This week I acquired a new folk costume piece: a traditional cape!

This cape was made by a lady called Ingrid, who used it from the 1970’s and until her passing. For dancing, for celebrating, for the love of history. And I am so happy and proud to keep her legacy going by taking over her wonderful work and celebrating in it for the coming next 50 years!

#folklore #folkcostume #folkdräkt #bunad #slöjd

I made a hat last year!

In Swedish this is called a kalott. It’s made out of wedges and are mostly worn by men in traditional costumes. But in Toarp it’s also worn by women! Mine is inspired by the gender neutral costume #Bäckadräkten

I could’ve done less with the embroidery, but I’m a helpless maximalist. All of the embroidery is based on blanket stitching. How many ways can you vary one stitch? Lots, it turns out!

#folkdräkt #bunad #folkcostume #crafts #embroidery #slöjd #broderi

1816: Ola Andersøn på Namløs (ON16), utenfor Sandefjord, ble konfirmert. Vi tror skjorta var sydd til anledningen. Kanskje sydd av moren hans, Malena Persdatter, som var min tipp-tipp-tipp-oldemor. Skjorta er utrolig godt bevart og ble brukt som mal for skjorta til herrebunaden fra Vestfold. (den med rød jakke og gul brokadevest)

#bunad #HistoricalFashion #søm #sewing

Ah, yes, back in the time before the Friday taco, when all Norwegian families gathered in their #bunad around the fireplace for the latest in goathorn metal.

This is from "Fana Folklore", a guided annual experience on Norwegian culture, catering towards foreigners from 1957 probably until early 2000s. The latest I can find about it is 2005. Founder Signy Eikeland got the idea when she was a tourist guide in the 50s, and heard a lot of requests for "something very Norwegian". So she did!

This is the early 60s, when it had become a bit more organised, in her home farm of Rambergstunet in #Fana, #Bergen.

Photo by ABC-Foto, via University of Bergen Library: https://marcus.uib.no/instance/photograph/ubb-abc-1456-001.html
#Norge #Norway #NorskPix #Historical #BlackAndWhitePhotography

I don't know how people move through life without basic sewing/mending skills 😅 we went to the beautiful wedding of two friends yesterday, and i spent the roadtrip down taking in the waist of my dress and moving a couple of buttons on my partner's vest. It solved the gaping of the top part and made it fit so much better! Also got him a tie to match my Norwegian #bunad which has finally been altered to fit me again. Scroll to see the most amazing bunad in the whole world - in my completely unbiased opinion 😇

#traditional #folk #norway #wedding #altering #frafjord #silk #wool #linen #frafjordbunad

My friend Fia is getting married. She has a very folkloric style. The thing in the folklore community right now are these decorated tiara headpieces, called Lad. I got the huge honour to help Fia make one for her wedding!

She designed it but let me have free rein to assemble it. The thing I added from my own mind is the ruching on the back.

Super fun project, and something I wouldn’t have made on my own. All the best to the happy couple!

#crafts #sewing #folklore #slöjd #folkdräkt #bunad #sömnad #hemslöjd #embroidery #broderi

There is always a lot of talk about what to wear on your head in the folklore costuming community.

Traditionally you would cover your hair. Currently we don’t (for everyday wear). People feel uncomfortable wearing traditional headwear with the costume, others feel it’s a disservice to tradition to not wear it. This becomes an evergreen discussion.

I wanted to pitch an interesting proposition: headbands! I’m mired in the fertile soil of Swedish trad costuming, but I’m looking to Norwegian traditions for this.

When I was last in Trondheim I noted that the Trønderbunad has several types of headwear and amongst them are embroidered diadems and head wraps. This is seemingly a younger tradition than the old fashioned wraps and hats. Now, in Sweden we have a problem: the hat is where the traditional lace goes. If you lose the hat, you lose the reason to make the lace, and perhaps the knowledge of making the lace too! Therefore I humbly suggest headbands as a modern alternative, for lace preservation and a modern, feminine folkloric accessory. It is a huvudbonad, which more people might be comfortable wearing for celebrations, which can still carry traditional significance, depending on materials and techniques.

Just my personal opinion. I think they’re neat.

#crafts #folklore #sewing #slöjd #folkdräkt #hemslöjd #bunad #husflid #klöppeln #knyppling #folkcostume #knipling #lace #lacemaking #spets #spitze #sweden #norway

I used to think I couldn’t come up with spontaneous art ideas. Like I was stunted and naturally didn’t have a sense of vision.
Turns out I was just untrained, and what feels like an artistic gift from the outside is actually a mental muscle that can be trained. Now my problem is I have too many ideas instead.
One of them was this: a little folklore piece inspired by Bohusdräkten in western Sweden. It’s meant for one of my nieces, unasked for but hopefully appreciated. It’s adjustable, from the lacing to extra material in the shoulders and waist. So hopefully she can wear it for a few years.
In Sweden we have this debate about headwear with folk costume. To wear or not to wear. But inspired by Norwegian tradition I decided to make her a little hair band with lace in a matching material to wear with the dress. And the thought struck me that adults could wear that too! I’m trying to make it a thing.
I’ve not weaved the fabrics or constructed the zipper but I’ve made everything else myself. The embroidery, the lacing, the lace, the hooks for closing, even the aglets to thread the string in front.
I hope she and her parents like it and that maybe when she is too big for it she can lend it to her cousin or potential siblings.

#crafts #embroidery #folklore #dress #sweden #folkdress #lace #lacemaking #girlfashion #broderi #slöjd #mjukslöjd #hemslöjd #folkdräkt #bohusdräkt #spets #knyppling #spitze #klöppeln #husflid #bunad #festdrakt

Gratulerer med dagen!

#norway #bunad