prj4-memories.hardingentllc.com
Hardanger Wall-hanging
$100.00
Hardanger is a form of Scandinavian white-work. Essentially, the pattern is made by first stitching the border elements and then cutting away the interior threads to form a lattice, which is then needle-woven to form the final opening. The resulting product—typically white thread on white fabric—can either remain backless or be affixed to another piece of fabric. Traditionally, this would be yet more white. Using a contrasting color, however, makes the latticework pop.
I don’t know where or when my maternal grandmother learned Hardanger. Perhaps she learned from a book, pulling forward something she knew her Norwegian forebearers had done. Perhaps she learned directly from watching her mother, stepmother, or grandmother. I grew up with various pieces of Hardanger in our home, and I remember sitting on the floor by Grandma’s armchair in her den, paying more attention to what she was doing than to whatever was on the TV. Unfortunately, Grandma’s eyesight had deteriorated enough that she couldn’t see well enough to do white-work (particularly the bit involving scissors) when she came to live with us. And so, I will learn this craft out of a book.