Each Little World

Another sisterly birthday

Two of my three sisters have birthdays in January; one being my "baby" sister, Pat. I'm the oldest and Pat's the youngest. We were born ten years apart so it's easy for me to always remember her age. I will be celebrating one of those landmark birthdays this Spring which means she's celebrating one today. This is a picture of the two of us at my high school graduation. 

There are a couple of things about this picture worth pointing out. First I am wearing gloves! Hard to believe what another world and time those days were. I am also wearing another dress my mother made. It's pale pink gingham inset with a piece of antique eyelet embroidered with pink thread. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can just make out the fabric insert. Pat's dress is also pink, though a more dusky tone than mine. I believe hers is a hand-me-down from another one of our sisters — Meg or Nan — or maybe both of them wore it!

Pat and I are standing outside of Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY, where both my high school and college graduations were held. This concert hall was "one of the first important American commissions on which Eliel Saarinen and his son Eero collaborated," according to my architecture guide to the city of Buffalo.  The guide goes on to say it was "one of the few such buildings erected during the Depression years," having been constructed 1938-1940.

Kleinhans Music Hall quickly gained fame for its excellent acoustics and became the inspiration and guide for many architects and acoustical engineers around the world. My book notes that many post-WWII concert halls showed its influcence, most notably Festival Hall in London, built in 1951. My father and his father both worked on the installation of the elevator that raised and lowed the orchestra pit.

A Christmas tree for gardeners.

One of my sisters-in-law always had a number of small, themed Christmas trees on display at her house. It was only later that I discovered she put these little trees away fully decorated until Christmas rolled around again. I thought it was a brilliant idea and created a few of my own. The only one I still have is a Christmas tree that is covered in miniature garden tools: hoes, rakes, buckets, watering cans, even a hand-mower. Instead of a star on top, there is a minute clay pot with a trowel and bit of Hydrangea flowerhead.

Living in Wisconsin meant that I could always find straw ornaments from Scandinavia. As you can see, they are a main element of the decoration. 

I loved all the straw ornaments but baskets were my favorites and I collected a nice assortment. Alas, many of these things are now made far from Scandinavia — in China! I haven't seen any beautiful pieces like mine in quite a few years.

Among the special treasures on the tree are some small baskets hand-made of fine copper wire. You can see two of them hanging on opposites sides of the tree below. They were created by Mexican artists and each one had the name of the artist attached to it. I put those tags in the baskets where they remain. They were purchased at the wonderful Seed Savers Store, one of many memorable Monroe St. merchants whose shops I still miss.

Fiber Friday: Oleana's back in town

I bought my first Oleana sweater — actually my only Oleana sweater — at least ten years ago. I still love it, wear it year-round and get compliments galore. These are gorgeous creations from Norway but not like the typical Norwegian ski sweater you may be mentally picturing. They're made for women in fanciful color combinations, exquisite fibers and timeless styles.

I usually wear my Oleana sweater (above) with jeans and heavyweight Pacific Cotton brand long-sleeved T-shirts in one of the colors that appear in the sweater. I also have matching "wristletts" (fingerless gloves) which are perfect for cool weather. The Oleana catalog at the time I bought my sweater showed it in a much more glamorous context (below, and a different color combo).

I bought my sweater on vacation in northern Wisconsin and have always wanted to add another to my wardrobe. Though it's possible to buy them online I wanted to be able to see them and try them on in person. They are so variable in the colors and patterns that you really want to make your decisions with the sweaters in front of you. 

So I was thrilled when my sister-in-law told me that Century House in Madison was carrying them. We went over to the store yesterday afternoon so I could see them in person and try them on. Century House currently has three styles in stock including the one shown below. I think the photos don't begin to capture the subtlety and the richness of the colors and patterns. The sweaters for this season are a combination of wool and silk making them soft and smooth to the touch and lightweight compared to a winter cardigan. 

