Handlag
To keep handicrafts alive
Together with textile artist Karin Aurora Lindell I founded project Handlag. Together we designed the LIVE WELL and FAIRYTALE collections, collections consisting of material packs for woolen embroidery of pillows, table runners, and pin cushions. These are exclusive and beautiful artifacts, for decoration and enjoyment, in new design developed under the motto:
”Past heritage – Future heirloom”
The woolen embroideries are based in old Norwegian traditions, dating all the way back to the viking ages and the Oseberg Ship. The motifs are inspired by lush, Norwegian folk art, but embroidery is a decorative art know all around the globe. In the Nordic woolen embroidery have been used as decoration on pillows, carpets, tablecloths, tapestries, shawls, and mittens, but these days the technique is maybe most known from bunadmaking. Typical motifs are flowers, animals, figures and ornaments.
The motifs in this collection have roots in items found on Norwegian mueums, somedating as far back as the 17th century. Often these appear as paintings, where the seamstress with needle and thread have created their own private depictions of life, with beautiful details rich in color. Here we find, amongst others, mermaids and deers, tulips and knights.
Handlag is the art of craftsmanship
Materialet i putene og løperne er norsk og består av klede fra Røros-tweed og garn fra Rauma ullvarefabrikk. The products were sold from 2009 to 2013 as ready made handicraft kits, drawn up with seam instructions, ready to embroider. Pillows and table runners were dated based on when they were designed, but it’s of course alright to embroider dates and monograms of choice, as well as adding initials to the pillow’s rear.