Shortly before Christmas, I learned about this book.

It’s a gorgeous coffee table book filled with photos of Swedish and Norwegian folk dress.

There are no US distributors so I ordered a copy from Sweden.

It came last week and was worth the wait!

I love anything old, folksy or traditional.

This was all of that!

Can you imagine that this was everyday wear at one time?

The photos are taken by the author, Laila Duran.

I found some additional ones from the town of Boda here.

Each town, or parish, has their own unique costume.  One of the prettiest costumes comes from Dala-Floda.  The mens is shown below.

This is my relative, Berit, in blue.  She is from Floda, too!

And this is me in my Nås dress. I’m ready to dance around the Maypole in Sweden in 2008.  This dress was given me by my Swedish relatives in 1984, and I really treasure it.

Everyone in Nås would have worn the same costume.

At the midsummer celebration in Nås there were a lot of people in their folk dress. This woman is wearing a man’s jacket.

It was especially fun seeing the children in their traditional clothes.  The apron can be red or white.

Isn’t she adorable?

My sister took most of these photos.

She said she felt like a stalker!

But the kids were too cute to resist.

I love tradition!

I was delighted to find a new blog recently.  It’s called Semiswede – Sort of about Sweden, sort of not! It’s written by Maia, an American living in Sweden.  I had a ball reading all the posts.  There was one about Swedish cheesecake that really intrigued me.  Here’s what her beautiful photo looks like.

Of course, I had to try it!  So yesterday, I bought the ingredients—mostly eggs, milk and cottage cheese—and made one!

It’s very much like a custard, but the cottage cheese gives it a unique texture and chewiness.  As I was rinsing the strawberries, I realized that the adorable little colander I was using was a Swedish purchase!

It was still pretty warm when I cut into it, but it had set up nicely.  I think it should be spooned out into a bowl (now that I looked at Maia’s photo again) but I cut wedges.  Bob agreed that it was very tasty.

I’ll definitely make this again!

 

Greetings from Quilt Market in Houston!  Today was Schoolhouse–15 – 30 minute sessions all day long introducing new products that are going to premiering at Market.  Well, when I saw a title called Quilts in Sweden you know I had to go! Turns out that’s the title of a new book by Kaffe Fassett.

Much to my delight, the quilts were photographed at Skansen, the open air museum in Stockholm.  Historic buildings have been brought from all over Sweden to this museum–including one from Anna Lena’s farm!  These photos are washed out because I was taking pictures projected on a screen, but I thought they were worth sharing with you.

I love this quilt on the outside of a typical Swedish log cabin–square logs and Falu red paint.  This paint, which is prevalent all over Sweden, is a by-product of the copper mining.

I recognize this as the inside of the main house at the Delsbo farmhouse.

I love this balcony shot!

This photo was taken inside a manor house at the museum.  Don’t you love the geometric design of the quilt and the geometric design of the floor!?

Beautiful painted wall–and beautiful quilt.

Kaffe said they topped off their day with tea at the Tea Room!  Perfect!

Last weekend, we celebrated a Swedish Midsummer here at home.  I would rather have been in Sweden, but this was the next best thing.

The front porch was decorated with flowers, birch branches and Dala horses.

It all starts with the midsummer pole.

We had fox gloves and rhododendron blossoms adorning it this year.  Melissa and Matt helped!

And, for the first time, we had a rooster on top!  In Sweden the rooster is another symbol for the renewal.

Time for the ceremonious raising of the pole.

As you can see, our small one only requires two (strong) men.

Cole helped lock it in place.

The rhodies were a nice addition.

And speaking of nice, we had a really nice day.  Even my mom, who doesn’t usually enjoy nature, was comfortable sitting outside.

Dad was here, too.

And Melissa…

…and Matt.

Of course Sally was here, and so was Ray, but he was taking pictures and didn’t end up IN any pictures!

Cole was here.

We all danced around the maypole, even my dad!  That left no one to take pictures, but that was okay.  Dancing is always more fun than taking pictures.

