Previously we saw Ripon Cathedral use the origami angel for a community event (An Angel becomes 10,000).
On the morning of 24th of December – the very day we celebrate Xmas in Denmark – Alison Wright from Dunblane Cathedral in Scotland wrote to me that they use the angel in their community to have a project together and to decorate the interior of the cathedral.
The whole congregation helped, there was even a contribution from America. There are not quite as many angels as in Ripon, but perhaps upwards of a thousand. Anyone who has folded a thousand origami cranes knows what an achievement that is.
One of the congregation, George Findlay, a gentleman in his eighties, wrote a poem which captures one’s first attempts at folding spot on:
Hark! The paper angel comes
George Findlay, poem, 2020
I’m not supple, I’m all thumbs.
But one must struggle and persevere
It keeps me busy, have no fear.
Yet if you want to start a rammy
And drive the Dunblane auld yins barmy
Just mention angels and origami!
A new angel
Or at least a new variation. When preparing this blog entry I reviewed the previous angel diagrams and found that I could make a cleaner design while yet simplifying the folding sequence.
Let is compare the new and the old design (see images below). The front of the new design is unbroken, achieved by folding the flaps behind instead of to the front. The wings of the new design are attached to the back instead of to the shoulders, achieved by arranging the layers with the wings on top.
As a side effect the natural folding sequence is simpler, employing only valley folds, a few unfolds, a couple of turn overs, and a pair of simple “tuck insides”. The tucks could be avoided as well, but would require a couple of extra turn overs and unfold/refolds which felt less natural and also required more space than available on the single A4 page of the diagram.
The back and wings tend to sit loosely which can be countered by curving the body backwards.
The front and the back variations are independent.
The diagram with instructions is available as pdf or directly below:
Hola, estaba haciendo el Frindship Angel, y busque en google para facilitarme el plegado. Y encontré el tuyo. Donde hay una variación en las alas, respeto al ángel de Nick Robinson. ¿Y eso?