I have an article in Selvedge Magazine. Selvedge Magazine, people! I’ve been a subscriber and admirer for years. In April the editor, Polly Leonard, wrote and asked if I would like to contribute an article on Norwegian coverlets to the fall issue. It was a short deadline and my first thoughts were, “Oh, I have so much to write and do for the Baldishol exhibit,” and “Maybe a Norwegian should be writing this, not me.” But…Selvedge! Luckily, I had been working recently with Karin Bøe, who wrote about Setesdal coverlets and color for the Norwegian Textile Letter. (“Red is the Finest Color We Have: On Color in Coverlet Weaving in Setesdal around 1900“) For my article, I had the idea to write about coverlets generally and briefly, and then focus on my favorite stories from Karin’s book and research. With Karin’s beautiful objects and photography, how could it not work out? Here is the beautiful result.
You can pre-order a copy of the Selvedge issue now, here. It also includes an article on one of my favorite all-time tapestry weavers, Aino Kajaniemi, and another on my good friend Annemor Sundbø.
It was enormously fun working with Karin. I would write to her in English, because it takes so long for me to write in Norwegian. She would respond in Norwegian. I would write a paragraph based on something from her book, and she would write back, saying, no, you didn’t quite get the point. Or, no, I meant to say something else. I was never terribly off the mark, but it was such a fun and instructional experience to collaborate so closely.
I also discovered that the best editor ever is one you grow yourself. My daughter Margaret, a talented writer and writing teacher, was the perfect choice. It really helps to have a non-textile person read a textile-heavy article, to make sure I am not using too much jargon.
And thanks to Polly Leonard for the opportunity to write this article! I’m so happy that more people will learn about the bright and beautiful coverlets of Setesdal.