Then we spent a little time in the cabin.

All seemed quiet around the troll house!

I have two new chairs on the porch.  They were made by Josh Blewett, who also made the stairs in the cabin.

I found a good supply of wild daisies to pick for decorating.

And Melinda shared some flowers from her garden.

Mom, Melissa and Matt enjoying the sofa.

Then Melissa and Matt had to check out the loft.

Here’s one of the weavings my Swedish cousin, Berit, has made for me.

And the corner cupboard I bought in Sweden in 2008.

This wonderful embroidery is new-to-me.  It talks about the red cottage with it’s weeping birch tree and remembering your childhood days.

This candlestick is a copy of one from the 16th century and it has a LOT of symbolism.  Rooster – Watchfulness; Three candles – the Holy Trinity; Two jagged arches – Christ’s Crown of Thorns; Ten holes – the Ten Commandments; Heart – Love; Twelve leaves – the twelve Apostles.  Whew!  You can see another beautiful weaving of Berit’s under it.

In Sweden the lupine is always blooming profusely during midsummer.  The best we could do were these wild foxgloves at the edge of our woods.

Inside I pulled out some of my Swedish souvenirs. The three dolls in the middle are dressed in parish costumes.  The blue one is from Transtrand where Melissa’s grandpa’s family came from.  The boy and the girl in the red dress are dressed in Nås clothes.  Nås is the town Anna Lena came from.

These adorable candle holding girls I bought in Sigtuna, Sweden–the oldest city in Sweden.

Of course midsummer isn’t just about a maypole, it’s also about FOOD!  My sister, Sally, loves dishes and has, shall we say, several sets.  She brought her blue and yellow ones, which were perfect because they are the colors of the Swedish flag.

There are two styles of plates.

And lots of adorable serving pieces.

Our meal consisted of hard bread.  One of my favorite Swedish finds is this Dala horse server.

The hard bread is a brand from Dalarna–my “home” province.  My grandma always told me Dalarna was the prettiest part of Sweden!

We had a variety of cheeses to go on the bread.

And, of course, pickled herring, served in a special herring boat.

It wouldn’t be midsummer without meatballs and lingonberries.  I made 150 meatballs for 9 people!

We had new potatoes with fresh dill.

Pickled beets.

And cucumber salad.

And, of course, we had TWO desserts.  I made a Princess Cake.  It’s my third one.  This year I wanted to do something different, so made a long loaf rather than the traditional round cake.

And we had to have a Strawberry Torte.

It was so much fun to be with family and sharing a bit of our Swedish tradition.  Maybe next summer I’ll be in Sweden, wearing my Nås dress and dancing around the may pole.

 

 

Of course, if I had my way, I’d have been in Sweden for midsummer.  But, not this year.  So, we had a midsummer celebration here in Long Beach.

First, the Swedish cabin in our woods needed some attention.

We’d been using a ladder to get up to the loft, but I wanted stairs that were carved out of one log like I’d seen at farm museums in Sweden.

Josh Blewett, a local chain saw artist, did these for me.

It took a lot of “oomph” to lift it up.

And then it needed some tweaking.

They had to take it down…….

….and put it back up a couple of times.

In the end, it was a perfect fit.

I took the inaugural climb, and Josh joined me in the loft.

Last summer in Sweden I bought a wind vane that’s based on an historic design.  Note: It’s always good to buy heavy items made of metal to put in your suitcase–especially early in your trip.

John Bahner made a beautiful mounting bracket for it–even duplicating the heart that’s on the vane–and got it done in time for the weekend festivities.

The setting around the cabin is so beautiful this time of year.

I love the delicate ground cover called miner’s lettuce.

It even manages to find its way into the crotch of the trees.

The log by the troll house had a nice crop of mushrooms.

I think the trolls may be cultivating them.

On the morning of the midsummer celebration, Bob had the maypole in place and ready to go.

