My lovely aunt MaryAnn Cieklinski died last week, and I am sad to lose a life-long anchor in my life. Of course this is way
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
Tapestries Today, the Fancy Royal Kind
Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen is overbearingly baroque. Dim rooms are crammed with paintings and objects of luxurious sorts: gold, ivory, inlaid wood. In the face
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.
Today’s Frida Hansen Transparency: Clematis and Birds of Paradise
As I walked by “Clematis and Birds of Paradise” (1924) in the Stavanger Art Museum, I was drawn to the birds with long flowing tails.
Frida Hansen Transparencies — What’s the Attraction?
Regular readers of this blog know that I am in Norway as the result of a grant from the American Scandinavian Foundation, for which I
Kari Dyrdal at KODE in Bergen
Can you get to Bergen, Norway, soon? You should see the new exhibit at KODE, the Bergen Art Museum. The amazing digitally-woven tapestries of Kari
Weaving, Thick and Thin, and a Mangle
On my Stavanger field trip yesterday, I was struck by weavings both thick and thin. My friend Ragnhild Wanthne, from the local weaving group at
Havfruer: A Frida Hansen Transparency Treasure at the Stavanger Art Museum
It’s a privilege to be in Stavanger, Norway, with time to study and write and weave, thanks to a fellowship with the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Sleeping Well in Stavanger
During my first week in Norway, I only hit one tiny bump in the road (or train tracks). SAS was on strike when I arrived,
Inspiration from a Weaving School Friend
During my first days in Norway I stayed with my friend Inger Berit Myhre in Bjørkelangen. We studied weaving at Valdres Husflidsskole in Fagernes, Norway,
Frida Hansens Hus–Coming up Soon!
My suitcase is almost full; my American Scandinavian Foundation sponsored trip to Norway begins May 1. I haven’t accomplished my best-laid plans to have a
My Sudoku: A Shadow Weave Rug
My husband and his sister are both fanatical Sudoku players; if they need a minute to relax or switch gears, they pop up the grid
Carol Johnson’s Tapestries–Buildings and Landscapes
The final wall of “Scandinavian Tapestry Treasures from the Collection of Carol Johnson,” features outdoor scenes, buildings and landscapes. The display is up at the
Molly Elkind’s Collage to Tapestry Workshop
I had a fun weekend adding tools to my workbox of tapestry design techniques when Molly Elkind came to the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. The
Some Time with Monksbelt
I will be posting photos of our Scandinavian Weavers shared monksbelt warp on the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group blog. In the first post, “A New
Scandinavian Animal Tapestries (and a Couple of Abstracts)
The display up at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota through April 12, 2019, “Scandinavian Tapestry Treasures from the Collection of Carol Johnson,” is divided into
Tapestry Treasures that leave Sweden and Norway
In January I posted a photo on a Swedish Facebook weaving group site, of many tapestries on the floor of my studio building. They were
Carol Johnson’s Tapestry Collection: Floral
The display up at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota through April 12, 2019, “Scandinavian Tapestry Treasures from the Collection of Carol Johnson,” is divided into
Frida Hansen Research in New York 2019
Although I visited several museums during my time in NYC this year, my week was notable for research rather than gallery gazing. I was on
NYC 2019
We survived the polar vortex in Minnesota, with only one frozen pipe (and a no-doubt expensive plumber visit). On day one of my annual trip
Carol Johnson’s Tapestry Collection: People
The display up at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota through April 12, 2019, “Scandinavian Tapestry Treasures from the Collection of Carol Johnson,” is divided into
Pretty, But Not Normal, Tapestry Frogs
When I posted about a tapestry featuring woodticks last fall, my friend and former co-worker at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Jess Hopeman, commented, “Oh
Gubbatäcke–Take Two
I called this weaving figurative boundweave or boundweave figures, but didn’t include the Swedish colloquial name, Gubbatäcke or Gubbaväv. The weave structure is bunden rosengang, or bound rosepath.
The Tapestry Exhibit: Not Strictly Tapestries….
When Carol Johnson graciously boxed up many tapestries for me to share at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, she included three hangings in figurative boundweave.
Tapestries are up at the Weavers Guild
I will post more about the Swedish and Norwegian tapestries up at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. But for now, “Tapestry Treasures from the Collection
Thoughts While Organizing 74 Scandinavian Tapestries
I’m putting together an exhibit of Swedish and Norwegian tapestries from the extensive textile collection of my friend Carol Johnson. “Tapestry Treasures from the Collection
Searching for SOUTHWARD, a Missing Frida Hansen Tapestry
The most recent issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter included a mystery to solve–the location of a missing tapestry by Frida Hansen. Read “Frida Hansen:
No Flowers on this Tapestry, Just Ticks
When I was a girl, growing up on a farm in Bygland Township in northwestern Minnesota, wood ticks were so annoying. After roaming the woods
When Frida Hansen Sought a Tapestry Teacher
I rarely read weaving-related passages from books or articles to my husband, but this week I read him flowery paragraphs from a July 1929 issue
Danskbrogd Moose–DONE.
Finally. This moose has been hanging around on the loom too long, as I’ve been working on my billedvev and kavelfrans classes. Some of you
Vesterheim 2018 Billedvev Workshop (#2)
Some student stories from my September billedvev weekend workshop #2. During my workshop the weekend before, Kristen Rummelhart was in Decorah with her daughter for
Vesterheim 2018 Billedvev Workshop (#1)
I had so many feelings after teaching two workshops in billedvev (Norwegian tapestry) at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum this month. Relief! It seemed that the
Star-struck
Looking through images of Norwegian billedvev (tapestry), you will find many eight-pointed stars, utterly charming in their variety. In my Vesterheim billedvev workshop last week,
Pick and Pick: A Medieval and Modern Technique for Tapestry
With my upcoming Vesterheim workshops in mind, I’ve been studying the various decorative elements in the clothing of figures in medieval Norwegian billedvev (tapestry) pieces.
Medieval Stock Photo?
I wove a “medieval head sampler” in anticipation of my billedvev workshops at Vesterheim in September. I looked through many images of old Norwegian tapestries
Danskbrogd Moose Disaster
I told my husband that I wasted three hours weaving the other day, as I realized my moose was not unfolding as planned. He was
Swedish Tulip and Warhol Banana
While studying the tapestries in my friend Carol Johnson’s extensive weaving collection, and reading several books about Swedish tapestry, I was captivated by the flowers in
59 Tapestries: Bäckahäster
Carol Johnson’s tapestry collection includes two versions of the Swedish Bäckahäst, the river or sea horse. This mythological creature was thought to lure people to ride
59 Tapestries: Homage to the Baldishol Tapestry
Carol Johnson’s collection includes the head of a figure in the famous Norwegian Baldishol tapestry. The Baldisol Tapestry is the most spectacular historical Norwegian tapestry,
59 Tapestries: Houses and Aunts and Betrothed Couples
Many of the Swedish and Norwegian tapestries in the collection of Carol Johnson are woven by novices, probably by women learning tapestry techniques during a
59 Scandinavian Tapestries
My friend Carol Johnson, a passionate collector of Scandinavian textiles, has many wonderful tapestries in her collection. I photographed 59 the other day, and that’s
A Passionate Pursuit: Scandinavian Weavings from the Collection of Carol Johnson
When I took over publishing the Norwegian Textile Letter in 2013, I had a vague concern that it might be a struggle to find content.
Boring Gloves in a Drawer: From Unimaginative to Embellished
Today’s questions in my test, test, test mode for my North House Folk School class included whether yarns of different weights and type (plied vs
