Short History of Swedish Bobbin Lace
The origin of Swedish Bobbin Lace is not quite clear. Most probably the influences came from Southern Europe, but in two types. One type started in Italy in the 1600th century and was spread through the Flanders, Switzerland and Germany to Sweden, especially to the town Vadstena. A new home for soldiers, returning to Sweden from a 30 years long war in Germany, opened in 1640 ties (Royal Army Pensioner Hospital). It is possible that the families brought the bobbin lace technique with them and the house in Vadstena became a center for bobbin lace. Nowadays the Vadstena lace could be described as most close to the Torchon lace type, doing the stiches cross, twist (closed method). The other type have characteristics similar to the so called freehand lace, when the stiches are made twist cross (open method). That type of lace is supposed to have reached Sweden through the eastern route from Italy via eastern Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Polen, Estonia and Finland.
In Sweden laces were very fashionable from the late 1500 – 1700 as decoration used by both men and women of the royalty’s or the nobility. During the 1900 century even other people were allowed and could afford to wear pieces of lace connected to their peasant’s costume.
Quite a big number of people living in and around Vadstena knew the bobbin lace technique and produced lace for selling in Stockholm and other towns and markets. After 1850 the development of the modern textile industry and the use of cotton material changed the quality of the laces. The National Craft Association saved the know-how of bobbin lace through organizing bobbin lace classes in Vadstena from 1903 and onwards. Since then Vadstena has kept the tradition of being the Swedish capital of bobbin lace.
The free hand type lace has another history. Those laces was peasant bobbin lace produced and used in specific areas in Sweden as parts of the local costume tradition or as interior decoration. The most famous ones are a) the Scania lace, b) the Dalecarlia lace types and c) laces from Ovanaker and Delsbo in the district of Halsingland.
The Scania lace is white. The decoration is often a combination of embroidery and bobbin lace with similar patterns which together makes an mangnificent broad part with stars, people and dears. This was made with great expertise by free hand without prickings or diagram and the pins put as support only into the edges of the lace. In Dalecarlia there are many variations in the use of lace. Most spectacular are the broad laces put on the different types of bonnet connected with the local tradition (sw.käringhattar). In Ore in Dalecarlia and in Ovanaker in Halsingland there are traditions of making an old fashioned, almost medieval type of bobbin lace which is made by heavy handspun linen thread in natural colour. The pillow is round, kept in a wooden box and the bobbins are hanging vertical. Those laces are mostly used for interior decoration. In Halsingland the roller in the pillow was covered by a strip of birch bark wich was marked with a squared grid. This grid gave guidance to the work but freedom to the lacemaker to vary the pattern of the lace. In Delsbo it was common to use red and blue threads together with the white. The laces used for the bonnets was made by linen and coloured black (sw. svarthättor). This type of lace was originally made by silk introduced by the family Rudolfi who immigrated from Pommern in the middle of the 18th century. The general knowledge about the peasant bobbin laces is very local, while the Vadstena type lace is more welknown as “Swedish bobbin lace”.
Scania (Sw. Skåne)
Scania, Sweden’s most southerly region, was Danish until 1658. Well-to-do farmers living in this fertile area tried to emulate the renaissance modes of the upper classes well into the middle of the 19th century. In east Scania, Danish traditions in 16th century embroidery and lacemaking existed for a long time. According to records, bobbin lace first came to Scania by way of international trade at the beginning of the 17th century. It is more likely that lace was already made in the area. Estate inventories from the 18th century often include bobbin lace.
The natural historian Linné wrote during his visit to Scania in 1749 that the peasant’s linen garments were decorated with embroidery and lace. Shopkeepers, journeymen and soldiers spread information about lacemaking. In southeast Scania destitute women made lace for wealthy farmers. They used Italian technique of freehand lacemaking on a simple pillow with hand-spun linen thread using geometrical patterns.
Certain new events occurred after the turn of the 19th century when soldier Mats Peters returned to Scania with his family. His wife came from Bohemia and introduced several innovations used in the production of lace – a new type of pillow, fine machine-spun linen thread and prickings. Local lacemaking traditions took a new turn although the lacemakers retained their previous free-hand way of working. The Scanian lacemakers made good use of these innovations in their lacemaking by combining them with old embroidery patterns thus leading to the production of the Petersson laces contributed to the Petersson family. These new laces introduced refined element to the folk costumes.
During the 20th century many changes brought about the industrialism affected the handicraft. The lacemakers sold their wares through contacts like the countesses of Tosterup castle. These ladies sold the lace to retailers in larger towns.
Nowadays there are Scania Lace Societies, educational courses are organised and literature published in order to preserve lacemaking proficie.
Halsingland (Sw. Hälsingland)
Ovanåker
Delsbo
Samples of bobbin laces are found in several places in Halsingland. Whether they have been made in the neighbourhood where they have been found or in a central area for lace production like Delsbo is not easily concluded today. Two central lace producing areas have existed in the county Ovanåker and Delsbo.
The laces called Ovanåker are an old-fashioned type of plaited free hand lace although the exact locality for the production is unknown. When this type of lace was rediscovered at the beginning of the 1900’s by one of the pioneers of the handicraft movement, the lacemaking tradition had already died out.
In Delsbo several types of lace were made. They are made partly using plaits and/or double stich trails, partly in 1700-style with half stich ground. During the the 19th century Delsbo lace were made in red and in white cotton thread. The colour became more important than the holes, which are the most important factor in traditional lace. The lace was used for household linen.
Delsbo lace evolved under the influence of the Rudolphi family who emigrated from Pomerania in the 18th century. The knowledge of using prickings for bobbin lacemaking is probably imported by Rudolphi. The prickings were made on a strip of birch bark. They made white lace which then was the coloured black and used on bonnets for use in church in Delsbo.
Lacemaking traditions in Delsbo remained intact until our time. Today researchers and courses in freehand lace draw attention to the techniques praised in the county.
Dalecarlia (Sw. Dalarna)
Lacemaking in Dalecarlia is based on the freehand technique without pricking or working diagram. Lace has been used primarily for local parish costumes whereby both technique and patterns have been preserved. Lacemaking gained a foothold in the province early on due to the broad textile experience of the population. One could make one’s own lacemaking tools. Early on, the women of Dalecarlia made lace for retail, both locally and for sale in the larger towns. Lacemaking became an important source of income primarily for the womenfolk. Patterns were named and the customer placed his/her order according to samples that.were shown.
Around the turn of the 20th century, lacemaking schools started in Mockfjärd and Gagnef, where the students were taught the traditional method of lacemaking thus ensuring that the knowledge would survive. Dalecarlia lacemaking has been practiced in several parishes within the province, often with such similar variations in technique that patterns can be traced to geographical areas like parishes. Several attempts have been made to preserve the technique and in the 1980’s, the Dalecarlia Museum and the Dalecarlia Handicraft Society carried out an extensive inventory. Many older items decorated with bobbin lace are preserved in rural community centers throughout the county and in the Dalecarlia Museum in Falun. Today there are many active lacemaking groups who make sure that the technique survives in Dalecarlia.