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launched kits which contained a pattern and the materials necessary to copy an antique ryijy. The new technique – stitching the ryijy onto a ready made background – rendered a loom unnecessary.
Fortunately, some far-sighted people understood that merely copying old patterns would not keep the ryijy alive, and companies also started to sell modern designs by textile artists. During the 1920s and 1930s the style was functionalism, based on geometrization of figures. The subjects were taken from a variety of sources; from nature, fairy tales, the Bible, or Kalevala, the national epic of Finland. These ryijys became popular, and in the 1940s there was one in almost every home.
Some artists did not like the geometric style of functionalism and designed softer, more poetic ryijys. Among the first were the great masters Eva Brummer and Uhra Simberg-Ehrström. They used very long pile, had threads of several colours in the same knot and created subtle blends of tone and shade. Their ryijys are abstract art and they gained much recognition abroad.
During the 1980s interest in ryijys declined but rose again slowly. Artists once again created new ryijys. In addition to wool, they used linen, paper threads, silk, pearls, stones, even light fibres. The form could be arched, triangular, round, even three-dimensional. For public spaces huge ryijys were made; for homes, small ones.
Today, more and more often, old ryijys are taken from the darkness of attics to be hung on the wall and soften and warm otherwise simple, cool interiors. Their use in traditional ceremonies remains widespread and almost every church has a wedding ryijy. Despite its ups and downs, it seems the ryijy is woven into the culture of Finland and will have a long future. Tuomas Sopanen
The Ryijy rug lives on: Finnish Ryijy Rugs 1778-2008, Tumas Sopanen, Leena Willberg, ISBN-10:925-923719-7 www.ryjy.com E35.00
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.lén
, Photo by Lucas Gö
museum
Ystad
.lén
,Photo by Lucas Gö
museum
Ystad
Shellie Pomeroy captures every shade in silk R I BBONS OF L I GHT
T I T LE Sub head
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58 SEALED AND DELIVERED The Ingenious Native Alaskan Parka. Artist Shellie Holden recreates this innovative and intricate garment. Photographs by Anthony Arrowsmith. 58 SKIRTING THE ISSUE Curator at the Nordisk Museum, Marianne Larsson believes practical ski outfits helped women’s liberation make strides.
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CONCEPT textiles in fine art 43 TIMELESS TALES Folk art embroideries from the South of Sweden. Outstanding textile folkart from the region of Skåne. Written by Annhelén Olsson. Photography by Lucas Gölén.
WIN 83 PRIZES THIS ISSUE Win one of Angel Flanders’ textile inspired Bleu de Chine Candles worth £40; Marianne Tuerlings, founder of Shirdak, offers readers one of three hand embroidered silk cushions, worth £50; and ribbon maker extraordinaire Shellie Pomeroy will send one reader a madder-dyed scarf and three bobbins of ribbon worth £120 from her stunning Silk and Willow range.
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INFORM the latest news, reviews and exhibition listings
03 BIAS /CONTRIBUTORS A letter from the founder and comments from our contributors 07 NEWS Hand & Lock, A Rum Fellow, NUNO at Dazzle, Alexander Girard, Maker’s Atelier, GoodWeave, Charlotte Engstad 09 NEEDLE’S EYE Holbein Stitch 80 SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS This issue every new subscriber and renewal will receive ribbons from VV Rouleaux 82 BACK ISSUES Complete your Selvedge collection while you still can! Many issues are now sold out or have limited stock 84 LISTINGS Exhibitions, fairs and events taking place around the world in December and January 86 READ Exposed: a history of Lingerie by Colleen Hill reviewed by Dr Nicola Donovan. Four Centuries of Quilts: The Colonial
Williamsburg Collection by Linda Baumgarten and Kimberly Smith Ivey reviewed by Rhonda Sonnenberg 88 British Folk Art, Compton Verney by Dr Catherine Harper. Revisiting Romania: Dress and Identity by Fiona Kerlogue. Horst, Photographer of Style by Beth Smith 95 COMING NEXT The Thread Issue: Embroidering the Truth.
SELVEDGE ('selnid3 ) n. 1. finished di fferently 2. the non-fraying edge of a length of woven fabric. [: from SELF + EDGE]
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