October: Beginner's Workshop with Anne Marie and Margaret

Our new members are making great progress. Today they learned how to make half-square triangles, put 4 patches together and add a border.

Anne Marie and Margaret showed how to use rotary cutters, rulers and mats for accurate cutting.

And the these beginners are just flying along!

Below are 2 sample runners completed by Anne Marie to show the possibilities for laying out the completed blocks.

October Speaker: Sandlin Poth and friends

A big THANK YOU to Sandlin Poth and her quilting friends who came at short notice to tell us about their Bible Quilt Project. The Blocks on display are "Garden of Eden", "Tree of Life" (Norway Pine is the substitute in the top row), "Dove in the Window", "Jacob's Ladder" and "Joseph's Coat".

Six-year old Emma, proudly shows us her patchwork projects. Emma started patchworking with the group last year when she was 5; that's pretty impressive!

This international group of women meet on Saturdays for Bible Study with a difference. 'Lessons for the Heart' takes its inspiration from a Bible passage and 'Lessons for the Hands' involves learning to make a patchwork block with a biblical theme. Above Catherine Kelly and Joan Cumings show "Jacob's Ladder".

Claudia Titilincu and Mandy Post show "Dove in the Window" blocks above.

Joan Cumings

And Claudia Titilincu show "Garden of Eden" blocks above.

As they continue to work on their blocks they are discussing what name to call the group. Peaceful Piecers, Saturday Stitching Sisters, Quirky Quilters are some of the names under discussion.

Whatever they decide it's certain they have lots of talent and we look forward to seeing the finished quilts sometime in the future.

October Show and Tell

Bridgie has finished this beautiful quilt top and it has just been long-arm quilted by Frances.


Monica showed us both the positive and negative versions of this wall-hanging created in a recent workshop with Mogs.

New member, Marilyn, showed us her wonderful hand-appliqued quilt.

Marilyn also showed this machine-pieced quilt.

Anne Marie's daughter made this colourful quilt....with just a little help.

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.

National Exhibition 2011

In 2011, the Irish Patchwork Society will be 30 years old. To celebrate this achievement the IPS is planning to organise a Special National Exhibition to take place that year.

Also in 2011, the World's Craft Council will be hosting its General Assembly in Ireland so the Crafts Council of Ireland has decided that 2011 will be the 'Year of Craft'.

To celebrate these two events, the IPS would like to promote patchwork and quilting throughout the country.

The IPS would like all branches to hold their own exhibitions in 2011. Ideally, the branch exhibitons should be finished by May 2011, so that most of these quilts can go on to be part of the Special National Exhibition celebrating 30 years.

The venue for the national exhibition will be the Botanic Gardens. The final date for this is to be confirmed.

The theme will be: 'BRANCHING OUT'. As the exhibition will be in the Botanic Gardens, entries should be related to an environmental, plant or nature-based theme.

The Western Branch is considering holding a branch exhibition in April 2011 to comply with this request, eventhough we normally only exhibit every second year and would not be due to do so until 2012. The committee is currently investigating possible exhibition venues in Galway and further information will be available shortly.

Our next meeting takes place on 9th October.

Guest speaker: Irene McWilliams cannot attend. The committee is working on asking some Western Branch members to share information about current projects. Details to be confirmed after the committee meets on 4th.....check back here for more details after that date.



Shop: Pippa Blue from Middle St., Galway will bring a selection of their fabrics, kits, trimmings, books, etc. And are deligted to have the opportunity to meet Galway quilters and hear what you would like them to stock! See http://www.pippablue.com/ for a taster!



Beginner's Workshops: See the post below with more details of what Anne Marie and Margaret are working on with beginners.



Heritage Quilt: Calling all experienced hand-quilters!!! Please stay and share your tips and techniques on hand-quilting with others as we begin quilting the borders of our Heritage Quilt for the Museum. This is an opportunity for those who would like to learn more about hand-quilting to learn from those who may have more experience. All are welcome to this 'quilting bee' (if there are too many of us to work on the quilt at once, perhaps some can use the time to hand-quilt a project of their own and participate in the age old tradition of quilting as a community?)

Beginner's workshops continue in October

Those who attended the 'Beginner's Workshop' in September learned how to construct a 'four-patch' block. They were given a stack of four patches to do as home-work.

