trying out off-the-cuff ideas and not being afraid to fail was particularly inspiring. Bürgin twice won a federal scholarship in applied art from the Federal Office of Culture at the beginning of the 1990s, which allowed her to work for a while without any financial worries. It was at this time that she created her classic “sch-nur-zufall” floor carpet made of natural goat’s hair and recycled coloured string. “It is the basis of my collection.” Prospective customers now had something they could run their hands over and imagine having in the home. Bürgin still enjoys weaving “sch-nur-zufall” to this day. “It is an extremely exciting carpet to make, because the string colour always varies.” Ready-made blankets and scarves Bürgin has been exhibiting at trade fairs for years. Yet few would come to a trade fair and dish out on the spot for an expensive rug. Products that people can take home with them, like her varied range of multicoloured woollen blankets, sell better. Woven using seven colours, her “wollok” blanket features an abundant fringe of hand-spun yarns and, according to Bürgin’s website, is “no comfy blanket but a multi-functional piece of body furniture”. Her soft scarves and shawls also come in bright colour combinations and are designed to keep people warm. Does Bürgin earn a good living from weaving? “I have learned to be realistic,” she replies. She did side jobs for 23 years to ease some of the financial strain. These included running workshops and teaching at art academies. In 2005, she was appointed as a professor for a very demanding threeyear term at Kassel Art School in Germany. That was her last “side job”. “Such a beautiful, tactile craft” The structure, density and design of the different yarns and fringes that she employs lend notable variety to her rug collection, despite her carpet loom only having two shafts. This limitation requires Bürgin to be extremely creative. The loom is just three metres wide, so she has to exert herself when using it. She never sits down and has to constantly move with the loom. Although air pressure helps her to change shafts, weaving The studio in Basel (above) is both an office and a showroom. The largest tool of the trade stands in the centre of the room: the three-metre wide loom, which is as tiring to operate as it looks. After scarves and blankets, rugs (below) are the main product in the collection. Photos: Lisa Schäublin New book about weaving in Switzerland The article above is an excerpt from a new book called “Alle Fäden in der Hand. Weben in der Schweiz”, which profiles 13 different weavers of all ages, across three generations, in Switzerland. The oldest is over 90 years of age, while the youngest recently completed her three-year weaving apprenticeship. Their different experiences and working methods demonstrate the potential of this ancient craft. The book also explores the story of weaving over the past 100 or so years, documenting the efforts that have been made to preserve the tradition and enhance its appeal as a viable profession in today’s world. At present, some 650 weavers in Switzerland are affiliated to a professional textile association. Gerlind Martin, Regula Zähner (publisher): “Alle Fäden in der Hand – Weben in der Schweiz” 204 pages; 145 mostly colour pictures; bound; 21 x 27 cm © 2024 Christoph Merian Verlag CHF 49 / EUR 49; ISBN 978-3-03969-035-0 a rug remains hard work. She should outsource this job, some people say. Bürgin laughs. “That is the last thing I would do! Weaving is such a beautiful, tactile craft.” Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 11
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