Show & Tell / Kay Cousineau

In memory of Kay Cousineau (October 11, 1923 – November 13, 2023)

Respectfully submitted by Ti Seymour


Kay Cousineau (1923-2023).



It is with great sadness that the Beaconsfield Rug Hooking Guild bows our heads in respect and wishes Godspeed to our Past President. Kay spent her working life as the executive secretary at the head office of the Royal Bank in Montreal. Later she applied her keen spirit to becoming President (1978-1980) of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild and was instrumental with Lois Morris in pursuing the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild (OHCG) to make Beaconsfield a Branch. This was granted in 1979 and a group of members attended their first Annual Conference held at the Mohawk University in Hamilton, ON.

The inspiration drawn from this experience spurred members on to make a special trip every second year, the travel distance being a key factor in this decision. The Guild still draws on these stories and continues to exhibit both at the OHCG annual and locally to keep members active, a legacy which Kay, her family, and our members can be proud of.

Kay was kind and generous with everyone at the Guild and she remained an active member of both Beaconsfield and the OHCG for 35 years.

Having visited her in her home, at the Sunrise Nursing Home, and at the Ste. Anne’s Hospital, I saw that her love for rug hooking was ever present with her beautiful carved and finely shaded flowers, the #2-cut pictorial rugs, and the precision of her oriental rug, all was soooo Kay. For her 100th birthday I had sent her the “Round Tuit” poem to go inside her embroidered tuit I had made her years ago; she had it hanging on her pin board, along with her family photos. She asked often about her friends and about news of the Guild and was grateful to have had all these wonderful experiences with a truly remarkable group of rug-hooking friends. Rest in peace, treasured friend, you are forever in our hearts.





1979 Lakeshore Hooking Craft Guild Show - Rug Display.
The rug at the left, in the front row, is Vendome, a Joan Moshimer pattern, hooked by Kay Cousineau. 





February 8, 1987 - Winter Carnival Week. Left to Right: Kay Cousineau and Marg O'Reilly.



Lakeshore Hooking Craft Guild at the 1987 Ontario Hooking Craft Guild Show.
At the upper right corner of the picture, the Guild visual emblem, created by Kay Cousineau.


In 1979, Lakeshore Hooking Craft Guild becomes a branch of the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild. 
The  Lakeshore Hooking Craft Guild Emblem was hooked by Kay Cousineau as part of the Beaconsfield branch’s visual identity for use at the OHCG annual shows.





Kirkland, 1991, page 8.
JANUARY ART EXHIBIT: THE LAKESHORE HOOKING CRAFT GUILD
About a Lakeshore Hooking Craft Guild exhibition at Kirkland Municipal Library
January 5 - January 30, 1991
Picture caption: Kay Cousineau, an expert in the dyeing of wool.




Kay at OHCG Exhibition 2001, in Kemptville, Ontario.





June 2003 - Rug Hooking Demonstration during Saint-Jean Baptiste Day.
Left to Right: Lorayne Charenko and Kay Cousineau.  




Dec. 5th, 2005: From left to right: Ailish O'Keeffe, Kay Cousineau and Alice Hamilton having fun during Christmas' Luncheon.





October 1st, 2006: Picture taken at Centennial Hall during our Exhibition. From left to right: Jeanne Osler, Denise Vandenbemden, Sheila Brokloff, Julie Ridler, Kay Cousineau, Lois J. Morris, Pen Deering and Meryl Smith.
Sheila, Julie, Pen and Meryl were visitors from Brockville. 


Kay Cousineau
January 7th, 2013 Hook-In. Kay Cousineau during Show and Tell. 


Kay Cousineau and Sally Perodeau during Christmas' Luncheon 2016.





Show & Tell / Kay Cousineau  

This is a compilation of rugs hooked by Kay Cousineau  and featured in our Gallery Website Page between 2008 and 2021, including the ones of the Virtual Gallery / Gallery 2: our tribute to Kay as one of our past presidents.  


Show & Tell / November 2009

Hamilton Lace
Designed by Joan Moshimer, modified and hooked by Kay Cousineau


The rug measures 24” x 64” and is in a design that was modified somewhat, especially in the scroll areas. The rug was started during a course given by our teacher, Judith Dallegret, and finished with the help of Lois Morris, our other teacher. The rug was hooked mainly in #5 cut, using a lot of leftover wool from previous projects. I really enjoyed hooking this rug, as it was a total departure from the oriental themes that I had been hooking up till then.


