York Minster

As we were walking back from dinner on Tuesday, bell ringing practice was in full swing at York Minster- if you looked up to the belfry you could just see the ropes in action. A magical sound - I've had problems trying to post the movie clip I made but you can get an idea from the videos on this site. We could still hear it when we got back to our hotel (athough the birds were doing their best to compete!)
I was thinking as we walked round the Minster how your perspective changes over the years. Having visited as a child, what struck me then was the scale , now it is the details that attract.
Restoration is currently taking place on the Great East Window and they had some examples on display to illustrate the conservation process, from showing how crude it had been in the past to the current painstaking process where they carefully match the colours, sign and date each piece and crosshatch them so in the future they can be distinguished from the original. I was particularly taken with the medieval depiction of lions (probably not having seen that many, their features are rather human)
Even the lion faced fire-breathing horses from Revelation seem rather benign.
The Apocalypse was certainly heavily featured. Both of us were rather taken by the 'Doomstone', a limestone sculpture in the Undercroft, especially the devils and demons stoking the cauldron of hell.

Swinging Curves and Stained Glass

Just back from a very enjoyable weekend in Cambridge for the Quilters Guild AGM,catching up with friends, excursion to Ely and some retail therapy with Art Van Go ( Inktense pencils) and Magie Relph (lush hand dyed damask from Africa). Sue unfortunately couldn't come so a last minute pack of bags was involved to catch a train, but arrived in plenty of time for the workshop with Charlotte Yde on 'Swinging Curves'. Many in the class had like me long admired her work and had booked the workshop as soon as the details were released. She was very generous in explaining her methods including sharing all those essential little hints that make such a difference. I'd bought fabrics with me in indigo and creams/yellows to match some the strip weavings from Cameroon and set to assembling saltaire crosses .

I like the idea of incorporating old textiles into new pieces and using the designs from these, giving new life to precious fragments. This will be my April 12 x 12 Journal quilt, a test piece for a larger construction. I'll be quilting it by hand mainly but not overpainting with acrylics you'll be pleased to hear!

On Saturday went on an Excursion to Ely Cathedral which although I've seen from the train , have never visited. We had an interesting tour with a knowledgable guide accompanied by songs from Ivor Novello sung by a Welsh Male voice choir limbering up for a concert in the evening! ( reminds me of a visit to Canterbury Cathedral when there was a special service for guide dogs - they were also rather vocal). There was a small exhibition of textiles in the Lady Chapel inspired by the architecture of the cathedral. It was very easy to feel inspired , particularly by the colours of the stained glass tinting the stone in the sun.



Then up a steep spiral staircase to the Stained Glass museum where we were shown round by the curator. What a treat! I love glass in all its forms ( note the number of dichroic earrings) and it was wonderful to see stained glass up close and examine the detail. I was torn between a John Piper piece and a very contemporary looking section from 1210 that just glowed. Didn't have sufficient time to do justice to the shop as the coach was leaving. Definately worth another visit