Details on coach to Festival of Quilts

As mentioned during last Fridays meeting, there are still places available on Kavanagh's bus trip to Birmingham for the festival of quilts.  If you are interested contact Kavanaghs directly.
Tel: +353 (0) 56 8838833/ 086 2765707
www.kavanaghtravel.com

Details are as follows:





Festival of Quilts
10-14 AUGUST 2016
BIRMINGHAM NEC
ITINERARY
 

Wednesday 10^th August
06.30hrs - we will pick you up from Terminal One Car Park, Dublin Port and proceed to our Irish Ferries 08.05hrs ferry to Holyhead.

After arrival in Holyhead we will make out way to Birmingham stopping off in Abakhan Fabrics in Mostyn, where you will find a vast stock of craft, fabric, knitting, sewing and haberdashery accessories – or an alternative stop if there are any new suggestions. On arrival in Birmingham we will check into the hotel for our 4 nights. (B&B). On this first evening there will be a talk given by Mrs Irene McWilliam who is a very distinguished member of the Northern Ireland Patchwork Guild, Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild and the Irish Patchwork Society amongst other things.


Thursday 11^th August
After breakfast depart the hotel and travel to NEC to spend the day at the Festival of Quilts before returning to the hotel in the evening.

Friday 12^th August
After breakfast we will again depart the hotel and travel to the NEC for another full day at the Festival of Quilts before returning to the hotel.

Saturday 13^th August
Today, after breakfast, the coach will depart for a day trip to Stratford upon Avon for a visit to the birthplace of William Shakespeare – see attached sheet for some interesting things to see and do. We will return to the hotel in Birmingham in time for you to freshen up and spend the evening at leisure.

Sunday 14^th August
After breakfast we will depart the hotel in Birmingham and return to Holyhead for the afternoon ferry departing at 14.10hrs to arrive in Dublin at 17.25hrs to be dropped off at your original pick-up point.


Cost
€399 per person sharing
€92 single supplement


Price Includes:-
Luxury coach throughout.
Return ferry Dublin – Holyhead.
4 nights hotel accommodation (B&B) (Jury’s Inn, Birmingham)
2 days entrance to Festival of Quilts in NEC.
One day excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare.



DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Welcome to Stratford-upon-Avon. A town synonymous with William Shakespeare.
However, it is much more than that, a market town with more than 800 years of history containing not only many buildings that survive to day and would have been familiar to Shakespeare, but also a thriving community offering a wide variety of leisure and shopping experiences.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a shopper’s paradise, with a diverse array of shops from Department Stores offering a wide range of choice under one roof, or the big name clothing, health and beauty, toys ans stationery and homeware stores that all sit alongside a fabulous selection of small independent shops, unique to Stratford-upon-Avon. The town centre is compact and easily walkable.

High Street
The black and white Tudor style frontages in this street and the old shop signs give visitors a feel of what the town might have looked like in Shakespeare's time. Rohde Shoes is a High Street shop that has ensured their presence remains in keeping with the old High Street landscape. There is an array of major retailers in this street.

Harvard House - Stratford’s Hidden Gem
The beautifully preserved Elizabethan home built by the wealthy Rogers family has been known K for centuries as ‘the Ancient House’. Harvard House was built in 1596 by wealthy townsman, Thomas Rogers, whose grandson was the main benefactor of Harvard University. Explore the Grade I listed home for a real sense of how wealthy townsfolk lived and see the elaborately carved façade, one of the few remaining beautifully preserved townhouses in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace
William Shakespeare was born in this house and lived here until he was old enough to marry and spend the first five years of family life here with his new wife, Anne Hathaway. For millions of Shakespeare enthusiasts worldwide, this house is a shrine. Here you will discover the world that shaped the man and find out what other famous writers thought when they visited here. Follow in the footsteps of not only Shakespeare, but other well-known visitors such as Charles Dickens, John Keats, Walter Scott and Thomas Hardy. Shakespeare's Birthplace is a fascinating house that offers a tantalising glimpse into Shakespeare's early world.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage & Gardens
Discover where the young William Shakespeare courted his future bride Anne Hathaway at her picturesque family home. Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a thatched farmhouse containing many original items of family furniture, including the Hathaway Bed. It is nestled within stunning grounds and gardens, overflowing with fragrant blooms and traditional shrubs. The cottage is in the hamlet of Shottery, which is just over one mile from the town centre and can be accessed via a pleasant, well sign-posted footpath. Highlights at Anne Hathaway's Cottage & Gardens are the new Tudor Courtship exhibition where you can explore the realities of trying to find a husband or a wife in Tudor times. Seek out the remarkable giant willow creations around the cottage gardens or you can relax in the Cottage Garden Cafe, offering a range of hot and cold meals and refreshments.

