Memories from Dala-Floda

These small satchels are decorated with the traditional embroidery from Dala-Floda called "påsöm". They are made by Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg. We were given them as memories of our joint work setting up the exhibition at Dala-Floda Värdsdhus.

Embroidery in Dala-Floda - Påsöm

Embroidery from Dala-Floda - Påsöm

I have just returned from a course in Dala-Floda. For those of you lucky enough to have experienced the same thing you know how difficult it is to put such an experience into words. It is a privilege to have Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg guide you through the traditions of Påsöm, the traditional embroidery in Dala-Floda.

Embroidery from Dala-Floda - Påsöm

The four day course compassed the history, traditions, stitches, patterns,  designs and techniques and was just fantastic. We also covered ways of making and adding different fringes. We were 16 participants and we were all sad to leave on the last day.

Embroidery from Dala-Floda - Påsöm

Anna-Karin generously let us study and handle the old items from the collections of Dala-Floda. It is a bit overwhelming to face this treasure of embroidery. The skill and inventiveness contained in the material is staggering.

Wålstedt shop

We made a visit to Wålstedt and were guided through the process of making yarn. The guided tour began with sorting the wool and ended with the finished yarn. It was a very educational experience, and I do admire the engagement that the owners Sonia and Roger have, giving it all to maintain the tradition of making a very exceptional yarn.

Lill-Karin

We made a visit to a "fäbod", that is a mountain pasture where, in the old times, the cattle was taken for grazing during the summer. We were guided by Lill-Karin. Her story-telling is hilarious and we  were given a very entertaining time. Upon arrival to the "fäbod" we were served lunch, catered and served by Dala-Floda Inn. Superb!

Floda Hemslöjd/ The local Arts and Crafts shop

Floda Hemslöjd is close by, so of course we visited and shopping took place :-)

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

These fantastic days of wool and embroidery were enhanced by the stay at Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn. The food was exceptional (as always) and the kindness and generosity of the hosts Evalotta and Per makes every stay  something special. For sure, this was not my last visit to Dala-Floda. More information on Dala-Floda Värdshus can be found here: English / Swedish.

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

If you want to read my earlier posts about courses in Dala-Floda just write "Dala-Floda" in the field "Search this blog" to the right, and you will find them all.

Some of the participants samplers from Day 1.

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

Dala-Floda Värdshus / Dala-Floda Inn

Flo-sjön / The lake Flo

The road to the mountain pasture

Embroidery sampler - Påsöm

This is a sampler for the embroidery tradition from Dala-Floda called "Påsöm". I started this sampler during a course last year but did not finish it until now. I have decided that I will learn how to do this, no matter how long it will take me. Knitting, nalbinding, spinning all seem like the most natural thing to do compared with understanding how to get a needle to cooperate in a creative process .... I guess that I eventually will get an understanding - but I will have to do a lot more practice.

Using the needle instead of a loom / Med nålen som vävstol

Vävsöm by Rita Sehlstedt

Today I visited a very nice exhibition at the Upplandsmuseet in Uppsala. It is all about an embroidery technique that looks as if it was woven, in Swedish it is called "vävsöm". I am not sure what the correct English name for this technique is, but checking the internet I think that "German Brick Stitch" could be it.

Vävsöm by Rita Sehlstedt

In Sweden this technique goes back to the Middle Ages, and it has had a revival in the last years after an exhibition in Kalmar. The Kalmar Hemslöjdsförening arranged workshops and courses and the interest for the technique gained momentum. They also sell embroidery kits that can be ordered via mail or telephone, see more information on their homepage.

Vävsöm by Rita Sehlstedt

All the items at the exhibition are made by Rita Sehlstedt and they are a true feast for the eye. The patterns are all based on old originals, most of them stunningly beautiful. 

Vävsöm by Rita Sehlstedt

In the old days this technique was a way of making beautiful things with limited means. The result looks woven but could be made with a simple needle, you did not need an expensive loom to make them. This technique was also very "portable" which meant that you could carry your work with you and use spare moments to work on them.

Vävsöm by Rita Sehlstedt

The exhibition is small (only one room) but truly inspiring and I recommend a visit. It has just opened and is open until April the 6th.

Poster for the exhibition

Uppsala is a very nice town well worth a visit. There is much to see and you will have no problem spending a day there.

Upplandsmuseet

Kurser i Dala-Floda 2015 / Courses at Dala-Floda, 2015

Förra året deltog jag i kurser som arrangerats av Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg och Karin Kahnlund på Dala-Floda värdshus. Det var en väldigt givande upplevelse. Nu när årets kurser ligger ute på nätet vill jag hjälpa till att sprida informationen.

I attended classes at Dala-Floda last year. They were arranged by Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg and Karin Kahnlund and they were very rewarding experiences. Now that this years courses have been decided, I want to help spread the information. The courses are held in Swedish.

Tvåändsstickning och broderi på stickat 14 maj - 17 maj 2015 / Twined knitting and embroidery on knitting May 14 - May 17, 2015
Studie av tvåändsstickning, både praktiskt och kulturhistoriskt. Huvudlärare är Karin Kahnlund, erfaren kursledare inom tvåändsstickning och Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg, intendent på Nordiska muséet. Du bör ha grundkunskaper i tvåändsstickning.

Under några dagar får du möjlighet att fördjupa dig i tvåändsstickningen från Floda men vi gör även utblickar till grannsocknarna. Du får möjlighet att prova olika tekniker och mönster, studera äldre plagg och titta på samlingar, rita av mönster, göra kavelfransar på olika sätt samt prova på att brodera Flodas typiska broderi ”påsöm” som är vanligt på vantar och andra stickade plagg. För mer information om innehåll, anmälan och pris se: Kursprogram 2015

Mitt blogginläggg om förra årets kurs kan du läsa här: Four days in Dala-Floda.


