Whitework altar cloth for Balliol Chapel (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Finished! The embroidery on the altar cloth was to commemorate the college’s 750th anniversary – one end has 1263, while the other has 2013. I completed the embroidery on the 2013 end last weekend (although by Thursday I was unable to resist adding a few leaves for the dahlias on the 1263 end). A marathon ironing session ensued yesterday, so today, Saturday saw the delivery and installation of the cloth on the altar (well, yesterday as it is now 10 minutes past midnight).
Whitework altar cloth for Balliol Chapel (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Determined to keep the cloth as crease free as possible, I folded and interleaved the cloth with clean white bath towels and laid this parcel flat in the empty boot of daughter No 1’s car (the vicar had a wedding) with a heavy sofa cushion placed on top (to prevent the cloth rumpling into a creased pile as the car went up the two hilly bits of road between here and Oxford). Bundled into the car along with 3 adults, a baby and baby paraphernalia were wedged my iron and a long extension cable in case extreme ironing was necessary. Relief was great when the cloth was unrolled from its towelling cocoon and found to be largely crease free.
Whitework altar cloth for Balliol Chapel: detail of daffodil & magnolia (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
The 1263 end is blogged here, where I show the wooden shield now hanging in the Old Library and on which I based the overall design for the altar cloth. The carved flowers included tulips and flowers very like dahlias so I added those to my own design along with wisteria – all 3 flowers do well in Balliol soil.
Whitework altar cloth for Balliol Chapel: details of daffodils, magnolia and lily of the valley (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
The 2013 end has the curlicues of the shield but with different flowers. Standing by the steps to the dining hall there is a magnificent magnolia tree which has enormous white flower heads. Beneath the Old Library windows in the first quad this year’s bed of mixed daffodils has just finished flowering. Lily of the valley can be found in little groups in the shadier parts of the college grounds. All these three flowers I included in this 2nd end, along with a scattering of forget-me-knot flowers, many of which come up beween the daffofils. Artistic licence has been taken with the flowers which are depicted with differences of scale – the magnolia can be as big as soup plates.
Whitework altar cloth for Balliol Chapel: details of lily of the vallley, daffodils & magnolia (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
Entering into the chapel I was greeted with a Mozart horn concerto. While I laid the cloth in place on the altar Delius’s Lark Ascending descended from the gallery. My job done, I left the chapel just before a memorial service was due to begin ( so many people were expected that a few chairs were placed in full sight of the embroidery – this will not often happen.) Sunday’s college Holy Communion will see the cloth in use for the first time and the embroidery will revert to its quiet job of just being there.
Update 24 August 2014: Altar complete with altar cloth
Balliol College Chapel: the altar with just a glimpse of the altar cloth (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)
19 Comments
The college is fortunate to have you and your exquisite work, Mary.
Thank you for your compliment and many thanks too for having me on your blog roll – I get many new visitors through your kindness.
Absolutely gorgeous. The college is so lucky to benefit from your time, energy, and talent.
And I’m very fortunate to have such encouraging readers, Vicki.Thank you.
What a wonderful achievement. A true labour of love. Did it not give you a little shiver thinking of it there for decades to come?
I was very glad to contribute something that marked such an important anniversary for the college, and I rather like the fact that it can’t actually be seen, except by the chaplain, servers,etc. (Odd that, I don’t really know why.) It is true will be nice to think I’ve left something behind when I leave.
Well done on finishing this. Absolutely stunning.
Thank you Jane, it’s so lovely of you to comment.
So beautiful, Mary. I will go and look at it tomorrow.
Magnificent!
Thank you!
How very special to read about your beautiful embroidery and its’ adventures to the College. Imagine every stitch you have sewn just being there on the altar of such a remarkable place….
It was lovely to make such a contribution to the college.
What a lovely, exquisite piece of work. What a memorable moment to be in the beautiful chapel with all that music to surround you. Thank you for sharing it with us!
The music was a real bonus, along with the sun which made the chapel look at its best. Glad you liked reading the post.
Stunning.
Beautiful.
A work of art.
Hallelujah squared.
Thank you – your comment is much appreciated.
Mum, its beautiful. What a lovely thing to do for the college. x
I’m glad you like it.