A Busy Week

I've been very quiet on here this week as we have been invaded by builders!  We decided it was time to bite the bullet and get the bathroom updated.  As we only have the one bathroom and no alternative facilities we knew it was going to be a bit of a nightmare.  As it turned out it was less stressful than we expected but it did involve getting up much earlier than we are usually up and spending most of the day out of the house so that we could avail ourselves of other people's loos.  (Too much information!) 

One of our avoidance-tactic-days took us to Ely to see an exhibition by the Stitch Links group at the Babylon Gallery.     The gallery would only allow generic photographs of the gallery and no details but you can get an idea I hope.  (Last year we were able to take closer shots).

The green and purple work on the far wall is by Heather Hunter and to our eyes looked like a map of the underground.  Heather offers no interpretation of her work but allows the viewer to take what they will from it.  Each of those strips is closely machine embroidered in shades of green and purple and I liked its lines and the movement within it.

This exhibition was titled 'Reworking the Image'  and follows their very successful exhibition two years ago which I went to see with 3 blogging friends.   Having looked back at that previous exhibition it is  interesting to see the similarities and the developments in the artists' work.  I still like Sheila Cahn's work which you can glimpse on the left in the top photograph and on the right in the second.  Her work continues to explore layers and raw edges.

From the gallery DH and I made our way into the centre of Ely to visit the cathedral, which I think I may have blogged about previously (here ).  I can't believe it's 4 years since I visited the cathedral!

This Priors' doorway is in one of the oldest parts of the Cathedral.

  

Thanks to DH I have this image of the central octagon tower. (Apologies if it is slightly blurred as it was a long way up). 

Definite suggestions of quilt patterns in the Lady Chapel, the largest building of its type in the country.

This very subtle mediaeval pattern was painted on the wall in one of the small side chapels.

This banner above, kept under glass in another chapel, features motifs that have been applied to the surface of the base cloth.  It may even be that the figures were painted and then stitched onto the fabric.  I think I need to go back and have another look!

By the time we had toured the Cathedral and then had some lunch the sun had decided to come out and we had a very pleasant stroll along the river watching the potential mayhem of a school rowing lesson coming to blows with the Cambridge Rowing Team practice session!  

I should have started this post with this image which my three blogging friends will remember.  DH and I started the day here with tea and an excellent coffee (according to DH) and scones.  I'm pleased to say Peacock's tea room hadn't changed since our last visit 2 years ago and by the afternoon the tables outside were all busy too. 

As I said at the start of this post our builders have finished our bathroom and, with the delivery of some furniture I am now starting the mammoth task of trying to organise my sewing room.  It's so hot here today that I probably should have left it for another day but I can't wait to be straight so I am plodding away at it and might be able to show you some photos of my new work area soon.  Either that or the heat will get me and I'll melt away in a little heap!

Back soon with more news of the new Stitchcraft shop that is opening in Grantham in a couple of months.  I met the girls who are behind this exciting new project yesterday and spent a very happy couple of hours discussing their vision for this new venture.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and think of me in the heat tomorrow trying to tame my stash into a few drawers instead of a pile of boxes!

Sunshine, Friendship, Inspiration and Cake!

This has been a bit of a hectic week but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet up with the very talented Jackie who makes the most beautiful pieces in velvet and tweed amongst other things.  Wendy and I travelled down to Ely as Jackie had come down from Lancashire for a few days and Ely was a good central point for us all.  It also had a textile exhibition on!  Well, how could we resist?  

First port of call was Babylon Gallery for an exhibition by stitch-links.

This is the first exhibition staged by stitch-links, (follow the link for their website and better images of their work) a newly formed group of established artists from London and East Anglia and it was a very exciting experience.  The exhibition space at Babylon is airy and interesting and the gallery has a friendly atmosphere.  Stitch-links had based their exhibition on the area round Docklands in London and the different interpretations gave the show a great diversity.  

 

The work varies through sculptural pieces to variations on quilts and this piece above is by Maria-Theresa Fernandes whose work I have seen at one of the big Shows last year.  Her work is felted and is rich with stitch.

I was particularly struck by the work of Sheila Cahn whose work is very close to my heart and who works in layers.  

This piece has beautiful sparkling blue organza which hints of reflections on water.  

My photo doesn't do this piece justice but it has a  wonderful flow of colour throughout and beautiful delicate slashings of sheer fabrics surrounded by hand stitching.  

The artists had provided boards with samples showing some of their processes and thought connections in preparing this exhibition and it was interesting to see some of their preparatory work.  In addition as the gallery is a charity it had set up a flower tree and a table so that you could make your flower and add it to the tree in exchange for a small donation.  The whole thing gave the gallery a lovely friendly and welcoming atmosphere and I will definitely keep an eye out for any future exhibitions.  This exhibition continues until June 13th so if you live near enough you still have time to visit.  Ely is well worth the trip.

