The Craft of Swedish Huck Embroidery

ByJacquelineDelts Volunteerand Memberof the Leland SeniorCenter

Swedish Huck Embroidery, an almost lost art, is sometimes called Huck Weaving or Swedish Weaving. This is a form of embroidery that blends a bit of surface embroidery with weaving. Its name comes from huck cloth, the most common material used for this style of weaving, which originated in Sweden.

This craft dates back to the 17th century. Bobbie Wilson, Leland Center Craft Program Leader, introduced Peggy Woodcock to Swedish weaving over 30 years ago, and now they are both teaching women of different ages and backgrounds this wonderful craft.

Two Basic Stitches

There are basically two stitches used: looped and straight stitches. The yarn, chosen by the ladies, creates beautiful patterns by weaving strands over and under the grain of the fabric. However, if you make one mistake in your even or odd count, it will throw your pattern completely off! We have all had to start over; we laugh with each other and keep working while enjoying each other’s company.

For our seniors, Swedish Embroidery increases hand-eye coordination, helps support fine motor skills, engages our color theory design, and improves our planning skills. It also helps with cognitive functioning and gives us a chance to socialize.

The Embroidery Team

Elizabeth (Novella) Hasty, Norma Jean Cason, Phyllis Woolfe, and Armeta Graham enjoy working on their patterns. Although each lady is at different stages of development in their patterns, they all delight in seeing what their efforts and final product will look like. Each lady has a special reason for joining the craft class.

Brittany Steinkamp, Leland Center Director, saw a finished blanket and liked it so much she decided to try it out and make one for a friend. The blankets are beautiful, but the process of making them is very rewarding and challenging, and we are in no rush. We are doing it on our own time, in our own way, and enjoying every moment.