Woven roses for the queen
Until I started as an independent weaver April 1. - 1993, I was involved in a hobby weaving group here at Funen.
One of the group members was on tour in the royal reception rooms at the castle Christiansborg one day in June 1997.
She left a note fall on it as could be that the group could weave new fabric for the chairs as a gift to the Queen's 60th birthday,
Along the walls of Abildgaard hall stood chairs whose seats were covered with white fabric, because they were very worn.
if they got the yarn paid. Tour guide introduced the idea to the manager of the castle, who briefed the queen on it.
The Queen found the idea very interesting, and asked for some weaving samples to see.
It was then that I came into the picture. The group asked me about being involved in making proposals to the fabric.
Hobby group were weaving six different proposals, so along with my design and test weaving, a total of 7 samples were sent
to the manager of the castle. The Queen watched the samples, and after a while came to notice that a sample was selected.
It turned out that the Queen had chosen my proposal, for which of course I was very happy and grateful.
The pattern I was allowed to call " The Margrethe II - ROSE".
The Monks Belt is the first known Rose-pattern. The Lissabon-star, an other well known old pattern is a
I have tried out a great lot of possibilities, playing with the squares, and finally I was satisfied. Here I show a few of them.
further development of the Monks Belt. Designing my rose, I have put on more blocks working with Weave-Point.
The weaving-technique is my absolut favorite: Summer &Winter. With 6 blocks in the pattern,
the set up in the loom was 8 shafts and 10 treadles.
There are “round” patterns on doors and chairs, in an old pink color.
My color choice, I naturally adapted to the hall's other interior.
The queen was so excited about the new fabric, that she and the manager of the castle wanted to acquire more of the
same for tapestries around 7 large door sections of 2.92 meters in width. When we had found that my biggest loom was
2 lengths had to be used side by side, which favored the special requirements for 100% accuracy in the weaving.
wide enough for this task, this order of about 45m2 handwoven fabric became the first part of a professional order to me.
I was asked to weave two larger sample pieces for wall covering and wove at the same time a piece of fabric for a chair seat,
pattern and colors, with no changes. It was one of the major days of my weaving life.
so the Queen could watch it together and assess colors and pattern size. Then came the final approval of both the
I observed the woven sample carefully some time and found out a shrunk by 4% in length. I therefore
One thing that was very important was to know exactly how much the fabric shrank after cutting of the loom.
cut out a shape of the rose, enlarged with 4% in length for myself and one for the hobby-weavers,
to put on the weaving several times for each pattern, to make sure that all of the roses were exactly the same size.
A little later the order was extended with 55m2 of the same fabric for curtains to 3 windows - 5 meters high. The total
dark pattern, and the seating has been using the other side of the fabric, so dark background with light pattern.
order for me was thus about 100m2 of handwoven fabric. Wall-coverings and curtains are light background with
The most experienced of the hobby-weavers have, by my instructions, woven about 11 m2 of the same fabric.
To make it all go up, this piece of fabric was used to wall covering for 1 door (incl. 2 chairs seats – cut out ) + 4 chairs seats.
Together with my tapestries for 6 doors (incl. 12 chairs seats) was so matter to the 18 chair seats.
Chair seats cut out of the fabric over the doors.
The warp yarn is wine red mercerized cotton 12/2 from Switzerland - 10000 m/kg. Pattern woof yarn is
old pink Swedish linen - 5520 m/kg, and a very thin light gray mercerized cotton 20/2 – 17000 m/kg in a
bottom weave (plain weave) which only glimpsed quite weak when you look fabric close. It matches the
gray doors and dampens the wine red warp color down.
in the Summer & Winter technique.
The set is 16 warp treads/cm. The 3 thicknesses of yarn give a perfect balance in the woven pattern
Here I have enlarged the woven Rose, so that the weaving is more clear to see.
Rose patterns are - by 4% shrinkage - 10 x 10 cm.
It has been an indescribable equation to get the patterns to go up both in length and width with regard
to shrinkage, as well as getting ordered the right amounts of yarn. I have in this regard sent
many kind thoughts for my past as a bank clerk!
It took me six months to weave the 100 m2 of fabric. From April 1. to October 1. 1999. I worked 8 hours
husband who cooks)! The chord was many times gathered Sunday evening. I devided the warp threads
a day, and planned very carefully how much there was to be woven week by week. (Fortunately, I have a
in 6 parts, which I weighed down with each 3 kg heavy sandbags while rolling them on the loom.
There are spent about 50 kg of yarn.
7 doors
3 windows
The chairs really needed new fabric !!!
Friday, October 15. at15:42 I beat the very last thread in place. A very great moment!
I was a very lucky weaver!!! Exactly enough of warp :-)
The fabric was picked up here by the royal car “Crown 14” on the 11 November 1999.
should pull together after the humidity in the room.
The fabric was at long tables in one of the adjacent halls for a few months before installation, that it
As a final supplementary order I have delivered hand winded braids, made of the warp yarn, for the 18 chair
was to be used 32 threads, 9,5 meters long, which should be twisted 1000 times, that the bands were solid enough.
seats and three curtain. After having made some test-windings for the castle architect, we agreed that there
It has been a very special extra task.
The inauguration of Abildgaard Room April 10, 2000 was obviously a lifetime experience
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