Birch Bark workshop in Fågelsjö Folkmuseum
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Text and photo: Niklas Karlsson
Birchbark is an interesting material with a great variaty. It appears in different shapes and qualities and has been used in different ways. In the northern regions of the country (Sweden) floes of birchbark have been sewn together using thin roots. This is a technique that is safeguarded in Fågelsjö folkmuseum on account of all the old objects in this technique that is presented there. In the weekend before midsummer a course took place in this special technique. The time around midsummer is when the birchbark can be removed so it is the right time to have a course. |
The material for the course is easily accessed just around the folkmuseum in Fågelsjö, where the course was. So the students started the course by taking their own birchbark and root. Taking your own material is important, in my oppinion. That way you get to see the great variaty the birchbark can have in just a small area.
Finding a good place to dig for root is difficult and you should know where to go. We had quite difficult conditions for taking root. Before the next course we will hopefully be more experienced and orientated on good locations for taking root.
The objects in Fågelsjö folkmuseum that are made from floes of birchbark consists mostly of boxes or cases for books (bibles and hymn books) and documents. The cases are folded from one piece and have a strengthening in the short side and an extra strip of birchbark across the longside. All the cases are sewn together differently. The students all made cases for hymnbooks or documents, even though the technique encourages to start out from own ideas or the conditions of the material. The seams were made with an awl. There are easier ways that you can make the seams, but by using an awl you get the tightest seam, and this is also the way that all the old objects are made.
The students in this first course were all well experienced in domestic crafts. The place for the course was the old barn, which is now turned into a workshop. However, we moved the course out into the yard outside.
This is how the curriculum ended up after some changes on account of a local bouletournament:
Friday – the course was supposed to start at six o´clock in the evening. The start of the course was moved to Saturday. Those of the students who didn´t play the bouletournament were introduced to the technique and the material.
Saturday – forenoon: taking material, preparing the birchbark and root. Introduction to the material and the technique. Visit at Fågelsjö folkmuseum to study birchbarkobjects.
Afternoon: the students start their own projects and work with them the rest of the course.
Sunday – the students continue with their projects. Guided visit at Fågelsjö folkmuseum.
Discussion
On account of the delayed start of the course, we had to take the material first thing on Saturday. So we could not visit the folkmuseum before we went out and took the material. The plan was to visit the folkmuseum first. In that way the students could be more prepared on what kind of birchbark an d root to look for as far as dimensions qualities and so on was concerned.
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Birchbark workshop!!!! The course will be on again in the summer of 2007. The weekend before midsummer, that is 16-17 june with start on friday 15. Sign up by mail to niklas@ahardslojdlife.com or by phone to Britta Nilsson +46 (0) 657 30052. |
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