Monday 4 May 2009

A trip to Yorkshire and some felt.

Sunday was a bit boring with no dog to walk, so at the bright and early start time of 3pm we decided to have a tootle out in the car.
Over the border into Yorkshire.

Never mind carbon emissions and global warming..it was pretty cold here despite the sunshine.
In Hebden Bridge we visited the Heart Gallery, when we eventually found it.


Had a drink and pricey but delicious cake in a beautiful organic cafe nearby, and sat next to a gang of shoutey posh people impressing the world with their stories of travel in Italy and visits to the opera. I watched the world go by outside the window and marveled at the colourful ensembles of the ladies of Hebden Bridge .


Its a very picturesque place.

Then we went to the small steep village of Heptonstall.
Had you heard of it?
I hadn't until last year.
What a wonderful surprise.
We parked the car and trudged up the steep cobbled road edged with 17th Century weavers' cottages.
Our efforts were rewarded at the top of the hill by the amazing ruined church.

It stands in a huge graveyard next to the newer Victorian church.
The gravestones are tightly packed and make interesting reading,


with lovely caligraphy and curlicues.


Its really worth a visit and I found a good website about Heptonstall here. I wish I'd read it before we went. If you want to see a 360 degree view click here.

They may have added a third even more lenient plaque by the time you get there.

'Dogs welcome'?

The 'grimness' of the grey stone houses is relieved by little flashes of colour.

But by gum it was cold.

Talking of colour...I have long wanted to combine my usual technique of stitched velvet, with felt,
so today I had a play.



If the felt is thick its more stable, but its harder to machine on.


These are only trial pieces,


and have no backs yet.

They may yet be brooches.

I will be stewarding at the exhibition in Lytham again on Tuesday and Wednesday, so if you are around near the Heritage Centre, do call in and say hello.
If I'm out, I am sure to be found in the cafe next door to the centre, behind a thick slab of their wonderful Frangipan tart, so come in a have a drink with me.
I'll diet next week.

32 comments:

Sue said...

Your posts are always so interesting Jackie, glad you found enough mojo to get out and about a bit... I used to live in Hebden, by the canal in a little tiny house. I love Heptonstall - did you find Sylvia Plath's grave? It is such an interesting place up there although very 'wuthering' as you discovered :-)

Gina said...

That sounds like a wonderful day out. The velvet seems to work well with the felt. I love stitching on felt.

Carol Q said...

love your photographic stories. your stitching on velvet is gorgeous.

Kitty said...

It looks a lovely afternoon out - despite the posh shouty people. It has been cold here too - my son was out playing football with his friend this afternoon - they came in asking for GLOVES?!

I would say your trial with felt and velvet is a rip-roaring success. Stunning.

x

Ruth said...

Yes, I've been there too. And even though I am originally a Mancunian (from the days when it was part of Lancashire even!) I find Yorkshire really stunningly beautiful (though for the sake of regional pride we were only allowed to admit that very grudgingly in public when I was young - it was the cricket, you see. Or the original Wars of the Roses).

And your stitching on velvet and felt really does stand out against the grey stone!

Heather said...

What a lovely post, and 3pm is a very civilised time for a tootle. The ruined church and old grave stones are beautiful and I love you new experiments with felt - they are very plumptious. I wish I wasn't so far away and would love to see your exhibition and say hello. Good luck with it and we will all diet next week!! Some of us ought to be dieting this week.

Julie said...

A very interesting post Jackie. The gravestones are beautiful, such wonderful lettering. I am fascinated by gravestones and the history they tell.

I agree, your velvet and felt pieces look beautiful, or plumptious! What a lovely word!.

Mary Welsh Hubbard said...

Hi Jackie. I really like the felt with the velvet. Very bright and cheery. Your little trip looks like a wonderful place to visit. I wish I could. I enjoy visiting these places through you.

Sandy said...

The work is gorgeous and will make wonderful brooches.

Joei Rhode Island said...

