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 Contacta con nosotros | Lotte Dalgaard is one of Denmark’s most exciting hand-weavers, creating one-off fabrics with special pleated, crinkled, puckered effects in the weave, which are then transformed into unique and unusual high-end garments by Danish fashion designer Ann Schmidt. I was able to visit and interview Lotte in her studio in early January 2010 and in September Lotte will be running a special one-week collapse fabric weaving course at Anna Champeney Textile Studio in Galicia, Spain.
 Lotte Dalgaard in her textile studio near Roskilde in Denmark
Lotte Dalgaard and her architect husband, Flemming, live in a cosy Danish farmhouse to the west of Copenhagen, not far from Roskilde, famous for its Jazz Festival and Viking Museum. When I visited her Denmark was in the grip of one of the coldest spells of weather for many years, with daytime sub-zero temperatures into double figures. The farmhouse was a magical sight in the snow, and it was there, in a converted farm building, that Lotte has her spacious and light weave studio, overlooking the Danish countryside with its open fields and wide skies. Lotte’s textiles are the result of over 10 years experimentation with the new generation of yarns being developed by the textile industry, ranging from light-reflective and paper yarns to very fine overtwisted wools and metallic yarns, monofilament yarns and special shrinking yarns. The very fact that Lotte has access to these kinds of yarns in Denmark is due to the fact that she, along with other hand-weavers and the Design School in Copenhagen, set up a Yarn Purchasing Association. Collaborative ventures, co-operatives and exhibiting groups are very normal in Denmark – in many different crafts – and the Purchasing Association is a clear example of how everybody benefits from this approach. Committee members of the Association who work at the Design School attend some of the international yarn fairs in Europe and buy new yarns which are beyond the reach of individual makers because of the huge minimum quantities specified by the yarn companies. The Association makes the yarns available to individual makers, usually professionals, who can buy in smaller quantities. Anyone can become a member of the Association upon paying a membership fee, and in the UK, a number of the yarns are now sold by the Handweavers’ Studio in London. Lotte was amongst the first people to have access to these exciting new yarns in Denmark and quickly began to realise their potential for creating unusually-textured fabrics. In fact, it is true to say that access to these yarns transformed her way of working, and she now focuses almost exclusively on these textiles. When Lotte met Ann Schmidt, the original and very individual Copenhagen fashion designer (you could say fashion artist), it was the perfect recipe for a collaboration. Ann’s approach to fashion design – with a clear emphasis on creating architectural clothing designs on the mannekin, by folding cloth and forming it, rather than by simply pattern cutting was perfect for Lotte’s handwoven textiles. The results are one-off pieces which are textile garments at their most poetic. They are extremely beautiful, eye-catching, extremely individual, and at the same time beautifully wearable; Lotte gave me a midnight blue-black pleated dress to try on and you really feel quite different when you put it on as the fabric and its unusual form invites you to move in a different way.
 one-of-a-kind dress by Lotte Dalgaard and Ann Schmidt
The garments display some of the simplicity and elegant understatement of Japanese textiles – which have always been a strong influence in Ann Schmidt’s work. Nevertheless, this simplicity is deceptive because it is the result of a long meditative process, exploring the different possibilities of forming the fabric on the mannekin. I was able to visit Ann’s Studio the day that Lotte took in a new piece of fabric which I had watched her finish the night before. Ann’s mannekin was draped with a new piece of cloth, with double-weave and huge floats. This is destined to be the next one-of-a-kind garment. I really enjoyed talking with Lotte about textiles, because I recognise and know the passion and excitement she has in exploring the different materials and really getting to know their properties and how to handle them. She is a weaver´s weaver, very expert in her knowledge of her subject, and very close to her materials. And yet she has been able to “take-off” and, thanks to her collaboration with Ann Schmidt, is able to make quite remarkable woven objects. A few years ago Lotte was encouraged by British weaver Ann Richards to write down all the knowledge she had acquired. The result was Magical Materials, a book about collapse weave published by Fiber Feber. An English translation by Ann Richards brings the Danish publication within the reach of an English-speaking audience and you can read the review I wrote in the Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers (winter 2009). Books like this are so important for hand-weaving generally in Europe as they help to raise standards, encourage innovation, and, in this case, try out new yarns. The textile industry has undergone massive changes in the last 50 years, and unless hand-weavers can access the same new innovative yarns to experiment with, they will fall behind. As a hand-weaver today I have to ask myself Why Make Hand-made Textiles? In the work of Lotte Dalgaard and her collaboration with Ann Schmidt I find an answer.