I spent the morning making garland.  I wish I had birch leaves, but alder had to do.  Bob and my cousin Susan help me bring everything to the maypole.

Cole supervises as I wrap.

The onlookers–my mom, my brother, my uncle, my dad, my uncle and my cousin.  Quite the family affair!

The decorated maypole.

The three guys get ready to lift.

Can they do it?

Higher……

….and higher……

Yeah!  It’s finally in place.

Locked in.

By afternoon, we had sunshine and blue skies–perfect for picture taking.

Midsummer means lots of flowers for decorations.  These are on the cabin.

I especially love the wild fox gloves.

This is probably my favorite bouquet.  These flowers grow wild behind my studio.

A little something for the living room.

It’s traditional to decorate the entrance to your home with birch trees.  Since none grow around here, I bought two at the nursery.  Now I’ll plant them by the cabin.  I figure if I do this every year, I should have a whole birch forest in about 80 years!

My collection of Swedish horses came out for the occasion.

Dinner’s nearly ready and Sally is pouring water.  We had the traditional meal–meatballs, dilled new potatoes, pickled herring, rye bread, lingonberry sauce and cucumber salad.

And two desserts–strawberry whipped cream roll and princess cake.

Later in the day we relaxed in the cabin.

The weather was perfect for being out.

Before the day was done, we had to have our picture take in the lupine.

The lupine in Sweden grows wildly and abundantly.  I’m trying to get the lupine established in this area of our yard, but I have a long way to go.

So you can see what I mean, here’s a picture taken two years ago in Sweden.  Can Cole really have grown so much in just two years!?!

Glad midsommar!

I have many happy memories of strawberries on my trips to Sweden.  I’ve eaten strawberry whipped cream cake at relatives houses, on midsummer day, even in a fabod.  This year was no different.

Berit is a wonderful cook, and you never pass up an invitation to eat with her and Gunnar!

May made a wonderful dessert with strawberries and meringue.

When we were in Upsalla, Sven-Eric took us to a farm stand with fresh picked berries.

As you can see, we weren’t the only ones with a strawberry craving.

Anna served them lightly sugared with ice cream.

Another of Berit’s creations.

And I have to end with this plate of strawberry scones made by my friend Melinda recently for Redwork!  Check out her vintage spoon!

….Is a Joy Forever.  Keats

I often wonder why it is that humans are inclined to decorate–and always have been.  From primitive times forward, people embellished everyday items just for the joy it brings to the eye.  No matter how harsh or primitive living conditions were, this need to surround oneself with beauty seems universal.

I love visiting the old farm museums in Sweden.  In Tällberg we went to one I hadn’t been to before called Holen.  In 1910 an artist from southern Sweden, Gustaf Ankarcrona, fell in love with Dalarna and embraced the culture of the area.  He began collecting all kinds of old things–buildings, clothing, sleighs, household items–and bringing them together at his home.  In the 1930′s, his home and all the wonderful things he’d collected became a museum.

I love the little detail here above a porch.  It’s so subtle, but shows someone cared.

Inside his home was this wonderful corner hearth.

Above it hung a very, very old candelabra.  The beautiful metal work didn’t make it give any better light, but it was lovely to look at.

There was the typical built-in bed.  People slept in a sitting position, thinking it was better for their internal organs!

I’m in love with the Swedish kakelugn–a wonderful ceramic stove used for heating.

Here’s a shelf of useful items–many made to be beautiful as well as useful.

Corner cupboards are also very near to my heart.

We went into the barns with our guide.  Notice how high the thresholds are on the doors–and how low the doors are!  You have to step up and over at the same time you’re bending down!

Mangles like these were often betrothal gifts from a man to a woman.  I suppose it’s too late to tell Bob that I’d like him to carve me one!

How gorgeous is the cabbage chopper?

There was a whole collection of locks.

And hinges.

And these fancy things sat on the back of the horses neck to guide the reins.

The hinges on this door are from the fourteenth century!  Can you imagine?  Some artist/craftsman in the 1300′s made this functional thing beautiful.

