Magdalena Eriksson, a folk musician and riksspelman from Gottne, developed a serious interest in embroidery about ten years ago, learning the Anundsjösömmen technique from her grandmother. She has decorated and sometimes repaired clothes from second-hand shops with Anundsjösömmen. Brita-Kajsa Karlsdotter, born in 1816, had a great passion for embroidery, and generations after her have continued to embroider with the bright red double thread on white textiles using Anundsjösömmen.
The scenography of Eriksson's performance includes creations with Anundsjösöm that she found in local second-hand shops, works she made herself, and items embroidered by her grandmother. More performances of Magdalena Eriksson's storytelling show are planned, including outside the municipality boundaries.
I would say the embroidery style itself is designed to save thread. I think that says something about a poor Sweden, but it didn't stop her from being creative.
To be able to work with recycling and with embroidery to create something new from old, that's something I've been doing for as long as I can remember.
Grandma is involved a lot. The day before the premiere, I did a rehearsal at her kitchen table.
I absolutely got approval, she cried.