Twelve moments, designed by children, stitched by volunteers – St Etheldreda Panels
The St Etheldreda Panels in St Catherine’s Chapel bring together the story of Ely’s founder and patron saint, the imagination of local children and the skill of Ely Cathedral Broderers. Each of the twelve hanging appliqué panels shows a key moment in the life of St Etheldreda.
In 2022, schools and home-educated children from across the Diocese of Ely were invited to design panels depicting key events in her life. Twelve of the designs were selected to form the set. The Cathedral Broderers then hand-stitched the panels, working from the children’s designs.
The Ely Cathedral Broderers are a small but skilled and dedicated team of volunteers who design and create new textile pieces, mainly for the cathedral, and restore and conserve existing ecclesiastical textiles.
Re-founded as a group shortly before the Covid pandemic, they meet fortnightly to continue working on various projects. Their work includes St Etheldreda’s Banner, the altar frontal in St Etheldreda’s Chapel and the wall hangings in St Dunstan’s Chapel, all of which remain in the cathedral.
The panels are a temporary display in St Catherine’s Chapel.
The St Etheldreda Panels show that cathedral textiles can carry the story of a saint through the eyes of a new generation. They link a founding figure of the cathedral, the children who pictured her life and the volunteers who gave those pictures thread and fabric.
See all of wonderful Threads of Faith entries here.
