Please note early closure of 'Branching Out' exhibition at the Galway City Museum

Unfortunately our Western Branch Exhibition 'Branching Out' has had to close at short notice as the Galway City Museum is closing for renovations. Apologies to anyone who intended to travel next week to see the exhibition. Some of the quilts on show will be selected to travel to the National IPS exhibition in the Botanic Gardens in the summer so perhaps you will have the chance to see them there.

"Branching Out" an exhibition by Western Branch IPS members opens at Galway City Museum

We had a wonderful time at the opening of our exhibition on Saturday 16th April, a very sunny afternoon at the Galway City Museum. John Killeen of "Lets do it Galway" opened the exhibition for us and had high praise indeed for the creativity and craftsmanship involved in the variety of work on show. UPDATE: THE EXHIBITION CLOSED EARLY DUE TO RENOVATIONS AT THE GALWAY CITY MUSEUM. APOLOGIES TO ANYONE WHO DID NOT SEE THE EXHIBITION DUE TO THE SHORT NOTICE OF CLOSURE. Here are just some of the photographs from the event. Chairperson, Lynn Naughton, thanks John Killeen for opening the exhibition and presents him with colourful prints by Irish artist Simone Walsh (www.simonewalsh.net).

Veronika, Anna and Lara Feldmann with "Rhododendron Rose Tree" by Veronika.

Naomh Muire Quilters (Bernadette Falvey, Mari Moran and Tanja Alanko-O'Malley) with their piece "Hope".

Margaret Cunnane with 'Soleil d'Or'.

Mogs McDonnell with "Up the Garden Path".

Marian and Irene Kavanagh with "Folded Flowers" by Marian.

Mari Moran with "Cave Women's Flowers".

Margaret Cunnane and Catherine Geraghty.

Madeleine Jordan with "Taste of the Seasons".

Emer and Johanna Tyrell with "Merci Matisse" by Johanna.

Joan Colleran with "30 Years A-Growing".

Jackie O'Toole and her daughter with "All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Jackie.

Isabelle Foyle and her grand-daughter Nora.

Colette O'Donnell with "Harmony".

Cheryl Breeds with "70's by Nature".

Bernie Falvey, Colette O'Donnell, Margaret Cunnane, Josephine Helly and Lynn Naughton.

Bernie Falvey with "Bouquet of Love".

Aine Ui Dhomhnaill and her son with "Abi".

Clodagh, Emily, Grainne and Agnes Warren with "Back to Basics" by Agnes.

And finally a really BIG THANK YOU to the organising committee (Margaret Cunnane, Mari Moran and Johanna Tyrell) for putting together such a wonderful exhibition, creating posters, invitations and catalogues, advertising it in local press, etc. We all appreciate the work you did so THANKS!

"Western Reflections" a heritage quilt is presented to the Galway City Museum

Thank you to Reg Gordon (www.reggordon.com), for taking these photos when members of the Western Branch of the IPS gathered at the Galway City Museum to present "Western Reflections", a heritage quilt to Breadain O Heaghaire. The quilt will now form part of the Museum's permanent collection. Following the presentation we gathered in the Cafe at the museum for delicious tea & scones.

Connacht Tribune writes about "Western Reflections", a heritage quilt donated to Galway City Museum

The following article appeared in the Connacht Tribune on Thursday April 7th page 5 to mark the presentation of "Western Reflections" to the Galway City Museum by the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society. The article also announces the dates for our upcoming exhibition "Branching Out" at the Museum from 16th to 30th April. Go out and get your copy of the Connacht Tribune today!

"Western Reflections" presented to Galway City Museum Thursday 7th April

On Thursday 7th April members of the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society gathered in the Galway City Museum to present Breandan O'Heaghaire with "Western Reflections" a heritage quilt made by the branch for the Museum's permanent collection. Here are some of the photos on the day....for more professional photos keep watching the local papers as a photographer was present on the day to record the event. Postcards of the quilt will be available for sale at our upcoming exhibition "Branching Out" which will open at 3pm on Saturday 16th April at the Galway City Museum. The exhibition will run until the end of April.

"Branching Out" an exhibition by the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society opens on 16th April 2011

You are invited to attend the official opening of "Branching Out" an exhibition of quilts by the members of the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society at the Galway City Museum on Saturday 16th April at 3pm.