Further Information:
 innovative textured textiles - handwoven by lotte dalgaard  
 What does weaving mean for you in your life? Loom weaving for me is an activity which gives me great satisfaction, even if I don´t do it all the time. It helps me to develop my creativity and what´s really important, it helps me to disconnect from the emotional pressure which my work involves.
What was the special attraction about loom weaving and what does hand-weaving offer that other textile crafts such as crochet or knitting don´t?The difference is that woven textiles can be far more complex than crocheted or knitted fabrics. My opinion is also that woven fabrics are more stable – they don´t distort as much – and they use less material. Also, once the warp (threads set up under tension on the loom) is put on I think weaving is a quicker process. How did you learn to weave in the first place – by yourself, with books, or on courses? I initially learned on a weaving course I did in Madrid – over twenty years ago. Do you think that loom weaving is a more unusual craft these days compared with other fibre crafts such as crochet or knitting? Yes I think it is less common than crochet or knitting. Gone are the days when many Spanish homes had a loom on which the women of the house wove all sorts of different textiles for home use. There are people who say that hand-weaving is very difficult. What is your opinión? Weaving is not actually a difficult thing to do, but you do need to learn how to do it properly. I learned during a course which lasted several days. What kind of fabrics do you weave on your loom? Lots of different things, like towels, various shawls and scarves, bangs for hanging up, and some linen fabric to make clothing out of etc.. What kind of yarns do you use? Is it difficult to find high quality yarn these days [in Spain]? I use cotton, wool and linen. It is difficult to find natural yarns these days which I consider really vital to enhance the hand-made nature of whatever you are making. Would you recommend hand-weaving as a hobby to other people? Absolutely, yes. Once you start then you start asking yourself all these other questions – about the nature of the raw materials, how the yarn is made… and how to dye your own colours (dyeing yarns is something I´ve yet to learn how to do) … Tell us about your next weave project At the moment I´m weaving some fabric samples. I think that afterwards I´ll probably hand-weave a linen shawl for myself with linen yarn that I bought recently.    Special Note from Anna, weaver and weave teacher at AC Estudio Textil in Galicia, Spain – I´d like to mention here that Elisa, apart from being a great fun, made a very generous contribution to a commissioned I was working on, during the time Elisa was here at the weave studio doing a course. She offered to hand-crochet the edges of a linen babycape I was weaving for a client to give it a special finish. As you can see Elisa made a wonderful job of it, so many thanks Elisa, you´re a star!
 Is craft education important for kids? At Casa dos Artesans, the holiday cottage in Galicia (north Spain) with craft activities and courses, we think it is. I was writing an article, last week, about Lotte Dalgaard (the fine Danish fabric weaver and designer) who learned to weave when just 13 or 14 years old. She was just one Danish teenager to enjoy craft activities for kids and other extracurricular activities at the Danish “After Schools”. Lotte loved weaving as a kid so much that she rebelled against her parents´ wishes for her to pursue a more academic career – and went on to become one of Denmark´s finest weavers. I wonder, had Lotte not had the chance to weave as a child, perhaps she would never have become a professional weaver.
Later in the week, on Saturday 1 May 2010 – I spent the day doing interactive weaving demonstrations for children at Ourense Craft Fair (my local city in Galicia, north Spain, where I live), together with my partner, Lluis, who was offering a willow fish workshop! Girls and boys – from just 3 years old upwards – flocked to our stand to have a go on my Louet 4-shaft table loom and convert skeins of hand-dyed yarn into balls, using a ball winder and umbrella swift. Even the 3 year olds were able to pass the shuttle, and in amongst the many 6 – 8 year old boys and girls keen to have a go there were a few who quite exceptional, picking up the skills very quickly and working very well. You can see in this blog post, from the photos, just how engaged the children were, and how much they enjoyed themselves. What I didn´t photograph were the proud parents relaxing in the background whilst watching their children!!! As for me, I remember my first experience of hand-weaving well. I was 8 or 9 years old and my art teacher showed me how to weave basic cloth out of a simple frame loom made out of 4 pieces of wood and some nails. Although craft wasn´t considered (really) a real “career choice” at my school (I was funneled into following a more academic further education) I re-trained in my late twenties and early thirties, to become a hand-weaver. I do wonder whether it was partly my positive experiences of craft as a child, which led me, eventually, to set up my hand-woven fabric studio here in north Spain.
