Wensleydale Weekend

And there I was, away again!  This time was the occasion of a special birthday and there were eleven of us, together in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Wensleydale sky
Yorkshire Dales, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

This is November, so it was a delight to be greeted by blue skies on Saturday.  The Wensleydale village where we stayed, gives direct access to the countryside so we all set out on a short (four-miles or so) walk. The ripples from the two ducks barely interrupt the reflections of the clouds in the river.

Reflections in the river
Yorkshire Dales, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

The fields are separated by dry-stone walls, barriers created by carefully locating each stone so exactly that it remains lodged next to its companion without the use of cement. The colour of the stones and the lichens upon them are beautiful.

Dry stone wall, Wensleydale
Dry-stone wall, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

Farm buildings, made from the same stone, blend perfectly into the late autumn landscape.

Stone farm building in Wensleydale
Stone building, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

Seeing the black sheep of the family raised a smile.

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Black sheep, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

On Sunday, our destination was Aysgarth Falls, and once again we enjoyed blue skies.

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Aysgarth Falls, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

There is a stone bridge over the river here.

Bridge, Aysgarth Falls
Bridge at Aysgarth Falls, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

This is the view of the falls from the bridge.

Aysgarth Falls
Aysgarth Falls, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

Above is a view from upriver.

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The River at Aysgarth Falls, photo by Amanda Jane Ogden

While below the bridge, the water runs calm and clear.

And after such a enjoyable exposure to the lovely English countryside, what’s a self-employed designer-maker to do? Well, frankly, get back to work! There’s a quilt binding to finish, a quilt design to tweak, and a quilt to piece…

Thank you for reading my blog. Quilt patterns are here, Fabrics are here, Classes are here

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This is my ‘Leaping Sheep (white)’ fabric design. You can find it here.

Leaping sheep, white

Published by Amanda Jane Textiles

Artist, designer, maker and teacher

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