A treasury of patterns
Märta Måås-Fjetterström left more than 700 patterns. Thanks to her sketches, the craftsmanship and the cultural heritage live on.
In the slideshow above, you can see and read about a selection of Märta Måås-Fjetterström's rugs, from her sources of inspiration, to sketches, to the actual rugs. Click on the individual sketches in the slideshow to discover more. The images are taken Märta Måås-Fjetterström AB's archive and collections.
Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s work processes, from sources of inspiration through to completed rugs, can be seen in her highly detailed sketches.
Märta Måås-Fjetterström invariably painted the sketches for her rugs and weavings in watercolour. These sometimes show the entire rug, but usually depict only a part of the whole – the rest is suggested with a few quick pen or brush strokes.
Her watercolours often clearly show whether the pattern was intended for a fixed tapestry rug, a heavy, velvety flossa rug or an airy, flowing hanging.
A watercolour sketch alone is not enough for a weaver to work from. In the working sketch, painted in watercolour on squared paper, Märta Måås-Fjetterström or a colleague sketched out the entire rug. This gives the weaver all the necessary information about the pattern, the closeness of the weave and the quality.
No two rugs are identical – there is always room for the weaver’s personal interpretation, but this must be done with a sense of responsibility and with respect for the artist’s sketch.
Detail of the rug Ståndaren, from the Royal Collections. Photo: Sanna Argus Tirén/Royalpalaces.se
Watercolour of Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s sketch for flossa rug Ståndaren for the M/S Kungsholm liner, 1928. Photo: Anette Nilsson