"Western Reflections" a heritage quilt to be donated to the Galway City Museum on 7th April, 2011

We are having the handover of the Heritage Quilt "Western Reflections" to the Galway City Museum on Thursday next, April 7th, 2011 at 11 o’clock in the Museum. We are hoping to have the press there on that day to promote the IPS and the forthcoming exhibition. Please join us if you can. Please remember to mark your diaries for the official opening of "Branching Out", our exhibition which opens on Saturday April 16th at 3 pm.

Northern Quilters' Guild exhibition at Galway City Museum

The following photographs were provided by Johanna Tyrell who visited the exhibition of quilts by the Northern Quilters' Guild at the Galway City Museum. The textile works were all inspired by the paintings of Cecile Maguire.

Guild members photographed the artist Cecile Maguire and made a quilt of his image to complement the exhibition.

This quilt celebrates the men who cut and hewed Connemara marble.

This quilt of the Claddagh quay was made by eight different quilters and it is believed it will be donated to the Museum.

The painting that inspired each piece was shown along with some comments by each quilt-maker.

And the quilt inspired by "Knitters in the Sun" - "I'll niver lern!" was Johanna's favourite piece in the exhibition.

In the middle of the quilt is a knitted Aran sweater, showing different stitch patterns. It is bound all around with cable stitch.

Northern Irish Branch of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles (Region 17) at the Galway City Museum

You may have noticed in Mary Hunter's European Quilt Association report in the current Newsletter that the Northern Irish Branch of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles are currently exhibiting in the West, at the Galway City Museum (on the second floor).
The group were presented with a catalogue of Cecil Maguire's artwork and this was used as inspiration for the quilts on display.
We are unsure how long this exhibition will run at the Museum, but if you get a chance to take a look it comes highly recommended by Mary Hunter who saw this in Bermingham.

Workshop for the public at Galway City Museum

As part of the Western Branch Exhibition in the Galway City Museum Toni Foley, Mary McDonnell and Anne Marie Horan gave two workshops to members of the public on Saturday 22nd May.

It was decided to teach the basic building blocks of a four-patch and a half-square triangle. By adding a border everyone went away with a 14"square piece.

All pieces were pre-cut and it wasn't long before everyone was sewing 1/4 inch seams. The photo shows the finished pieces of Maire, Marie, Pauline and Angela.

The workshop stimulated a lot of interest in the participants and also in visitors to the exhibition who were walking through the Gallery.

Thanks to Breandan and all the Museum staff for their help and here's hoping the Western Branch gets some new members in September!

Ann-Marie Horan

Newspaper reports on exhibition at the Museum

A photograph and article appeared on page 8 of today's Galway Independent about the Western Branch exhibition "The West's Awake" at the Galway City Museum.
Rosalie Andrews, Veronika Feldmann and Joan Colleran display "Western Reflections" a heritage quilt which will be worked on throughout the month at the Museum and presented to the Museum for its permanent collection.

Exhibition: The West's Awake is opened by the Mayor of Galway

We are very excited to see our exhibition open at the Galway City Museum for the whole month of May. This is our second time exhibiting at this beautiful location, where all the staff make us very welcome and we always receive great feedback from visitors to the Museum. We are expecially grateful to Breandan and Mattie for the care and attention with which they have displayed our work.

The exhibition was opened officially today, Tuesday 4th May by the Mayor of Galway, Declan McDonnell. We were delighted that he was able to attend despite his busy schedule. Sandlin Poth made a beautiful cushion, inspired by the marble tiles of Galway City Cathedral which was presented to the Mayor. The quilt on display behind them in the photograph is "Prairie Flowers" by Marie McPhilips.

Toni Foley and her sister are photographed in front of the group quilt made by Western Branch members and quilted by Frances Conroy. This quilt will now be raffled amongst those who contributed a block.

Lynn Naughton, Marie McPhilips, Bridgie Dalton and Pat O'Rourke from Roscommon stand in front of Bridgie's hand appliqued quilt.

Sally Coyle, James Harald (Galway City Arts Officer) and Margaret Cunnane in front of "Autumn Flight" by Colette O'Donnell.

Anna, Veronika and Lara Feldmann with Rosalie Andrews in front of "Rhythm and Blue" by Vera Buckley.