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Friday 9 July 2010

Designs by E Kay Kohler


My mother was a great fan of Kay Kohler as were many stitchers of her generation. Kay's work represented a move away from the nostalgia for crinoline ladies, to something fresher, more forward looking, folk-inspired and simpler. Hand in hand with this embroidery was a wider gaze to the continent for knitting patterns, popular music and other crafts. While I knew Kay's book very well, to my knowledge it had only been admired and the designs never worked. So, it was such a lovely surprise today to come across this firescreen for auction by Swan and Turner on 17 July. This is an absolute gem of needlework history from the 1950s and is a snip for £15-£25.

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