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!