In October, participants will learn how to construct a 'half-square triangle' block. Home-work will involve putting both blocks together to form the above 'Jewel Box' block.

In November the class will learn how to make sashings and borders and will be shown how to pin and quilt.

In addition to making their own individual table-mat, participants will complete a small quilt which will be raffled amongst them when it is finished.

If you are a new member, but missed the September workshop, don't worry....Anne Marie and Margaret will be happy to welcome you into the October class and help you 'catch-up'!

Tuition is free, but you must be a member (for insurance purposes). There may be a charge for materials once all costs have been accounted.

American Quilt group would like to meet you!

A group of approx 24 American quilters from a variety of quilt groups is visiting Ireland and it was suggested they meet us when they come to Galway. The tour is being organised by quilter, teacher and author Chris Lynn Kirsch. You can read about her work and some other tours she has organised at http://www.chrisquilts.net/.

Veronika is coordinating a group of Western IPS members to meet this tour-group for coffee at Glenlo Abbey Hotel on 19th October to share ideas, techniques and designs. If you would like to come along and bring some of your work to show and tell, contact Veronika at our October meeting (Sat 9th Oct).

IPS Autumn Newsletter now available!

The latest IPS Newsletter should be arriving to all members through the post right now! It's full to the brim with lots of news from around the country and from various national and international exhibitions. It also has all the information on upcoming events, etc. If you haven't received yours check that your membership is up to date by contacting Bridgie Dalton, Western Branch membership secretary.

Irish Patchwork Society AGM takes place Saturday 2nd October

This year's national AGM takes place on Saturday 2nd October, 2010 in the Best Western Ashling Hotel, Parkgate St., Dublin 8.

The challenge this year is 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Your interpretation of this slogan to acknowledge recycling week in October'.

Margaret Woodside is the guest speaker and she will teach 2 workshops. On Sunday 3rd "Turning I - Working with leaves to make a stunning wall-hanging" and on Monday 4th "Turning II - Working with 'tree' technique to make an A4 landscape picture"

For more information see www.irishpatchwork.ie

Yard Sale at Maeve Meaney's shop until end of September!

The Limerick Quilt Centre is having a yard sale until the end of September! Not many days left....contact Maeve quickly!

See http://www.quilt.ie/ for more info.

WABA Global Breastfeeding Quilt Initiative

Genevieve sent us information about this global initiative by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action to create a quilt to commemorate the actions and joys for breastfeeding worldwide. If you would like to submit a panel in time for the launch event it must get to Malaysia by 25th September. But it's an ongoing project so there is still time to send a panel after that date. Apart from the physical quilt that will be stitched together in Penang, photos of each panel will be added to their website to create an on-line quilt. On-line viewers can click on each panel to read about the panel and its maker. For more information and an application form see www.waba.org.my/pdf/quilt-form.pdf.

Exhibition 'Seeing Red' by Cork Textiles Network

Apologies that the above photo of an exhibition invitation we received is a little difficult to read, but you are all invited to the opening of this exhibition on 7th October at 6pm. The exhibition will continue until 29th October, for more information see http://www.corktextiles.com/

September: Show and Tell

Our first meeting after the summer is always a busy one.
It's a chance to catch up with friends we haven't since since May.
It's a chance to stock up on new fabrics, threads and gadgets at the visiting shop. This month Brenda brought her shop Clew Bay Quilting (www.clewbayquilting.com) with a great selection of goodies!
It's a chance to return library books and pick up some new ones as we move into longer nights.

And it's always great to to see what everyone has been working on over the summer. On September 11th the Show & Tell was full of wonderful work.


Madeleine showed us this beautiful quilt.


Mona showed us the piece of shadow-work she created at a workshop with Pat Archibald at the Lakelands Quilt Fair in Cavan (this fair continues until the end of September, see the earlier post below with more information). For more information about Pat Archibald see http://www.patarchibald.com/.

Lynn also attended Pat's workshop and showed us the piece she is working on.

Johanna completed a smaller version of her award-winning hearts quilt in green.

Johanna and Mari had travelled to Cork to see the national exhibition 'Q is for Quilts' see http://www.irishpatchwork.blogspot.com/ for some photos from that exhibition. In the photo above Johanna and Mari are showing the colourful, quirky fabric collages they made at a workshop by Laura Wasilowski (see http://www.artfabrik.com/) for more information about Laura's work.

