Beloved Textiles and Family Stories in “Domestic to Decorative”

The Scandinavian Weavers’ “Domestic to Decorative” exhibit included several heirloom textiles, which came with wonderful family stories. The heirlooms inspired members of our group to weave new versions of the same technique—in one case, to combine old and new in a single weaving—or to use their imaginations to create something new inspired by the past.

One of Mary Skoy’s most treasured family heirlooms is a simple woolen blanket. The blanket was a gift to Mary’s great-grandfather Per Mikkjelson Lønning and great-grandmother Synneva Fransdatter Kanelønning, who were married at the Lønning farm on the island of Stord, Hordaland, Norway in 1880. “The blanket was a gift from a wedding guest,” Mary explains. “The faded PL in the corner of the old blanket refers to Per Lønning. Sadly, the name of the weaver was not recorded.” Note: Mary always encourages those of us in the Scandinavian Weavers group to include our initials on everything we weave!

Mary researched the history of blankets from this era, consulting Norwegian weaving instructor and textile historian Ingebjørg Monsen. Ingebjørg sent the following information about similar blankets from that era: “The red thread is a traditional way of hemming the blanket. The colored thread is for decoration purposes, but it also makes a cover up for the hem stitches in a very nice way. The hand spun yarn in the piece is from a dropspindel. This very fine blanket I expect to have been in used in bed. Could also have been used as a tjeld (curtain) to protect from draught. The more common width of the farm loom is represented in the half width of the blanket.”

Inspired by the heirloom blanket, Mary wove a new blanket for the birthday of her great-niece. “The elements from the old blanket I incorporated are the color, two narrow lengths hand-stitched together, and most importantly the initials embroidered into one corner,” Mary says. The new blanket is also much softer, incorporating alpaca, mohair, silk, and wool—luxury fibers that would not have been available to her ancestors in 1880.

Beth Detlie was also inspired by Norwegian textiles: “Vegteppe was a wedding gift from my husband’s aunt to us in 1978. She told us that the weaving was done by a distant relative of mine. (My mother’s ancestors immigrated to the United States from the Telemark region in Norway during the 1850s.)” Beth’s Telemark Reflection is an echo of this beloved weaving.

Edi Thortensson donated a simple but treasured handtowel. “The towel was handwoven around 1950 by my mother-in-law, Ellen Svensson, for use in her home in Tröjemåla, near Ryd, Småland, Sweden,” Edi writes. Inspired by Ellen’s towel, Edi wove a paradhandduk, or display towel, meant to cover utility towels hanging near a washstand.

Barb Yarusso shared two Finnish heirloom textiles for the exhibit, including a 2/2 twill linen towel embroidered with her great-grandmother’s initials. Her great-grandmother’s name was Josefiina (Fiina) Norhala. “Josefiina grew the flax, spun the yarn, and wove the towel,” Barb writes. “She gave the towel to my grandfather Eino when he emigrated from Finland to the United States in 1913.”

Barb also has a rug woven by Alma Norhala, Eino’s wife. Alma was also born in Finland and came to America as a child. The original rug was woven in the 1950s, in plain weave with log cabin threading. Barb carefully salvaged the cotton weft material and re-wove it into a new rug as her way of honoring Alma’s work.

Peg Hansen was also inspired by Finnish weaving. Löytyi Karannut Lemmikki (A Runaway Pet Was Found) is a vintage (over 100 years old) Finnish Rya/Ryu wall hanging from the collection of Peg’s friend Susan Sutherlund. It belonged to Susan’s grandmother Lydia Ivonen. Unfortunately, the weaver is not known.

This piece served as Peg’s inspiration to learn more about the Rya/Ryu weaving technique used in Scandinavia.

Kala Exworthy’s source of inspiration was a beloved quilt. “My maternal Grandmother loved making things,” she writes. “From her I learned to knit, rosmal and paint those cute plaster gnomes, which we painted red hats on and called “Nisse.” The photo below is of a quilt given to Kala by her grandmother. “I was the oldest granddaughter and was given first choice of the pile of quilts,” Kala explains. “The fabrics are from worn garments and I have always been a fan of bright colors. As a practical quilt, it has been used from day one. It’s worn and faded now but no less precious.”

 Inspired by the quilt, Kala wove a wall hanging she calls Memory Fragments. “The wall hanging represents not only the colors in the quilt but also the random memories that I have when I look at the quilt,” she writes. “Pictures in my head of Gram at different times in our lives, red paint on the paintbrush for the Nisse hats, the smell of turpentine and linseed oil used to clean our brushes, yarn and needles and of course, lefse with mashed potatoes, chicken and crispy sugar cookies. I loved going to Gramma Egstad’s house because there was always time to make something.”

For Nancy Ellison, her heirlooms come in the form of sheep. Nancy raises Icelandic sheep and other heritage breeds on her farm near Zumbrota, Minnesota. “Historically in Iceland shepherds wore a mantel or cloak woven with locks of wool to protect the wearer from the weather,” Nancy explains. “The shaggy surface is like the wool growing on a sheep.” Nancy wove a pillow and chair cushion in this technique, using gray, black, brown, and white wool from her flock.

Some weavers were inspired by vintage objects, even though they didn’t have a family connection. Sharon Marquart’s From Garment to Garnish was inspired by an antique embroidered bodice, possibly Scandinavian, and an antique beaded belt, which may have been part of a Norwegian bunad (ceremonial dress).

Melba Granlund wove a telemarksteppe she called Reflections. “My color inspiration for Reflections came from a stained-glass window salvaged from an old farmhouse,” she states. “It was purchased at a farm auction in central Minnesota and currently hangs in the dining room window of our “new” farmhouse a few miles away. “

Although humble, these beloved textiles are still treasures, even a hundred years later. As shown in this exhibit, even the simplest textile can inspire later generations to weave on. We are all part of the fabric of history, and our own small threads can have a positive impact far beyond our lifetimes. Just remember to put your initials on everything you weave!