I think you had a lovely time despite the cold...cake (any cake is good by me), wonderful architecture, beautiful engravings...and Fabulous Felt!

menopausalmusing said...

I love that photograph taken through the wrought iron gate - lovely. Am also partial to a gravestone, they are soooo interesting, aren't they? Textures and colour of embroidery are sumptuous. x

'fancypicnic' said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
'fancypicnic' said...

Oops - try again...
Ooh - always such a treat to come for a catch up and good read, and a feast for the eyes.
I LOVE the look of those babies with felt in the mix...delish (along with your 'yummy' ones I've been admiring on flickr...!).

Shoutey posh people, eh? You get them up there too, do you?
I fancy there's a rather nice lighting shop in Hebden

hippopip said...

So sorry to her about Willow,they are part of the family.Glad that you had a good day out and the new felt brooches are stunning as usual.

Robin Olsen said...

I love the shapes of the new pieces--very whimsical. What a lovely outing--makes me envious of those of you who can take little tootles in England.

jeanette, mistress of longears said...

Your new combination is wonderful!!!! Loved your post about your afternoon trip, and the lovely photos. It's probably my only "trip" to that lovely village. Thank you!

chrissythreads said...

Another person enjoying felt- yipee!
Glad you had a good day out.
I noticed your link to the EG web ring so thought I might as well join in but I couldn't get it to load on my site. As a total web novice -what do I press?

WendyCarole said...

Great post. Love the brooches

John went to Heptonstall as part of his walk last week.

I have been there years ago but saw very little as it turned wet and misty and there was no sign of the view.

Art4Sol said...

Lovely photos and tales...wish I could stop by for a cuppa.

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

A lovely day, love the felt "brooches" and the sound of that frangipan tart, wish I lived a little nearer!!!

Clucking about said...

l'm gald you had a nice day out,it looks a lovely place.LOVE the felt and velvet mix.The raised velvet trails remind me of the moss that appears inbetween paving
slabs and the texture l think would feel like hair thats cropped!
The colours are beautiful!( sorry for the mad momment!)x

Lesley's Creations said...

Soooooo pleased you had a nice day out. The felt and velvet looks great together, gorgeous colours. xx

A time to dance said...

I love Hebden...I did a post on it a while ago, the Heart Gallery has got a bit pricy lately..have you been to Ruby Shoesday..we love it there and the wool shop and...I could go on an on...Heptonstall is lovely isnt it...we have done some lovely walks from there...glad you liked it over with us white rose lot...maybe we could meet at Hebden one day...there is a cheaper af further on called Mooch which the family Lambert patronise for the cake !

A time to dance said...

PS Loved your felt...you make me feel so inadequate...

silverpebble said...

Ooh what lovely auriculas. The lettering on that gravestone is wonderful Jackie. Glad you had a good tootle.

Stunning colours in your work too - velvet and felt together - great texture x

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Looks as though you had lovely blue skies over your head that day, even if it wasn't as warm as it should have been. I'm glad you had a day out. I've been thinking of you often.
Love the new felt/velvet pieces. That chartreuse looks like moss I could lay down in.

ArtPropelled said...

Gorgious brooches, a tootle in the country and frangipan tart.... sounds like bliss.

Haunted Isles said...

I just love the colours of your trial pieces.

Anonymous said...

I love the latest Brooches combining the felt and velvet really works beautifully.
How lovely it is to see the sun shining enough to get a decent picture of what you work really looks like,so vibrant and full of detail.
Your little tootle turned out to be a lovely day out by the looks of things .It looks a stunning place .
Hope you are okay and feeling a bit better
Love from sesga xxx

Linda Vincent said...

I'm glad you had a lovely day out....what a wonderful blue sky you had above you! I really like the gate (I can see that design appearing in future pieces of work.)
Beautiful trial pieces....
velvet + felt = a great success.
Linda xx

Jo Potter said...

Hi,
I have just found your blog and started following you.
Very beautiful textiles!:)

ArtPropelled said...

Back again......Love that gravestone with the heart and the M.



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