Leftover Images from Ireland: Part Five

Today's leftover images are from our excursion to the Kylemore Abbey, Connemara Marble Factory, and the Celtic Crystal Factory.  I don't actually have anything to add to my original post from Ireland about the Connemara Marble Factory.  If you missed my post first time around or you would just like to see it again, you can read the original post right here.

As for Kylemore Abbey, I do have a few things to show you.  First of all, the Abbey is in a positively beautiful setting.  Sadly, it was one of the darker days we spent in Ireland.  I would have loved to have seen this in the sunshine.

I posted this image of the associated gardens in my original post.  Still, I thought it would be good to remind you where I was.

Here are the gardens from the other side, standing next to the large greenhouse.

I wish my vegetable garden looked like this.

I took these next images just because I liked the colors and textures.  This first one is a pear tree.  If you look close to the center, and a little to the left, you'll see some little pears.

As I said in my original post, the gardens were allowed to fall into disrepair and are now being restored with some sizable grants.  This wall is all that remains of one of the original greenhouses.  I want to think there were four originally.

And this seems as good a time as any to show you some more doors.

I knew you would appreciate the quilt blocks etched into the windows of the cafe.

And these sheep, how could I resist?

After spending quite a bit of time wandering the garden, we walked over to the abbey.  I didn't take a lot of pictures inside the abbey, but I wanted to show you this parquet floor.  Here's a nine-patch quilt for you . . . done all in browns.

Sadly, we didn't allow ourselves enough time to walk up to the chapel, but only saw it from a distance.  I regret that I didn't have enough time to see inside because I always enjoy the cathedrals, churches, and chapels.  Also, I wanted you to notice the rhododendrons growing on the hillside.  Recall that these are considered an invasive species in Ireland.

After leaving Kylemore Abbey, we visited the Connemara Marble Factory (see my original post) and then went on to the Celtic Crystal Factory.  I enjoyed this very much.  It's quite interesting to hear about what it takes to become a master cutter and to know the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into these pieces.  This one won some sort of award.  I can't recall what the competition was.  While this image doesn't capture it well, the shamrock reflected lots of little shamrocks when you saw it in person.  These green pieces are so involved that only a few are made each year.

This master cutter gave us a demonstration, which was very interesting.

He cut this piece, which stood nearly four feet tall.  He worked on it for 21 months.  Imagine working on something like this for, say, 19 months and then making one wrong cut.  It's not like sewing where you can rip out your mistakes.  No, this would be toast.  One wrong cut, and you start over again.  Wow.

Here are a few more pieces.

The blue pieces are so involved that only one per year is made.  The red ones are also limited, but not as much as the green and blue.

So that's all I have for you today.  Tomorrow, I'll show you quilts from the quilt show.  I'm not sure what today holds.  I finished up one of my little stitcheries for the new "Love Me, Love My Cat" quilt.  I didn't think I did that much hand-sewing yesterday, but today, my hand is so painful I can barely use it.  I have it splinted right now, which helps.  If I don't move it in certain directions, it doesn't hurt.  In any case, bummer.  

And get ready for the Lime Smackdown.  Depending on how the day goes, I might do some baking today.