Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Vikings!

We will be inundated soon! The Viking Congress is to be held here in Shetland  from August 1st to 10th. Amazing talks, outings, exhibitions and events have been planned.

Did you know that Shetland was always the starting  point for any Viking voyage? "Into the West" meant coming across the North Sea to Shetland. Those who also arrive from the North, South and East in August will have an exciting time.

The Skaill Hoard, on loan from the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is here on display in the Museum and Archives, being shown in the foyer. The loan has been sponsored by local firm, Shetland Silvercraft, and we have a splendid selection of Shetland Jewellery's Viking inspired silver pieces for sale.

Brooches, earrings, pendants and other items are inspired by the design of a Viking harness piece found on Quendale beach in Shetland. This design is known locally as the "Quendale Beast"

What is more recognisable as Viking than a longship? There are delightful earrings in different sizes.

 All are designed and made in Shetland at the workshop in Weisdale.


Connecting through the Loop...

Craft or Art? Women's work at home or connecting cultures?

We have an International Textile Festival being held  here in Shetland next week. . Planned around visiting Scandinavian textile artists, a great deal of exciting connections are being made. Covering several venues, with a menu of differing talks, demonstrations and events, the Festival builds on a theme of creativity in textiles. 

We think these special textile inspired stationery items would be great for the delegates to take home. A folder for creative ideas and colour swatches?  A lace notebook to detail patterns?  And maybe a glasses cleaner to see those Fair Isle stitches more easily! 

And these mini gifts are fun. Key rings in haaf cap and gansey designs. Set of magnets with Fair Isle designs from the Shetland Museum and Archives collection.

Browse through our Heritage shop and see all these and more.

The Foggy Foggy Summer...

Despite the trials of weather delayed flights, our visitors have not been deterred and are enjoying the Museum and their purchases from the Heritage Shop.

Fair Isle patterns complement any design and look spectacular on our new pinny and dish cloot (you could call them aprons and tea towels if you wanted)  The designs are taken from old textiles in the Shetland Museum and Archives collection. 

Mary Macgregor's book "Shetland Fair Isle Patterns"  takes many old Fair Isle patterns from the documents which first catalogued them them in the 1930's. The pattern used on the pinny and dish cloot is included there. 

Woven in France to our design, these items are exclusive to the Shetland Heritage Shop. The pinny is £25 and the dish cloot is £10.50.