These are classic pieces that will never go out of style and the price (around $500.00) reflects today's economy as well as the materials, workmanship and the philosophy of the company. They are long term investment pieces. All the sweathers are designed by Solveig Hisdal and both knit and sewn in the Oleana factory just outside Bergen, Norway. At Oleana, they "believe that we have to buy fewer, but more beautiful clothes in our part of the world." Oleana sweaters are "slow clothes, fair made." It's a philosophy that is timely and one I think many women in Madison and elsewhere are beginning to adopt. 

Sizes run small, and the sweaters are not on the Century House web site. You'll have to stop in and see them in person which is the only way to appreciate these beautiful creations. Do notice how the pocket on the sweater (above) is matched so the design lines up perfectly. I fell in love with the sweater below which was a deeper, richer blue than it appears in the photo. It's a very flattering fit and style. I like the sophistication of the color and pattern and then the playful striping on the sleeves. It also has a dramatic button at the neckline closure. 

I think it is worth knowing the very special attitude of the Oleana team which helps to explain both the quality of their products and the cost. This is from the company's web site (my italics):

"Oleana was founded in 1992, with the aim of creating new jobs in Norway's textile industry. Most of Western Europe’s production had by that time moved to countries with far cheaper labour, but we wanted to show that it is still possible to produce textiles of good quality in a high-cost country like Norway . . .

People all over the world are becoming more aware of what they buy. By thinking more about the choices we make when we shop, we can share in taking care of our planet. Clothes made from natural fibres,— like wool and silk,— are good environmental choices.

It is becoming more important for us to buy clothing that is produced in a responsible manner. We can no longer accept the humiliating circumstances that many women and children work under in order to produce inexpensive textile products."

There is the Oleana factory by the fjord. It is located in the building that housed Arne Fabrikker, founded 1846, the first textile mill on the west coast of Norway. According to Oleana's web site, that company grew to be the biggest one in the country until it closed in 1978. Oleana has turned the lights back on — in the industry and the factory.

And, no, I didn't buy the blue sweater but I am definitely tempted!

Cold climate decorations

Living where it's usually cold and snowy for Christmas and New Year's can be seen as a negative by folks who have never experienced our climate. To those of us in the know, it means we can enjoy the kind of decorations they can only dream about.

I'm talking about ice candles — beautiful and useful items that need cold weather to keep from melting. I first saw these wonderful creations in my Scandinavian design books. And I first made an ice container — filled with flowers and herbs — to chill white wine in the summer. But nothing matches these elegant winter containers that can be lined up to light your walk or give a special glow to your front entry. 

Gardenista has complete directions using glass containers to mold your own "Botanical Ice Lantern" with holiday greens and berries trapped in the ice (above). Even more magical is this creation from Willowday (below) using latex balloons to mold her ethereal icey candle holder. 

Suddenly the temperatures here have plunged to below freezing levels so I can now make these candles out of doors without tying up precious freezer space in these days leading up to Christmass.

For folks in the area, Olbrich Botanical Gardens is offering a couple of related classes in January.

Angie Lewin: flowers and fabric

A few months ago I’d never heard of British printmaker and textile designer Angie Lewin. Now I find her name and her work wherever I look. Well, OK, I spend a lot of time reading English magazines and checking out blogs in the U.K. which might have something to do with it.

From her sense of color to her all-over patterns to her motifs taken from nature, Lewin’s work actually seems more Scandinavian than English — at least to my eye. Her style is instantly recognizable and practically jumps off the page where it’s featured in the September issue of the British edition of County Living.

There, serving as the backdrop to an article called “Designs of the Times,” was one of Lewin’s whimsical flower prints. The article went on to suggest that contemporary designers — like Lewin — are channeling Scandinavian influences from the 50s and 60s, thus reaffirming my first response. Lewin’s textile designs are available from St. Jude’s Modern British Gallery which sums up its approach to design as “Modern. British. Eclectic. And affordable.”

This image from Country Living May 2007 shows some of Lewin’s work along with her Eric Revilious’ Coronation mugs (top shelf, top left image). She’s used the mugs in some of her prints.

