Researchers Overview

After researching into swedish weaving, i found that it isn't a particularly popular technique. It started in the early 1900's as a home craft and hobby. A minority of people have taken the technqiue in their stride and carried it on through the years, modernising it with colour and a development in pattern

Swedish weaving is a delicate hand craft, and i love the personal and intimacy that the work produces and narrates. Although artists haven't directly pushed the technqiue forward; what they have taken is parts of the process. Nina Campbell could have taken the idea of the diamond and pushed the popular pattern further by weaving it into her own work but in a different way.

Although my interest within swedish weaving and the progression of it lies with the colour used. I have took inspiration from my research of the idea of using white on white within both my weaving and knitting.

Here within my knitting i have just used white but focused on experimenting with different techniques to change the appearance and texture of it.

 Here i used a natural wool onto white to change the idea of purely using white on white. The natural coloured wool adds slight depth to the piece. Within my weaving i have also threaded up the loom to allow a twill pattern to create a diamond pattern; something of which i have found is widely used and popular within swedish weaving.

This is the reverse side of my knitting where it has created diamonds within circular shapes. I find this side of the knitting visually more interesting due to the amount of different lines and shapes created. Which i believe i have learnt from the research that texture is a key factor within the weaving. The textured surface against plain knitting outlines the amount of change the material has gone through.

White on white weaving is not the only thing i will take from this, but the simple terminology of huck 'embroidery' will inspire me to use more embroidery within my work. I hope to embroider into the surface of my weaving to combine both aspects i am interested in.

All 3 images are of my own work.

Contextualisation Referencing

Swedish weaving is widely used across religion within prayer shawls and mats.
Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray has used huck embroidery within the tallit (jewish) prayer shawl.
Katchko-Gray says once you have learnt you continue to produce artworks.

http://www.embroidery-methods.com/huck-tallit-prayer-shawl.html
Swedish weaving can also be used in art pieces, as they have been done at the Scandanavian Boundweave: Timeless Traditions (April 24th, 2010) exhibition, artists came together to exhibit their work.

Swedish weave has been used within interiors mostly, Veronna Capone has focused on the idea of a table runner, to be put onto a wall or exhibited as something bigger could take away the detail of it. Capone has played around with scale and colour. I like this piece due to the contrasting colours being repeated which creates a positive and negative image.


http://boundweaveshow.wordpress.com/

Nina Campbell for Osborne and Little has designed a collection of woven materials.

"MAZARIN"

http://www.osborneandlittle.com/nina-campbell/mazarin/
 This design is particularly similar to the design above and to early swedish weaving designs. The chair is not categorized as swedish weaving but shares characteristics such as the design pattern of the diamonds. The colours are much more modern than early designs; so therefore has pushed the idea forward and contextualised it within the home.

Swedish weaving has progressed from purely being a home hobbie to being used within home interiors as furnitue and soft furnishings.
Missoni has designed some soft furnishing woven products:

http://www.heals.co.uk/soft-furnishings
The throw has been woven and you can clearly see where the threads are passing over one another, just like the traditional hand craft of swedish weaving. I love the vibrant colours used, the technique looks very simple as they have repeated the pattern but due to the use of bright colour, it has added more depth and character.

The diamond inspired pattern has again been adapted and used within interiors but as a cushion instead. Osborne and little was the one to bring this range out; which is similar to Nina Campbells collection for Osborne and Little.


http://www.heals.co.uk/soft-furnishings

Unlike Nina Campbells and Missoni, Osborne and Little have opted for a more calm and neutral pallette of cool colours. Both colour palettes work well as the attention is still on the pattern.

Contemporary Referencing

Due to the lack of information on swedish weaving, i started to research into scandinavian weaving as sweden forms part of this movement. The traditional weaving has been pushed forward into making interiors, such as rag rugs. Farmers, during the winter used to make these rugs for warmth and durability. The size of the rug would depend on the size of their own personal home loom.


http://www.chestnutsandpapaya.com/Events/?tag=scandinavian-rag-rug

Swedish/scandinavian weaving isn't hugely popular, but is known worldwide (particularly in America). People have began to experiment using different cloths such as aida cloth, huck fabric, linens and 'popcorn fabric' and the idea of colour. Traditionally it was un-dyed yarns of black, grey and white, however now that people have a deeper understanding of colour dyes (refer: rag rug) the weaves that are now made are much more creative and vibrant.

On the other hand people have taken this tradional technique by modernising the pattern but simplifying it by using white on white. I think this works really well and is very effective. It's focus is on the texture of the fabric rather than the colour and pattern.


http://jacqcfibers.blogspot.com/2011/03/swedish-weaving.html
After seeing this idea of white onto white, i experimented with natural colours on natural colours.

(my own work)
I like how the colours do not immediatley stand out and how intimate the texture is when created. I used a twill repeat pattern of 1,2,3,4 and the reversed onto a 4 shaft table loom that was point draft threaded to create the diamond shapes. Diamond shapes are a popular choice of pattern within swedish weaving dating back from the early start of weaving up until modern day.

Designers are also being creative with the idea of white one white. Heals have made a blanket that is purely white. It is knitted; but demonstrates the point that this colour story works within constructed textiles.

http://www.heals.co.uk/soft-furnishings
This blanket also represents how the texture is the main concept around it as it's subtle in appearance.

Traditional Swedish Weaving

Swedish weaving is also known as huck embroidery and is worked from the middle outwards to avoid the fabric mis-shapening. Huck embroidery appeals to all age ranges due to the simplicity of the technique and only has three basic stitches that you need to learn to begin with.

Darning stitch:

Darning stitch is the most common and basic of all three, where the needle is passed under one float in any direction that you desire.

Loopidy Loop:

This stitch is most commonly used in a solid pattern due to the amount of colour that is shown in comparison to the darning stitch.

http://www.embroidery-methods.com/huck-weaving-stitches.html

Looking into swedish weaving ) i found a traditional 1930 swedish woven linen and wool panel. Märta Måås Fjetterström(1873-1941) originally trained as a painter but became involved in traditional swedish weaving. Fjetterström became a key designer within the history of Swedish textile history. The patterns, in Urnan (in particular the diamonds and checks) are typical of the region she was in.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O11667/panel-urnan/

"URNAN"

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O11667/panel-urnan/

I really like this piece it shows great skill and control over the fabric and stitching. The colours are minimalistic but compliment one another and there individual shapes. The colours are typical of the time period it was made, i feel that the piece has become a narrative of time. The pattern is not symmetrical and therefore your eyes can wander around it.
In "Urnan" the linen was unbleached and was woven with coloured wool. The main colours are red,white,black and blue with a warp fringe. The function of the piece is not verified but is presumed that it has more than one function.

 

Swedish weaving; despite the name, originally became popular in America where people used to embellish white cottons and linens with the technique. The technique was used to decorate table runners and tea towels. It has now become quite popular nad has influenced contemporaries to use this technique on pillows and upholstery products. Swedish weaving is a type of embroidery where a blunt needle is used and then the vertical threads (floats) are picked up, so that there is no stitching shown on the back.                        

This is an example of a 1920 vintage piece of huck embroidery on a finger tip hand towel. It's cutwork and has darned lace running through it. I like this piece of work due to its simplicity but the use of contrasting colours creates a bold statement.

 the-gatherings-antique-vintage.net

http://swedishweavedesigns.com/

This piece continues the running theme of abstract flat pattern work. Just like "Urnan" it shows the use of checked pattern and the sections of stripes. However the patterns are different within each stripe incorporating hints from the previous one. Again, the weaving is made up of black and white threads and uses the diamond inspired pattern.

http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com