John Keats was right.  A thing of beauty IS a joy forever!

Everyday that I’m in Sweden is a very special day, but here’s one that especially special!  But first I have to tell you what a fäbod is and it’s significance to the Anna Lena story.

In the 19th century, farming was a way of life for most people in Sweden.  During the summers, they needed to let the grass in their fields grow up for hay that they could use to feed their livestock during the winter.  Therefore, they couldn’t let the livestock graze in the fields around the farm.  So, the animals were taken into the woods to forage during the summer.  Every farm in the village had grazing rights to certain areas in the surrounding forests.  Small cabins and barns were built and the area was called a fäbod.  There might be from five to fifteen families together at one fäbod.  It was the responsibility of the young women in the family (and sometimes the old grandmothers) to take care of cows during this time.  Their duties included milking twice a day, making cheese and butter, turning the cows out in the morning and bringing them back in the evening.

When I was a girl and asked my grandma why her mother (Anna Lena) left Sweden, the answer I always got was, “She didn’t like taking care of the cows!”  It wasn’t until my first trip to Sweden that I learned about the fäbod and that was probably what she was referring to.  It was a lonely place for young girls.  It was also hard work.  And Swedish people had a lot of superstitions about things that lived in the forest!  I always wished I knew more about Anna Lena and the fäbod.

Only last summer did I learn that my cousin Torsten knew where our family fäbod was!  In fact, he and his cousin still own the property!  This summer he was kind enough to take a day off from work to take Sally and me into the forest to see the area where Anna Lena would have spent her summers caring for the cows!

There was a lovely meadow.  Torsten explained to me that the cabin that belonged to our family had been torn down many years ago.  Now there are just two people who still have cabins at the former fäbod.  This is one of the cabins.

This one was built in 1885, just one year before Anna Lena came to America.

Torsten and me.  His grandfather and Anna Lena were brother and sister.

We peeked in the window.  I took a photo through the window, and while not a great picture, I was delighted that it turned out at all!  Inside was the typical built in bed from that era and the corner fireplace.  I imagine the inside of the cabin Anna Lena stayed in looked much the same.

I love the square logs.  Can you imagine hewing them by hand?

In the wonderful, traditional Swedish style, Torsten brought coffee and pastries for us to enjoy midmorning!

And to top off our day, I got to see the old fashioned method of haying.  I had seen this on my first few trips to Sweden, but I didn’t see it anywhere the last two times.  I thought perhaps no one did it this way anymore.

It used to be that you would see lots and lots of poles like this in the middle of all the fields.  This is how they were “stored” for most of the year, as they were only used after the hay was cut and it needed to dry.

Here you see what they look like when they’ve been put together in an A-frame configuration and the hay pitched over the rails to dry!

Did I mention I love it in Anna Lena Land?

All the doors at the Green Hotel had something special painted on them.  We loved the long, skinny ones.  Remember that we’re in Dalarna, where they hold onto the folk traditions–and the paintings reflected that.  Gee, right up my alley.  I love life in Anna Lena Land!

This was Sally’s favorite.

Sometimes you had to look twice to realize what it was–like a man’s leg in his suede knee pants.

This one is a belt.

Here’s the floral fabric that is used for a lot of the scarves that are part of the folk costumes.

And the tassels that are also a part of the folk dress.

Of course I loved all of the different Dala horses.

And, since we started with the woman and her daughter, we’ll end with the man and his son!

I loved to walk around the little village in the evenings.  There are many things I’m drawn to–the fences, the houses, the flag poles, the windows and doors.  But in Tallberg, it was the chimneys that really caught my eye.  There must have been a very special, very talented man in the village whose specialty was chimneys.  Here’s a functional item that was made beautiful at the hands of a craftsman.  I enjoyed his work and I hope you do, too.

I  wonder if this craftsman wondered if people would notice the special care he used in making these chimneys.  I’m sure he thought no one outside the village would ever see them.  But now I can share them with people everywhere. How cool!