Lewin's limited edition linocut and wood engraving prints are “inspired by skeletal plant forms seen against the sea and sky of North Norfolk,” according to St. Jude’s. That’s clear the minute you look at one of them. Lewin has a deft ability to create recognizable plant images while simplifying and refining their structure — not quite to the point of total abstraction. She explores as well as explodes recurring themes like teasels and Queen Anne’s Lace. Her seed pods and stems are strong and sculptural without a hint of sweetness or sentimentality — not always an easy thing to do when the subject is flowers.

“Wild Garden,” a litho by Angie Lewin (above) is no longer available. But you can enjoy it in the gallery on her Web site. Not only is it a strong and successful piece of art but what a sophisticated color sense it exhibits. Imagine it as the starting point for an interior or exterior paint scheme!

Lewin’s “Dandelion One” and “Dandelion Two” prints (above left and right) were among the four nominations for the “Best in Fabric” category in the Elle Decoration Design Awards 2006. Other nominees were Timorous Beasties, Nina Campbell and Eley Kishimoto — very nice company and very nice work by Lewin.

All images from Lewin's Web site or St. Jude's.

Sweden: Living Design

For those of you enamored of all things Swedish, the distinctive eye (and lens) of The Sartorialist has been trained on the streets of Stockholm these last days of August.

This is my particular favorite : so Scandinavian, so traditional, so timeless.

Skip on over. You won't be disappointed ... because The Sartorialist never disappoints. He only discovers.

Photo: The Sartorialist / 8.21.08

Not just Swedes

Joni at Cote De Texas continues to amaze and inspire with her long posts devoted to one topic. The most recent, “A Swede Designs,” considers Lars Bolander, a Swede living and working in the U.S. who designs with a distinctly Gustavian attitude. The post is long and luscious with depictions of Gustavian style, both by Bolander and others.

But ultimately it sent me to my bookshelf to ferret out my favorite tomes on all things Swedish — actually, on all things Scandinavian. Up here, where we speak Minnesotan and Wisconsin, we find inspiration equally in Denmark, Finland, Norway and, yes, even Iceland.

Among many images, Cote de Texas showcased Bolander’s stunning new house on Oland Island. And for those who had their magnifiers out, you may have noticed the article about this new home was written by Elizabeth Gaynor, author of two superb books that are definitely worth owning. The following titles offer Scandinavian fare that may be unfamiliar as they are not recent publications, but all are worth searching out if you want to learn about the full spectrum of Scandinavian design.

``Scandinavia: Living Design'' (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 1987) and ``Finland: Living Design,'' (Rizzoli, 1984) are at the top of my list. Both are written by Elizabeth Gaynor and stuffed with intriguing images snapped by Kari Haavisto.

They are arranged by broad themes and include a variety of eras and styles. So you’ll find Gustavian as well as many of the designers we think of as mid-century modern: Poul Henningsen, Alvar Aalto, Arne Jakobsen, Finn Juhl, Vernor Panton — and my personal favorite, Hans Wegner. You’ll also find the country home of Armi Ratia, the Finish woman who created Marimekko, and the sophisticated urban flat of her son, Ristomatti.

“Swedish Interiors,” by Rhonda Eleish and Edie Van Breems (Gibbs Smith, 2007) looks at Swedish design in the U.S. I can’t ignore the two Midwestern homes detailed in the book since both are here in Wisconsin: Ten Chimneys, the fabled home of the theatrical team of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in Genesee Depot; and New Sundborn, the Loran Nordgren ranch in Coon Valley.

Nordgren's home pays homage to artists Carl and Karin Larson, and like Ten Chimneys, is bright and lively. The two are in stark contrast to almost all the other houses where the more typical Swedish blues, grays and Gustavian furniture predominate.

Carl and Karin Larsson decorated and embellished the interior of their home in colors and a style that were innovations for the era, the late 1880s. Today the couple and their home are widely known and loved (see “Carl Larsson’s Home;” Addison-Wesley, 1978) as are Carl’s charming paintings that showed the family going about their daily lives in the highly personal home (see “Carl Larsson: A Home;” G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1974).

Lest you think Scandinavian design is all pale gray and blue, I leave you with this image of my favorite sweater (and matching mitts) from the glorious house of Oleana, whose designs are based on Norwegian folk costumes.

Uff da!