I'm not sure whether this was an exhibit or not but the railings outside carried this adornment which made me think of Clootie trees that I have seen in Scotland.  I'm pleased to say that Wendy has blogged about our day out too and is showing different parts of the exhibition on her blog so do pop over and have a look if you'd like to see more.

Needless to say, after a journey and viewing the exhibition we were all well ready for a cup of tea and adjourned to the adjacent Peacocks Tearooms who have a national reputation.  We had a lovely lunch and were joined by Emma who had been delayed but finally made it in time for tea and cake,

Yum!  I can still taste that gorgeous chocolate cake!  Everything was served on lovely delicate china and the Tearoom has a big display of teacups.

The difference being that they will actually sell you a teacup if it takes your fancy!  The very pretty yellow cup in the middle at the top left in the company of Emma :o)

Isn't it funny how time flashes by when you are in good company and having a lovely chat?  All too soon it was time to leave to return to projects (Emma), a visit to the cathedral (Jackie) and home via a very tempting shop on Ely station (Wendy and I).  I have to admit to making a postcard each for the girls on a whim yesterday from the scraps from a quilt I'm working on,

and I brought home some lovely gifts and postcards to remind me of a stimulating exhibition

not to mention a piece of rusty something that caught my eye and I just had to pick up! (Can't take me anywhere! lol)

I always enjoy meeting the real people behind my favourite blogs and today was no exception.  Jackie and Emma are both lovely ladies and we had a really enjoyable day.  Wendy is always good company too and I bless blogging for bringing such gifts of friendship into my life.  I'm lucky to have a lovely husband too who not only likes me having these days out but cooks my tea for me when I get back.  I am spoilt!  But I like it! ;o)

The Ship of the Fens

You'll be thinking I do nothing but go out on day trips! So far this year it probably seems like that! Yes, I've been out again. Yesterday I went to Ely with my local coach friends who took us to Ireland last month. We were fairly lucky with the weather as you'll see from the photos but I decided to play safe and take a tour of Ely Cathedral, which I have wanted to visit for a long time but never seemed to have the time for on the few occasions that I happened to pass through Ely.

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Previously I have popped into the cathedral for a cuppa but have never ventured round the whole of the interior. I have always loved the cathedral at Lincoln but I have to say that Ely is a very special place.

The cathedral is a huge edifice and has a long and chequered history. The view above is looking East towards the central octagon tower and the view below looks West to the Lady Chapel and the Octagon. (More of the Lady Chapel later).

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Ely sits on the Great Ouse River which is now more of a leisure facility that a shipping way. I had chance to quickly pop down to the waterfront before we left Ely and as you can see it was beautiful. The grey roofed building on the far bank on the right is a boathouse used by the Cambridge University boat race crew when practising.

It is very difficult to get a good photograph of the cathedral as it is so tall but I was able to take this view from the back of the cathedral as I walked back from the Riverside.

The first thing that strikes you when you come into the cathedral is its great height. You look up and up and up! This wonderful painted ceiling runs the length of the nave and was painted (so the children's guide to the cathedral told me) by two different painters. (Shown apparently by a stronger use of colour towards the end).

This is only the two upper levels of the north aisle (transept?).

You can see the full height here in the centre of the cathedral under the octagon, which is topped by its lantern tower made of wood, lead and glass.

Many of the walls, pillars and arches within the cathedral are heavily decorated and you can still see traces of painted decoration in many places.

Just some of the painted surfaces and a glimpse of the detailed ceiling painting.

I was fascinated by the Lady Chapel. You can see how vast it is in the third photograph below. The Lady Chapel suffered badly in the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII and in the photo below you should be able to see how the carved decoration was damaged: the figures were all smashed, their heads being knocked off.

Although I learned about the Dissolution of the Monasteries I don't think I have ever seen such clear evidence as this extensive destruction which has been left unrestored. Somehow it made it seem a real occurence with its attendant violence of destruction.

This ornate ceiling crowns the Lady Chapel and some of the bosses are grotesque faces. (I took the photo through a mirror!)

You can see how vast the Lady Chapel is. Money has been collected through local sponsorship to carry out renovations in recent years. The floor has some varied patterning in its tiling.

You can see in these niches where large statues were removed or destroyed during the Dissolution.

Ely Cathedral was founded by St Ethelreda and became a place of Pilgrimage.

While many carvings at the bases of pillars were damaged I did find this little chap lurking complete.

The sculpture of Christ in Majesty was made by Peter Ball in 2000. It is a beautiful piece of work.

This is my best effort at a photo of the Octagon. The fingers in green and gold are made of pine. The lantern is made of oak and glass weighing 200 tons and outside there is a layer of lead making a total weight (I think) of about 400 tons! If you look here you can see some very impressive images of the octagon and the cathedral in general.

I'll come back to Ely another day - it's nearly time for bed and I need to read a few blogs! I've got a workshop tomorrow and I've been exhausted today after my jaunt so I need an early night.