Påsömkurs, yllebroderi i Dala-Floda, 20-23 augusti 2015 /Wool embroidery in Dala-Floda, August 20-23, 2015
Kursledare är Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg, textilintendent vid Nordiska museet och tidigare länshemslöjds- konsulent. Hon har även gesällbrev i broderi.

I Dala-Floda syr man yllebroderier i många färger på ylletyg. Stygn som plattstygn, schattersöm, klyvstygn, stjälkstygn är vanliga och man bygger upp blomster och bladslingor med hjälp av pappersmallar. Broderierna utfördes ursprungligen på delar av folkdräkten och har genomgått en utveckling från enkla slingor till frodiga yllebroderier. Under kursen gör vi två utflykter. Den första går till Wålstedts ullspinneri som ligger i Dala-Floda. Där får du följa den svenska lantrasullen från otvättad ull till färgat glansigt garn av högsta kvalitet. Den andra utflykten går till en fäbod där vi äter lunch och broderar ute i naturen. För mer information om innehåll, anmälan och pris se: Påsöm 2015

Kursdagarna är inte bara en upplevelse vad gäller ull, tvåändsstickning, broderi mm. Dala-Floda Värdshus är en upplevelse i sig. Evalotta och Per Ersson ordnar trevlig stämning och serverar mycket god mat. Besök gärna Värdshusets hemsida för att läsa mer.

Mer om olika aktiviteter på Dala-Floda Värdshus hittar du här.

Roses in embroidery, crochet and knitting in Dala-Floda - part 5 (A visit to Nås)

The arts and crafts association in Nås, Dalarna

We made a visit to Nås, situated about 23 kilometres west of Dala-Floda. Our first stop was at the arts and crafts association situated in very idyllic settings.

Karin Sivertsson

We were greeted and shown around by Karin Sivertsson. She told us about the arts and crafts association, they still meet on Wednesdays and make handicrafts to sell in their shop. Nås is known for their skill in crochet and we saw many crocheted items such as shawls (Hjärtevärmare), hats, bands, mittens etc.

Crocheted shawl

Crocheted woman´s hat, twined knitted mittens and a braided band

Crocheted mittens

Gunnel Lindholm with one of her woven bands

We also met Gunnel Lindholm. She has crocheted many of the shawls that we saw in Nås. She also weaves bands in traditional patterns. She was a quiet person but her handicraft was very impressive.

Oroar

Gunnel also makes "oroar". They are hanging decorations, made originally of bits of wall-paper and straw. Nowadays wall-paper has been replaced by other sorts of paper. They are rather impressive and I wouldn´t mind owning one, but they proved to hard to handle during travel.

Sleeve in twined knitting with traditional pattern from Nås

Twined knitting is a strong tradition in Nås. They have very interesting and, compared to Dala-Floda and Gagnef, different patterns on their sleeves. Truly beautiful. Red and black are the traditional colours.

The shop

We also visited their shop, where a lot of handicraft was for sale. We bought a pattern for a crocheted shawl. I don´t know if I ever will attempt to make it, but I want to keep the opportunity open.

Ingmarsspelen

Before returning to Dala-Floda we saw a performance of "Ingmarsspelen". This play is performed outdoors. It is tradition and it has been performed since 1959. The play is based on the novel "Jerusalem" by Selma Lagerlöf. It is a famous story about 37 people from Nås who decided to sell their homes and farms in Nås and emigrate to Jerusalem. They were all influenced by a charismatic preacher named Hellgum. The story is centred on conflicts between the people whom in God´s name and forcefully urged by Hellgum sell their homes which have belonged to their families for generations, and their relatives and friends that find their behaviour hard to understand and a crime against the will of God to take care of and honour their land. The story is based on real events in Nås in the late 1890´s.

All actors wear traditional costumes. The costumes are the real thing, many of them a hundred years old and very beautiful. Some of the jackets that we saw at the arts and crafts association´s house had been used in the play until very recently but were now stored because they risked being damaged.

Ingmarsspelen

Roses in embroidery, crochet and knitting in Dala-Floda - part 2 (Påsöm)

Embroidered jackets and wrist-warmers, Dala-Floda

Day two was all about the local embroidery tradition, in Swedish it is called "Påsöm". Anna-Karin Jobs Arnberg (born in Dala-Floda) was our teacher and her skill and enthusiasm made the classes an real joy.

Embroidery on woman´s jacket, Dala-Floda

Embroidery was not just a part of the local traditional costumes, but also a way for women to earn a living. Especially in the second half of the nineteenth century when the floral motives became very popular in all of Sweden. The women of Dala-Floda where known for their embroidery skills and their products where bought and sold in Stockholm and many other cities in Sweden.

Embroidery on woman´s jacket, Dala-Floda

The techniques were passed on from generation to generation and Anna-Karin is in that aspect a link in an unbroken chain. She had prepared a sampler that we were all to copy, and her instructions were systematic and progressive - even I could follow, although I am not comfortable with needle and thread.
But I enjoyed working with all the bright colours and found the day both inspiring and enjoyable.

Man´s wrist-warmer, Dala-Floda

We also saw samples of  men`s wrist-warmers. These wrist-warmers (shown in my photos) pre-date the floral motives seen on the jackets in the pictures above. Their characteristics are more geometrical motives, flowers were not used.  Wrist-warmers were only worn by men at that time. They are very ornamented and often feature many and very bright colours. Wrist-warmers for women came later and they were then crocheted and decorated with pearls.

Man´s wrist-warmer, Dala-Floda