling, woodcarving, and
Hannah Ryggen and her Geese
January in Minnesota is a really great time to delve into an engrossing tapestry project. I traveled to Arizona for a short time, to visit
More Megado Monksbelt Fun
As I came to the end of my Megado monksbelt piece, Kala Exworthy was about to start, using the same 36″ pattern that was programmed
Thank God for the Unweave Button
Oh, I was so pleased yesterday when I sent out an Instagram photo of the three-quarters-done monksbelt runner I was weaving on the Megado computerized
NYC 2020–At the Jane Kahan Gallery
Each year I visit the Jane Kahan Gallery at 73rd and Madison Ave in New York. According to their website, they are “the largest dealer
What I Decided NOT to Weave in NYC this Year
During my week in NYC this year, I decided to haul around my billedvev and weave in the ends. You can see progress during a
Medieval Mash-Up #6: The Comb Symbol
The tapestry below, from the collection of the Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo (full record here), was woven in 1739. There are so many details to study.
Medieval Mash-Up #5: Skinny Leg
When I finish a weaving, there are always aspects of the work that I like, and those that remain annoying. On this one, I’m not
I Never Noticed the Billedvev Baby
As I teach workshops and give lectures about Norwegian billedvev, I look at many medieval pieces over and over. I keep seeing new things–motifs, horse
Medieval Mash-Up #4: Hello
The face is done–phew!–and the hair is OK. Some of you may remember that I made a small sample for this tapestry, some years ago.
Textile Center of Minnesota Member Show 2020
The annual member show at the Textile Center of Minnesota is always amazing, and this year it is particularly large, 120 entries. The opening is
Billedvev Talk in Sunny Arizona
I have given variations of a lecture, “From Virgins to Spaceships: A Visual Voyage through Norwegian Tapestry,” several times. It’s about time my mother heard it,
Medieval Mash-up #3: The Border Blunder
I dove into the new year with a major round of ripping, but here I am on January 4. My tapestry is a mash-up of
Medieval Mash-up #2: May Your Stars Align in 2020
The Medieval mash-up tapestry is progressing nicely during the holidays, despite a bit of three-steps-forward, one-step-back ripping out. I was so excited when I finished
Medieval Mash-up: #1 — The Hagen Loom
I’ve been planning to weave a blue horse tapestry for years. As I developed the cartoon, I took elements from a number of medieval Norwegian
Hiawatha and the Holidays
Norwegian-American tapestry weaver and embroiderer Pauline Fjelde paid an amazing tribute to her adopted country when she spent more than ten years weaving the monumental
Frida Hansen’s Student, Jullik Gulbrandsen
Because I’ve written about Frida Hansen, people want to tell me more; it’s such a privilege. I received an interesting email from Therese Solbakken in
eXperiments on X: An Xhibit of Weaving
Several of my pieces are going on the road to Redwood Falls, Minnesota, in November, for an exhibit at the Redwood Falls Public Library. The
Frida Hansen Lecture at Norway House
I am so grateful for my experiences in Norway this year, studying the work of Frida Hansen. Thank you again, American Scandinavian Foundation. I happy
My Own Swedish Tapestry Flowers
Last winter I put up an exhibit of Swedish and Norwegian tapestries at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota–mostly Swedish. I thought they were charming, and
Do We NEED Perfect Edges in Textiles?
I recently had several of my weavings professionally photographed, including seven weavings in my danskbrogd/X series that will be on display later in November. It
Not a Cat Lady, and Five Minute Framing
My small August travel tapestry on a copper pipe loom featured our two tuxedo cats. My husband was worried. The cats? Even though he is
Billedvev Workshop #5
In my Billedvev (Norwegian Tapestry) workshops, each student, inspired by Norwegian techniques or images, comes up with their own design. Days one and two are
Frida Hansen Seminar at Convergence 2020
I’m pleased to be teaching a short seminar at the Handweavers Guild of America biennial Convergence conference next summer in Knoxville, Tennessee. It’s not a full-on
Some Nice Ribbons at the State Fair
Are you heading to the State Fair? For my friends and relatives who like to ferret out exhibits by people they know, these are my
(Woven) Potatoes at the State Fair
There are prize-winning potatoes at the Minnesota State Fair each year, but generally not in the Creative Activities Building. This year, mine are. There’s nothing
Frida Hansen is Not the Only Open-Warp Norwegian Tapestry Weaver
My American Scandinavian Foundation fellowship in Norway was to study the beautiful wool transparency technique of Frida Hansen, but there are many weavers who have
Underway: Tree of Life, Red River Valley Version
Many readers know about my American Scandinavian Foundation fellowship this year, when I traveled to Norway to study the wool transparency technique of the noted
A 2019 Saga: Martha Brummitt and her Viking Boat and Sail
I am filled with admiration for Martha Brummitt and her Viking boat project. Ambitiously, she made her own Viking pram boat and is weaving a
Here and (T)here: North Atlantic Version
I am participating in a woven postcard exchange, “Here and (T)here,” sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance (ATA). Participating ATA members were randomly assigned to another
Gerhard Munthe Tapestries at the American Swedish Institute
Tapestry fans, don’t miss two pieces designed by Norwegian National Romantic period artist Gerhard Munthe at the American Swedish Institute (ASI). They are on loan
Frida Hansen Transparency in the Stavanger Library
I made special friends with a Frida Hansen transparency at the public library in Sølvberget, the Stavanger Cultural Center–I visited three times. The mermaids hang in
Frida Hansen’s Last Large Tapestry, on my Last Day in Stavanger
Olavteppe (St. Olav Tapestry) 1927-1931 On the last day of my stay at Frida Hansens Hus in Stavanger, I walked downtown to the Domkirke, the
Frida Hansen’s Signature Roses
“Roses in the Landscape,” 1903. The roses that appear in so many of Frida Hansen’s works star alone in this double tapestry panel at the
Frida Hansen’s “Hoisommer” (High Summer)
High Summer, 1921, is one of Frida Hansen’s later transparent panels, and it hangs in the Stavanger Art Museum. It has a sort of crazy sense
Finding Kindred Weaving Friends in Stavanger
I was invited to the weavers group meeting at Svithun Husflidslag on the day I arrived in Stavanger. I had few expectations for the meeting,
A Centerpiece of the Stavanger Art Museum Frida Hansen Collection
When you walk into the gallery devoted to Frida Hansen at the Stavanger Art Museum, “Semper Vadentes” hangs prominently, with four figures leading you out
Frida Hansen Influence in Minnesota
Perhaps I am sitting here in Stavanger on Syttende Mai, after enjoying a wonderful meal of oxtail soup and wine and cake at the home
Anne Stabell’s Magical Open Warps
While my main purpose in Norway is to study the transparency technique of Frida Hansen, I take every opportunity to see tapestry and traditional weaving.
Update: The woodpecker will travel to Colorado
I’m pleased that my offer to send the woodpecker tapestry to a health professional during these hard times has been accepted. Joanna Dyson wrote to
