Working It Out
Solving the puzzle of the Chinese screen
The Chinese Screen, four panels, 23" x 60" each, #3- to 5-cut hand-dyed wool on Scottish burlap. Adapted from Cam-Syl Designs, 1971, and hooked by Donna Lees Bleam, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 2013.
The first glimpse I got of The Chinese Screen was of the tree peonies that form the center of the third panel. The panel was among a selection of old patterns Robin Price brought to Cambria Pines Rug Camp in June of 2012. When I picked it up, I discovered that it was actually one of a set of four panels designed for a folding screen. Each panel was 2' wide and 5' long.
Four panels that big was more than I had bargained for. I was caught in a classic approach/avoidance dilemma. I love Oriental landscapes, but this was roughly quadruple the size of the biggest piece I had ever hooked.
This article is from the November/December 2014 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.
