Walking into the exhibition hall, there is so much colour leaping off the walls that it’s almost disorientating.

This year the gallery, which sits alongside the magnificent 19th century manor which houses collections of American memorabilia and folk art, has a 50th anniversary exhibition on the life and work of artist and designer Kaffe Fassett, perhaps best known as a creator of glorious knitwear and needlepoint cushion covers.

Nearly all the objects on view are from his personal collection, and they cover all the art forms he has excelled at: cushion covers, shawls, knitted jackets, quilts, chair seats, rugs, wallpaper, paintings, sketches and throws vie for the attention.

Quotes from Kaffe give an insight into his thought processes: ‘Having been a painter for years I can tell you that needlework is a much more enjoyable way of working with colour than painting’ and ‘Every good bit of decoration is like a piece of music. It has an emotional impact...’ struck chords with my artistic child.