Textile Museum Blonduos

I have been meaning to put this post together about a visit I made to the textile museum in Blondous last summer. It is well overdue. Also I am trying to publish this via the Blogsy app for ipad, to see how easy it is to post when I am traveling in the future. Apologies in advance if the formatting goes awry as the Blogger platform does not allow me to preview before publishing with Blogsy.

Ok back to the Textile museum.

Since moving here I have wanted to visit this place and eventually made the time, so Kristin (Olga's Amma) and I set off one morning for a fabulous day out. The textile museum is only open during the summer months although I believe you can view by appointment during the remainder of the year.

If you are interested in textiles or handcrafts then this place is certainly well worth a visit and be prepared to lose a few hours. I have always had an interest in not only handcrafts which over the years I have learnt quite a few but also through working in an antique business I developed a keen interest and appreciation of old lacework and hand crafts. It has been a much overlooked form of domestic artwork, one that woman were often only allowed to pursue.

What I love about many museums in Iceland is the hands on nature of them and particularly wonderful in a textile museum. When you walk through the door there is the opportunity to take a pair of white gloves so that you can handle some of the textiles...sometimes you do just want a closer look...to see how it is done or to check out the neatness on the back.

There are rooms filled with displays and cabinets with drawer after drawer of collections that you can freely browse through as you wish.

With many of the displays teamed with photos of the maker.

One area was filled with mannequins clothed in traditional Icelandic costumes, you entered the area and walked around the figures and able to get a close look at the spectacular decorations and embroidery.

The museum also hosts small textile exhibitions and there was a knitting display of slippers and shoe inserts when we were there.

Besides the textiles there are also displays of various paraphernalia associated with handcrafts and the implements required to do some of the making.

This picture in the museum is embroidered by Kristin's sister Gudridur B Helgadottir. She recently also published her memoirs Thessi Kona This Woman detailing her life and with images of many of her embroidered works who has over her life time created hundreds of these embroidered artworks all handwork not machined, she is well into her 90s and still creating. I have seen many examples of her work and it is quite amazing and beautiful.

There is so much to see, Kristin and I spent a good couple of hours wandering through the building before taking a break for lunch, there are so many areas to view. Sorry this post is quite picture heavy as there is also no restrictions on taking photographs. After lunch we visited their headquarters next door but that will have to be part 2.

 

 

 

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