The Black Page at Shandy Hall

Page 73 design. Pencil on paper. 2009. Tom Phillips. Available at auction - see below.

The Black Page exhibition at Shandy Hall celebrates the 250th anniversary of Vols I & II of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne. Page 73 of Volume I is a Black Page which marks the death of Parson Yorick. 73 artists/writers have each been asked to create a 'Black Page' for exhibition and sale by auction. All monies raised will contribute to the grant by English Heritage to repair the roof at Shandy Hall. Please go to http://www.blackpage73.blogspot.com/ for details of the exhibition, artists and auction.

A stone Black Page (sculpted by Peter Coates) has been installed on Sterne’s grave in the churchyard of St Michael's church, Coxwold.

Exhibition continues until 31 October. Open every day (except Saturdays) 11am - 4pm

Shandy Hall
Coxwold, York, YO61 4AD
Tel: 01347 868465

Tom Phillips has also contributed a new Black Page 73 quilt to the exhibition.

The Black Page 73 quilt. Sundry silk fabrics and cotton batting, 2009.

The patchwork quilt-top comprises exactly 73 pieces. There are 18 off-white pure silk log cabin pieces around the edge and 55 black pieces in various different fabrics making up the lettered section. The patchwork was constructed by Alice King using the card template technique. Each piece is cut out in card, and the fabric lightly tacked around it to form the flat, irregular patchwork shape. The pieces are then sewn in place by hand from the wrong side with small overstitches before the card templates are removed from the back, along with the rough holding-stitches. The log cabin strips have been sewn on by machine. The quilting stitches (which hold the three layers together) are sewn by Alice Wood, by hand. The log cabin strips and quilt backing are remnants of raw Thai silk which came from the maker of Alice Wood’s wedding dress. The black pieces are from the two Alices' fabric collections, and consist of silk taffeta, jacquard cotton sateen, velvet, flocked chiffon and satin.

The Black Page 73 quilt, details. 2009.