Hedebo and Schwalm

[MargB]

Can someone tell me the difference between these? Is it more than the location of the original embroiderers? As you may gather I am just starting to collect information on these techniques.

[Stefania Bressan]

AFAIK, they are quite different. Schwalm is a german embroidery, mixing counted thread fillings with outline stitches and ground net. Older pieces are more "full" of motifs, but quite similar to more recent works.
Hedebo is a danish embroidery. It has 7 different variations, depending on the period. Hedebo edges, worked in buttonhole, is the oldest variation. Counted Thread work (similar to italian "punto antico") is known from the beginning of the 18th century. Drawn thread work (a net with dove's eye fillings) from the second half of the 18th century. Square cut work (something like a simplyfied sicilian drawn thread work) in the first decades of the 19th century. Hvidsom, just after the square cut work, has flowers and tendrils and is the most similar to Schwalm, at least in the designs.
Baldyring (1840) has open work filled with needle lace (like reticello). Udklipshedebo (1850) is the most known variation, with cut holes (drops, circles...) filled with needlelace.
I've recently bought a catalog from Greve Museum (http://www.grevemuseum.dk) and it is very interesting to see the many different styles in danish embroidery.

Ciao, Stefania

[Ann Clare]

I haven't done any Hedebo except where it overlaps with Schwalm embroidery.

Schwalm is quite specific, I think, in that the fabric shapes are stabilised with chain and coral stitch before being filled with drawn and pulled work. Additional surface stitching uses more coral stitching, buttonholing, satin stitch etc, with the outline of voided areas being overcast. Needle lace edges move the designs in a delicate direction and seen in Christine Bishops work. Renate Fernau shows some lovely Peahole Hemstitches, but her books are hard to come by. I think her corner fillings are probably close to Hedebo work.

Does it matter what the name is? Personally I would like to draw from all these techniques, and many others, to see what I can do with them, Janet Arnold shows how they were used functionally, but there is little use for that now. Sadly.

Ann

[MargB]

Thankyou very much Stefania - I have found something about hedebo on the web but your information is fascinating - I didn't realise there were different eras. I haven't visited the danish museum site yet but will do so..
margb

[MargB]

Ann Thankyou for your reply - I realised the shapes had different stitches edging the shapes but otherwise they seemed very similar.

I would like to be able to use them 'any which way' as I am certainly not a traditionalist but I find it very interesting in the overlap of these techniques.

I need to look at Janet ARnold if I can track her down.
margb

[Ann Clare]

http://avomeri.blogspot.com/2009/08/schwalm-whitework.html

This seems to be work in progress!

[Lorelei Halley]

Stefania and Marge
Thank you for your detailed reply. From what I have read I have gleaned this general impression: early Hedebo was geometric, basically a local variation of drawn thread work. But as time passed the design style changed. The later style used little round, oval or teardrop shaped hole (such as Stefanis describes), which were then filled with needlelace stitches similar to reticella fillings. The round holes would be closely overcast to stabilize the edges before the lace fillings were added. One of our members has a geometric Hedebo piece among here photos.

[MargB]

I enjoyed the Schwalm work you pointed to Ann and hope she keeps on with it on her blog - I have been watching Mary corbet's progress as well. That book of Luzine's looks really interesting and Mary Corbet has given it a great review - I would love to find a copy to browse, for starters.

I find it interesting how something like Hardanger which seems to me to be similarly a regional type of embroidery has become so extremely popular worldwide as compared to others e.g. Schwalm or Hedebo or Reticella. Is it because it is basically so geometric ? Or is there another reason?
margb

[Lorelei Halley]

One of our members, D. Paula Banerjee, has a photo of a Hedebo piece she did among her photos:
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/hedebo-details/prev?context=user
She lists the designer. There is also a close up. It appears to be the geometric kind, somewhat like Hardanger in the stitches used, but somewhat different in style.

[Lorelei Halley]

Marg
Your comment about the popularity of Hardanger is interesting and provocative. I don't claim to know anything, but it occurs to me that perhaps the popularity is due to Hardanger being relatively easy: easy in the sense that there are a limited number of stitches and fillings used. Now naversom uses even fewer stitches, but doesn't match Hardanger in popularity. Maybe square and perfectly symmetrical pieces are easier to design, and late Hedebo used more curvilinear designs. also the fillings in the little circles and teardrop shapes are close to needlelace. And I personally find needlelace much more difficult to do well. Tension control is really important and requires lots of practice to achieve. Hardanger uses some of the fillings also used in filet lacis, which was very popular around 1900 (there is a lot of it in private collections in the U.S.).

There have been several books on Schwalm published relatively recently. Nordic Needle has more than one in its booklist. What makes me sad is that pure pulled thread doesn't seem to have benefitted from the Schwalm resurgence. But I'M GOING TO CHANGE THAT IF I HAVE TO DO IT SINGLE HANDED!!! Excuse me for shouting.

Stefania -- your knowledge of Hedebo surpasses what I've met elsewhere. Do you know any of the specifics of stitches used at various times?

And Marge, what kind of Hedebo are you interested in? The geometric or curvilinear? Perhaps Stefania might know specific stitches for specific periods??

[Lorelei Halley]

The question about Hedebo intrigued me and I just couldn't let it go. So I did a search and found this:
http://family.webshots.com/album/557671932vbkXWU
She has 26 photos of Hedebo, apparently from a course, and she names specific styles and time periods on some of them.

[Grace Lister]

I agree with you about the popularity of Hardanger being its' relative simplicity and easiness to do. Could I also draw attention to the similarity of curvilinear Hedebo to Ayrshire work. Ayrshire work has curved designs and spaces filled with needlelace and is exceptionally fine. One handkerchief can take fifty hours or more to complete. I took this fact from Agnes F. Bryson's book "Ayrshire Needlework". When did the curvilinear Hedebo develop, do we know? Perhaps it was around the same time as Ayrshire work. I do know that Ayrshire work was done in the late 18thc. and very early 19thc. and was a cottage industry. Grace

[Lorelei Halley]

Grace
The similarity between late Hedebo and Ayrshire work is interesting. Human creativity and how it transfers from one region to another, changing and transmuting as it goes, this fascinates me. People learn a new thing and then tweak it, fiddle with it, and a generation later it has become something entirely different. I just love to see how this works.