Hamilton Lace, a Joan Moshimer design.




Show & Tell / April 2011

Tabriz

A Joan Moshimer Design

This oriental pattern measuring 38“ x 69”, was designed by Joan Moshimer of Kennebunkport, Maine. I dyed all the wool used in this project. It was a very enjoyable project and not that difficult to do.


Tabriz, a Joan Moshimer pattern.





Show & Tell / October - December 2012

Log Cabin

For this Log Cabin rug I used a template to trace the individual larger square and then each smaller square within it.
I used mostly leftover wool from previous projects and also overdyed wools and even old sweaters which also had been overdyed. It was a fun and easy rug to hook.
Log Cabin


 




Show & Tell / April- June 2013

Thistle and Goldenrod

This piece was hooked and carved during a workshop given in May 1984 by Joan Boyle, an artist and teacher from Ontario.
As this was a one-day workshop, all the dyed wool and material was supplied by the teacher. The wool was cut in #3.
This piece was part of  our September 2012 exhibition, held at the Beaconsfield Library.





Thistle and Goldenrod, a Joan Boyle Design.





Show & Tell / January-March 2016

Winter Scene
Adaptation of Winter Landscape, Baie-Saint-Paul, a painting by Clarence Gagnon

This pictorial was inspired by a Christmas Card I had received, which represented an oil painting of a colourful winter scene by Clarence Gagnon. For this project I used new and recycled wool and met the challenge of finding the exact colour I was looking for by dying and overdying until I got it right. Lois Morris helped me to achieve this. Very fine cuts of #2 and #3 were used throughout.


Winter Scene. This piece was featured on the OHCG Newsletter (Winter 2014, p. 36).






BHCG Virtual Celebration
Special Show & Tell : Oriental Rugs / September 2020


Imperial 

This pattern, designed by Pearl McGown, has a classic symmetrical composition: a central medallion and four embellished corners to decorate the field of the rug, all surrounded by an ornamental border. I reduced the size of the rug by eliminating the floral outer-border pattern, as it took a long time to complete this rug plus, I wanted it to fit in my apartment. My rug measures 36 x 68 inches. 

 Imperial, a Pearl McGown Pattern



Virtual Gallery

BHCG Virtual Celebration /Gallery 2

September 2020


Virtual Gallery _Gallery 2/ Kay Cosuineau





 Crewel Cushion.

Crewel Cushion

I made this cushion while taking a course with Lois J. Morris, who provided us with the pattern, so several of us used the same pattern. I used both #3 and #4 cuts of wool and the hooking work is done in a way to resemble crewel work.




 Carved Victorian Rose.



Carved Victorian Rose

I did this rose while taking a workshop with Joan Boyle to learn shading and bevelling or carving techniques. I hooked it with #2 cut wool. It was shown in 1990 at our Guild’s 15th Anniversary Exhibition.






Talisman Rose.




Talisman Rose


This rose, a Joan Moshimer design, was done during a course by Lois J. Morris. It was hooked mostly with #2- and some #3- cut wool, using an extremely fine hook, and the emphasis was put on the fine shading with a limited palette of colours.





Carved Pansies.



Carved Pansies
Original

I hooked this framed piece about 40 years ago while taking a course with Lois J. Morris. I drew the pansies from a picture. I hooked it through velvet using a carving technique with #3 cut. I went with Lois to the Frame-U store; we chose a frame with the exact same colour as the velvet background. It was displayed at the 1980 OHCG show.





Flowered Rug.



Flowered Rug

The designer of this rug is unknown. Sheila Brokeloff from the Brockville Branch came to visit our Guild; she had the pattern and I copied it. The flower design is popular and is used in many designs. I hooked the background using a non-directional hooking technique (or higgledy-piggledy).



Show & Tell / March 20121

Habitant Pipe Smoker
Replica of a Cornelius Krieghoff painting
Circa 1985-1995
Unframed dimensions 17 in x 20 in
#3 or 4 cut


Years ago, I donated to the Guild a book about Cornelius Krieghoff, well-known 19th Century Dutch-Canadian artist. In this book is a small image of the artist’s Habitant Pipe Smoker painting which I used to create my rug while taking a course with Lois J Morris on portraits. I dyed all the wool myself. This rug was always my husband’s favorite piece and it hung in his office for years. It now hangs in our home.


Habitant Pipe Smoker. Replica of a Cornelius Krieghoff painting.







Keywords: In Memoriam






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