Lilla Rödde
We were conveyed to a little farmhouse in the middle of the Skåne countryside…
…where Hanna and Anna Jönsson were born and lived all their lives.
As was the custom, the two young women prepared dowries for their eventual marriage, but neither of them ever married so their spectacular textiles were never used.
Each sister wove tapestries in the Flamskvavnad style, including enough intended to upholster a sofa and 12 chairs (each!)
…using a large upright tapestry loom.
Besides the dining room sets, they wove many cushion covers, table cloths, wall hangings and other necessities.
It was all so beautifully made and colourful – never used and very little exposed to light.
All quite overwhelming! The kind docent invited me and the Hittys to sit on this bench in front of the stone table top so she could take our photo!
So amazing and wonderful to see these tapestries and after a week spent learning the techniques it was sure enlightening to see the skill and creativity displayed – and in a home in the way they were intended to be used. And what a treat to be driven through the Swedish countryside for a day!
Thank you so much to the Lilla Rödde Museum for allowing us to visit and admire!
Quimper Hittys 
And thank you for sharing. The fabrics are beautiful
Aren’t they just incredible? It’s so interesting to see them in context.
How wonderful that all their work has been so well preserved, and you got to experience it.
It is a really great little museum, a little off the beaten track but such an interesting place and story about the textiles.
Oh wow, the whole place is so amazing! With those beautiful classic surroundings as a setting, you can see that the textiles would have provided so much life and color.
Isn’t it just so glorious!? I really loved seeing the textiles in place in the home.
Wow is the first word that comes to mind! Those textiles are so amazing and too bad they were stored away and the textiles never used. But at least they can be enjoyed for generations.
The work that the sisters put into their tapestries was quite remarkable! And it really was wonderful to see them in context of their home. Just so vibrant and beautiful.
This is another wonderful memory and experience for you and the dear little Hittys in Sweden…surrounded by the beauty of those wonderful tapestry creations amongst the more (or less) simple rural countryside. I enjoyed seeing you in the photo in that precious setting.
I had such a good time weaving in the classes. And then driving out to the little farmhouse where the tapestries were kept so long and so carefully was like the icing on the cake! Just a wonderful workshop completely.
I am always amazed at how much our foremothers achieved! They had no modern appliances to help with the household work, often had to fetch water, keep the fire stoked and cook everything from scratch as well as helping on the farm. Yet they made beautiful textiles whether weaving, knitting, sewing or quilting. And in their own simple way they were brilliant artists with their designs and colour combinations. Lovely to see you and the Hittys enjoying a rest in a gorgeous space.
It is amazing! The amount of work just to keep the household going! The weavings are even more precious when you think about it. I was pretty impressed, this modest little farmhouse filled with riots of colour!
There is a place in Lampeter where old Welsh Quilts are displayed – the same town as Mrs Snail’s shop if you used to follow The Snail of Happiness. I love seeing how creative women were with very limited resources.
what a treasure…. sad that they never got to use their creations but what a gift to the future that they were so beautifully preserved. I am sure it was an amazing experience to see them in person.
It was truly amazing. I am so glad they were preserved though it is a little poignant that they were mot used by the sisters.