A Bold Bluff Cross Stitch Pattern

Description

A Bold Bluff cross stitch pattern is a replica of the kitsch painting ‘Judge St. Bernard Stands Pat on Nothing’ from the Dogs Playing Poker series. Painted around 1909 by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, this fun painting is now held in a private collection and (allegedly) fetched a cool half million in the early 00s.

The Project

A Bold Bluff is a large, full coverage cross stitch and the finished piece measures 72.6cm x 54.4cm when stitched on 14 count Aida cloth. We’ve captured a lot of the fine detail including the faded upholstery, curtains, cards, and poker chips BUT there is a LOT of confetti and quick thread changes.

Are you up for the challenge? Tackling this project is going to take some perseverance, but it’s going to look amazing in the games room.

The Players

Here’s a bit more about the history of the painting from an article in the New York Times:

Between 1906 and his death in 1934, Coolidge produced 16 pictures of dogs playing poker for the Brown & Bigelow company, a purveyor of calendars. Large dogs like collies, mastiffs, Great Danes and St. Bernards are typically arrayed in a comfortable den around a card table with a green felt top. A shaded lamp centered above them casts the scene’s only light.

New York Times

The Artist

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge lived from 1834 to 1934 and is recognised mostly for his infamous Dogs Play Poker paintings. The paintings in the series are so much fun (plus it’s always nice to get the menfolk interested in cross stitch) we’re determined to chart all 16. You can check them out in-store.

The Dogs

Keen for more dogs playing poker? Check out these companion charts inspired by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s original artwork. It might take a few months before we have the whole set available.

Additional information