Offering children the chance to experience craft first hand is important today, which is one reason why we offer activities for families with children who choose a holiday at our self-catering holiday cottage – Casa dos Artesans (Galicia, Spain).
Whether you are a parent or teacher, and whether you see craft as developing children´s co-ordination, providing a more physical and creative alternative to video games and TV, or allowing them to follow their innate creativity, there is no doubt that craft work contributes to healthy development. But, as parents or teachers, you may also be helping to create a new generation of professional craft makers in the future. As the example of Lotte Dalgaad and many other makers today shows us; enjoying craft as a child may open the door to becoming a professional craft maker in the future.
So, well done to Pablo and Javier, Carlota, Eva, Irima, and all the children (and their parents) who had a go and we hope to see you again!
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Pago seguro
 NUEVO Octubre 2023 Curso presencial setmanal de teixits de baix lliç (Girona)!Un curso nou, setmanal (3h) a Sant Gregori, Girona, amb l'Anna Champeney. Trimensual, plaças limitadas).
Octobre 2023. Ven a aprender a diseñar y realizar tejidos en telar de bajo lizo a mano. Docente: Anna Champeney, profesional desde 2004, con marca textil propia, experta en tejido de bajo lizo, docente en la Escola Massana, Barcelona.
 Haga clic aquí para informarte |
Casa dos Artesans Holiday Cottage and Craft Workshops – Encouraging a New Generation of Young Hand-Weavers and Basketmakers with Children´s Craft Activities and Holiday Workshops in Ourense Craft Fair 2010
Later in the week, on Saturday 1 May 2010 – I spent the day doing interactive weaving demonstrations for children at Ourense Craft Fair (my local city in Galicia, north Spain, where I live), together with my partner, Lluis, who was offering a willow fish workshop! Girls and boys – from just 3 years old upwards – flocked to our stand to have a go on my Louet 4-shaft table loom and convert skeins of hand-dyed yarn into balls, using a ball winder and umbrella swift. Even the 3 year olds were able to pass the shuttle, and in amongst the many 6 – 8 year old boys and girls keen to have a go there were a few who quite exceptional, picking up the skills very quickly and working very well. You can see in this blog post, from the photos, just how engaged the children were, and how much they enjoyed themselves. What I didn´t photograph were the proud parents relaxing in the background whilst watching their children!!!
As for me, I remember my first experience of hand-weaving well. I was 8 or 9 years old and my art teacher showed me how to weave basic cloth out of a simple frame loom made out of 4 pieces of wood and some nails. Although craft wasn´t considered (really) a real “career choice” at my school (I was funneled into following a more academic further education) I re-trained in my late twenties and early thirties, to become a hand-weaver. I do wonder whether it was partly my positive experiences of craft as a child, which led me, eventually, to set up my hand-woven fabric studio here in north Spain.
Offering children the chance to experience craft first hand is important today, which is one reason why we offer activities for families with children who choose a holiday at our self-catering holiday cottage – Casa dos Artesans (Galicia, Spain).
Whether you are a parent or teacher, and whether you see craft as developing children´s co-ordination, providing a more physical and creative alternative to video games and TV, or allowing them to follow their innate creativity, there is no doubt that craft work contributes to healthy development. But, as parents or teachers, you may also be helping to create a new generation of professional craft makers in the future. As the example of Lotte Dalgaad and many other makers today shows us; enjoying craft as a child may open the door to becoming a professional craft maker in the future.
So, well done to Pablo and Javier, Carlota, Eva, Irima, and all the children (and their parents) who had a go and we hope to see you again!