September: Show and Tell

Somewhere behind this charming quilt is its owner! I'm pretty sure it's Vera but correct me if I'm wrong!!

Margaret showed us a strip-quilt she is working on.

And over the summer Margaret finished the quilt she had started at Linda McMulkin's 'Jacob's Ladder' workshop.

And proving Margeret has boundless energy, she showed us another stunning quilt in progress. This one is made up of a four-patch block of scraps and a rectangle block edged in white. When put together with small white squares these two blocks form white stars, which really stand out.

Lynn had continued to experiment using Markel sticks to paint on hand-dyed and bleached fabrics. Her fruit series is coming along nicely with the addition of these cherries.

September: Show and Tell

The 'Ready Thready Sew' group in Tuam (which currently comprises 12 members) held their 3rd annual exhibition during the Tuam Arts Festival in August. They brought along some of these quilts to show. The quilt above is one of 3 quilts made from blue fabrics donated by group members. This one was made by Sally and will be sent to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children.

Sally also made this 'Pinwheel' quilt using any turquoise fabrics donated. This quilt will be used to raise funds to send 15-month old Amelia Filipczak from Tuam to China for stem-cell treatment.

The photo above shows the main community quilt made by the Tuam group. The quilt was raffled on 7th Sept and raised over 1100 Euro for the St. Vincent de Paul Society.


Vera has been working on a number of smaller items which will be for sale as a charity fundraiser in the Octagon quilter's upcoming exhibition in Westport. Here she shows a Sunbonnet Sue cushion and a small wall-hanging.

Vera also made a fabric memo-board for sale of work.

September: Show and Tell

Anne-Marie showed us this beautiful red and white quilt made for a Cork friend (with a large bed!). Each block was chosen carefully so that the names of the blocks held some meaning for the family.

Anne-Marie is currently working on this blue and white quilt showing that she has been busy over the summer!

This stunning hand-pieced and applique quilt was shown by Agnes (a member of the 'Ready Thready Sew' group in Tuam) who is a new member of the Western Branch.

Sally and Agnes show another colourful Tuam quilt.

September: Christina Henri's 'Roses from the Heart' project

Madeleine told us about a project called 'Roses from the Heart' by a Tasmanian artist, Christina Henri. Christina's project is in honour of women convicts from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales who were sent to Australia between 1788 and 1853 as slaves. Christina hopes to collect hand-made calico bonnets from stitchers all over the world which will be exhibited world-wide as an art installation. For more information on Christina's work and how you can get involved in the project see http://www.christinahenri.com.au/ where you can download the pattern. If you decide to get involved and would like to receive a woman's name to embroider on your bonnet, contact Madeleine Jordan by phone or email.

September: Workshop on stitcing into soluble fabric with Ester Kiely

The workshop 'Stitching into soluble fabric' was given by Ester Kiely, after lunch

Here Mogs uses a hairdryer to speed up the process of drying her stitching which is molded over a bowl to give it shape.

Madeleine is working on stitching into soluble fabric held taut in an embroidery hoop.

This is Mona's bowl made by stitching into soluble fabric with a variety of threads.

Here are some more of the bowls made at the workshop made by both beginners and experienced stitchers. Some brought their work home to finish and embellish further if desired. Perhaps we will see more finished items at next month's meeting?

August: Quilts by 'Ready Thready Sew' at the Tuam Arts Festival

The 3rd Annual Quilt Exhibition by the members of Tuam's quilt group, Ready Thready Sew, was held during Tuam Arts Festival 20th to 28th August 2010.
The group produced a riot of quilts large and small from pram quilts with coordinating soft toys to full bed size quilts and everything in-between.

Nora Brennan, a Western branch IPS member, entered a number of lovely quilts along with a really striking Cathedral Windows cushion in black with vivid silks in the 'windows. Nora bought the silks in Kathmandu and her inspiration was the multi coloured powders used by Hindus to paint their bodies and faces during the celebration to the God of Springtime. See the photos below for Nora's inspiration and resulting cushion.

The following photos are just a few of the many other quilts included in the exhibition.

(info provided by Sally Marrable)