Many authors and scholars since the late 60th and onwards have highlighted the textiles of Karin Bergöö Larsson as extremely modernistic and innovative for the time but few facts have been delivered to support this observation in terms of details of patterns and motives. Is it possible to identify and describe what has been declared as modernistic? What does Karin’s preferences for material, technique, pattern and motives tell us about her values and attitudes towards textile as applied art and as art?       The collection of Karin’s original textiles at the Carl Larssongården, including a total of 151 objects, is investigated statistically regarding materials, techniques and colors. Furthermore, a limited selection of 20 textiles are investigated more profoundly focusing on Karin’s skills in handling different embroidery and weaving techniques in an artistic innovative way.       My research indicates that Karin was more interested in innovative design rather than to preserve and transmit traditional crafts. Patterns and motives most frequently occurring in Karin’s repertoire can either be traced back to peasant art or characterized as influenced by the modernist movement – or both, combined in the same work. Technically Karin is constantly experimenting, developing and expanding her skills outside her comfort zone. She adopts a large number of traditional stitches in different combinations in addition to stitches invented by herself. The way in which she applicates embroidery and weaving techniques together with an artistic design reflecting contemporary art and influences from abroad is the key to what makes Karin exceptionally modernistic, up to date and even far ahead.

Local identity (Swedish: ortskaraktär) has played a big part in shaping the view of crafts in Sweden during the last century until today. This rapport investigates the history of local identity in the Dalecarlia region, specifically looking at local bobbin lace traditions.  The work endeavours to see how the bobbin lace is made today, what importance the local identity has had on the survival of the craft, and how important local expressions within the lace remains today, as well as why it is still important. To investigate this relationship between local identity and crafts the rapport makes use of primary sources in the form of interviews with active local bobbin lacemakers. The work also relies on archival material on order to put the interviews into a historical context. These archives range from the national to the regional and local level. The material is analysed using the theoretical base of authorised heritage discourse and performativity, and a hermeneutical approach informs the method of analysis.  The rapport concludes that local identity, “ortskaraktär” remains a key factor to the survival of the lace making tradition. But it also recognises that to ensure the continued survival of the craft, a revival might be necessary. The rapport proposes recontextualizing the use of the craft, making it more popular beyond use in folk costume, or a recognition of the craft on the list of immaterial cultural heritages in Sweden. Official recognition might lead to resources being directed towards the preservation of the tradition.

The interest for doing this study is developed during my time as a student in textile history atUppsala university, Sweden. Textile history, as it is taught in Uppsala, uses both practical andtheoretical knowledge as a base for analysing, understanding and interpreting, textiles as sourcematerial in research. As a student in textile history I have sometimes experienced a lack ofunderstanding for the position it takes in the academic field, both from people within the textilehistorical field and from the outside. In this study, I take the opportunity to explore this position.I understand textile history research as a field in between the practical and theoretical.Knowledge in craft are used as a base for understanding source material, but are then oftenconnected to the theoretical framework of Material culture studies (MCS) for interpretation.But, even though this is an often-used theory, the problems of finding relevant texts and frame-works are difficult.By generating a grounded theory about the field of craft- and practical research in Swe-den, and then moving on to see what kind of literature the field of MCS can offer, I discuss theposition that textile historical research take between them. The generated theory shows that themain concern in the field of practical research are the aim to be an accepted part of the academy.The analysis of the literature in the field of MCS shows that the areas of technology and materialsciences need tools to understand the human aspect of production. From this I conclude thattextile history, as a field that is already part of creating a meeting between practical researchand MCS, could well take up the position to write its own theories. Theories grounded in prac-tical knowledge, but as a part of the field of MCS. Doing that would be of gain for both fields,and for the textile historians inhabiting and creating a meeting in between the fields.

This master's thesis explores the continuity and change of the men's folk costume in Leksand parish, Dalecarlia, between 1770–1870. It also investigates societal changes as a reason for these changes and uses the theory of local cultural identity and tradition as explanatory models for continuity and change. Primary sources include probate inventories, extant garments, depictions and written records from the time. The investigation reveals that the probate inventories show both continuity and change in the men's clothing possessions. New garments and materials appear during the latter period, 1850–1870, but the combined sources suggest a parallel usage with the more traditional garments and materials, for some time. The lack of dating of the extant garments made the use of depictions crucial, to be able to see the small changes the garments have gone through over the years. In general, the extant garments and depictions show continuity as well as small changes. The new garments and materials can be seen as the beginning of a transition into non-local, fashionable costumes. When comparing how this transition manifested in the neighbouring parish, Åhl, differences in time and process can be seen. Further comparisons are also made to other areas of Sweden, to highlight differences and similarities.