A Bluestocking Knits

A Digression of Sorts

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I didn’t actually know that Kay of Mason-Dixon Knitting was writing about a month ago about Bloomsbury needlepoint cushions, until she told me yesterday.

Kay, Kay, Kay! —

Shell_cushion

(This image looks a little stripey to me.  Our digital camera is pretty good with most things, but parallel lines seem to give it the heebie-jeebies.)

I finished the cushion just before we left for Hong Kong.  The chart is of course from Melinda Coss’ "Bloomsbury Needlepoint", a collection of cushions, chair covers, rugs, and other designs from Bloomsbury artists.  I adapted the color scheme somewhat from the chart, being so enamoured of the faded original — I wanted to strike a balance between the original brights and the eighty-some-years-on near-pastels — wasn’t always entirely successful, but I’m very pleased with my little piece of Charleston.

Kaffe Fassett reminds me of Duncan Grant — not just in the physical resemblance, but with the wonderful richness of color and ideas and imagination, the joie de vivre.  A lot of Kaffe’s designs make me think of the studio at Charleston —

Charlestonstudio_vicunilib_small

Partly just all the stuff, the busy-ness, but also the color sense, the textures, the sheer aura of creativity that seems to exude from them.  They both make one look at things in a whole different way.

5 responses to “A Digression of Sorts”

  1. Kay Avatar
    Kay

    I feel almost haunted–and taunted–by these beautiful needlepoints. Do I dare? It seems such an undertaking, just picking out the colors and getting the design transfered onto the canvas. Oh, and doing the needlepointing. Covetousness will bring me to it, no doubt. Thanks for the pictures and the link between Duncan Grant and Kaffe Fassett. Both should be flattered, and at least Kaffe is alive so he can enjoy the flattery. xoxo Kay

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  2. Annhb Avatar
    Annhb

    So happy to find another knitter who is a Bloomsbury afficianado! What else have you stitched from the Coss book? I have 3 pillows and I have my heart set on doing Duncan’s daybed cover – maybe as a rug. I’ve also been meaning to stain/paint the top of an old pine desk. I love the Virginia portrait – I’ve considered ordering a large print of it from the Nat’l Gallery – I’m also trying my hand at painting it and doing it as a stain glass window – my copy of “Bloomsbury at Home” describes her as crocheting – but I did a knitted version anyway – so much fun in those colors! Looking forward to reading your blog! Annhb

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  3. Jeanne Avatar
    Jeanne

    Picking out the colors — since I modified the scheme — was one of those things, kind of like childbirth, that was long and arduous, and left me feeling exhilarated. The Shell is the first one I’ve done so far. I didn’t transfer the design, just counted as I went along, wh. I suppose made it a bit harder. I really wanted to do the larger Abstract cushion (the other picture on M-DK), but since it had been mhrhrmm years since I’d done any needlepoint, prudence demanded that I start with the smaller one!
    My own “sine qua non” of the Bloomsbury needlepoints is the music stool, I think.
    The “VW Knitting” painting is one of my favorites. Ann, I am FASCINATED by the idea of a knitted version — can you send a picture?

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  4. Annhb Avatar
    Annhb

    Jeanne, here are my WIPs – Virginia is still on the needles, she needs a nice Bloomsbury border, and some feature enhancement and then she’ll be a pillow –
    https://home.pacbell.net/annhb/wip/

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  5. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    Thanks for the interesting journey around Charleston and the group (I’m a link follower).
    That’s a beautiful piece of work. Superb.

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