Richard III inspired craftmaking!

I feel so privileged to be able to deliver one of my weekly creative cafe workshops in what is the oldest and, by all accounts, most haunted buildings in Leicester city centre!  The Guildhall is one of the best preserved timber framed halls in the country dating back six hundred years.  The stunning Great Hall itself was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi and over the next 100 years the Great Hall was extended with two wings at either end.  Over the years the Guildhall has had many uses as a town library, a courtroom, a townhall, headquarters of the local police, a school, a venue for performances and is now a museum - you can find out more about the Guildhall and it's history here

Beautiful timber frame of the Great Hall from the courtyard

The Mayor's Parlour, one of the side wings

I am very excited by all the kerfuffle that's taking place just a stones throw away from the Guildhall where there has been lots of interest in an archaeological dig that may have discovered the final resting place of King Richard III. Last week, during the creative cafe, a group of academics from the University bought over some artifacts that had been dug up over the road and set up a display cabinet ready for viewing by the general public and we were the first to see them:

Artifacts found at the Richard III dig site

I felt so blown away by it all and felt that I wanted to contribute something of my own, to mark the amazing possibility that Richard III's resting place has finally been discovered.  So inspired by that little piece of a medieval pot there (in the lower right hand corner) and that virtually intact tile with a phoenix on in the top right hand corner, I set to work replicating them using some very special yarn.  The yarn I used was donated by Shauna and Mark Richardson.  Shauna is the exceptionally talented artist behind the Lionheart Project commisioned for the Cultural Olympiad by the Art Council for England and I feel so honored to be able to use this wool for other projects such as this one.  The medieval pot and tiles I made took me a weekend to do but, boy, did my hand ache afterwards!  I cannot even begin to contemplate how difficult and physically intensive it must have been to make those 3 enormous lions. The Guildhall staff where very pleased to be the new owners of a crocheted versions of the artifacts and these are now installed in the Guildhall.  

Crocheted Medieval pot (my interpretation!)

Crocheted and appliqued Phoenix tiles hanging in the fireplace in the Mayor's Parlour.

Ethel Floeda models a crocheted Phoenix tile.   I used old felted jumpers for the applique.

So if you are passing by, why not pop in to see these amazing artifacts but whilst you are there, see if you can also spot my (complete) medieval pot and 3 phoenix tiles.  

If you fancy learning the beautiful craft of crochet, I run creative cafe sessions at the Guildhall every Friday morning (except school holidays) for just £5.  Book via the Guildhall, Leicester by calling 0116 253 2569.

More information about our project work, open days and workshops on our website

Also if you're in Leicester go to the King Richard III Visitor Centre