Handwoven – September 2019

58 | HANDWOVEN http://www.interweave.com

WHEN MOST FOLKS THINK OF NORWEGIAN weaving,
thick, and oft en densely woven fabrics and elaborately
decorated cloth such as krokbragd rugs, rya coverlets, and
fi gured rosepath runners come to mind. While doing
cursory research about Norwegian weaving, I began
wondering about the everyday weaving Norwegian
Americans traditionally used in their kitchens. What, for
example, did a Norwegian towel look like?
To fi nd the answer to my question, I contacted Laurann
Gilbertson, chief curator at the Vesterheim Norwegian-
American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. Th e mission of the
Vesterheim is to tell the stories of Norwegians who emi-
grated from Norway to America and of their Norwegian-
American families. Th e museum’s collections contain over
33,000 artifacts that tell many stories, including how
Norwegian textiles evolved and changed as they, too, made
the journey from Norway to America.
According to Laurann, the entryways to some Norwe-
gian homes in the nineteenth century had a washbasin and
wall cupboard from which hung a towel so guests could
wash their hands. Th e towels were woven from linen and

might be decorated with white or red designs, either woven

or embroidered. Aft er about 1900, fancier towels, more for

decoration than for use, featured elaborately embroidered

images including scenes from folklore and women in folk

costumes. Some of these “show towels” were embroidered

with diff erent motifs on the front and the back so they

could be hung with the back side a little lower than the

front to showcase both designs at once. 

Th e more utilitarian towels, for wiping up messes or

cleaning dishes, were woven in simple plain weave or twill,

sometimes with colored stripes, oft en in reds and yellows

that were easy to dye using indigenous plants. (According

to Laurann, blue dyes and yarns were rare in Norway until

t he advent of commercially available dyes, and thus blue

was reserved for only the most special of items.)

Norwegian immigrants brought these textile traditions

with them to America. Th ough limited on how much they

could transport across the ocean, many immigrants brought

necessary items for their new homes and articles too special

to leave behind, including kitchen linens. Th ey also brought

their weaving knowledge and traditions and continued to

weave items for their homes in the new country.

Weaving in America was diff erent than in Norway. First,

unless families raised fl ax themselves, linen yarn was not

always easy to source, and so weavers used the easier-to-

fi nd cotton. In addition, it was hard to avoid the Victorian

fashion of decorating one’s home to the gills with lace and

embroidery, both handmade and purchased.

In a typical Norwegian-American kitchen of the nine-

teenth and early twentieth centuries, you might fi nd a

handwoven damask linen tablecloth. Th ese tablecloths were

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A Joy and Pleasure

to Use: Norwegian

Kitchen Linens

CHRISTINA GARTON

Above: A man and children sit around a table reading while the women

stand in the background. Note the decorative tablecloth with woven

bands and fringe. Below: A family sits in their kitchen near the stove.

Notice the utilitarian towels hung in the background. Everyday dish

towels would have been solid or simple striped plain-weave towels.

traditions