EQA Diversity in Europe

European Quilt Association: Diversity in Europe EQA Gallery at FOQ 2015.
 
With Quilters’ Guilds across Europe represented, the Diversity In Europe gallery is an opportunity to see some of the outstanding work of artists from 17 different countries. Each country can only select one piece to represent their country, so it is always an interesting and stunning example of quilt making at its finest. 

The Irish Patchwork Society are currently looking for IPS members to submit photographs of their work for consideration as the Irish entry for this year's gallery.

Rules:
Size of quilt:
Maximum height 2.5m - maximum width 2.5m
Minimum height 1m - minimum width 1m
Maximum perimeter (all the way around the quilt) 9 metres
Minimum perimeter (all the way around the quilt) 4 metres

All quilt must have a 10cm (4inch) hanging sleeve (with extra fullness to accomodate the rod) sewn 1cm below the top of the quilt and stopping 2cm from each side.

All quilts must include the following information at the bottom of the quilt, either on a fabric label securely attached to the back of the quilt or written directly onto the back of the quilt - owner's name and full postal address (including country), Name of the quilt. 

All quilts must have a Quilt makers statement.

Please email a good quality photograph to the International Representative (Loretta O'Brien) by 31st May 2015.

The quilt will be chosen by the Executive Committee.

EQA Competition 2014 "Seasonal Garden"

 The theme for the EQA Challenge in 2014 is “Seasonal Garden”' and members from Ireland are requested to submit a 30 x 30 cm square.

Ireland has been given the season "Winter" 

Rules: 

1. Size: 30 x 30cm square 
2. Seasons by country:Spring: Spain, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary
   Summer: United Kingdom, Netherlands, Austria, Luxemborg
   Autum: Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Belgium
   Winter: Norway, France, Latvia, Switzerland, Ireland. 
3. Edges: No raw edges and no visible binding.
4. Sleeve: 10cm sleeve on the top.
5. Name Label: with permanent marker pen, write name and address on the sleeve
6. Any techniques may be used but the square must consist of three layers. No glass fronted or mounted exhibits will be accepted. Be warned that squares which are delicate or stiff are difficult to transport and display safetly.
7. The entire collection of "Seasonal Garden" will be launched at the Festival of Quilts in 2014. Some countries may decide to display their quilts and those from neighbouring countries at their annual general meetings. In this case, these quilts will be returned later than September 2014.
8. All IPS guild members may enter and there is no entry fee. The squares are not for sale.
9. The quilts are insured for a nominal sum during the exhibition including transport to and from the EQA 2014. Should a quilt be lost of damaged, the EQA member guild is not responsible for compensating the maker).
10. The "Seasonal Garden" squares will be picked up the IR ( or a designated person) after the show on Sunday. Arrangements can be made with Expofreight to send the quilts back at the relevant guild's expense.
11. The entry form with a good photo should reach the International Representative by 31st May 2014.
12. 16 squares will be selected by each country by 30th June 2014. The selected squares should be sent to the International Representative. Any quilts which do not comply with the rules, particularly in terms of size, edges or hanging sleeve, can be rejected on submission.
13. Photos of the square may be used for publicity purposes.
14. Each member country of the EQA must provide sixteen (16) squares for this exhibition. If too many squares are submitted, 16 must be selected in whatever way the guild decides. If too few quilts are submitted, the IR/executive committee of the guild must organise the making of the missing quilts.
    
    

Seasonal pieces from all the EQA countries will come together to form an exhibition at Festival of Quilts 2014, and after this will tour many of the EQA member countries.

Festival of Quilts Entry Form

The entry form for the Festival of Quilts is now available.


Click here for the entry form

EQA "Crossroads" Exhibition at Festival of Quilts

The EQA "Crossroads" exhibition was on display at this year's Festival of Quilts.

Two of the quilts in the Irish section were from Mid-West branch members: Claire Lynch and Cecilia O'Doherty.

EQA Crossroads Irish Exhibit

Cecilia O'Doherty's entry

Claire Lynch's entry

Fashion Sans Frontier Event at Festival of Quilts

Last week at the Festival of Quilts, there was a fashion show "Fashion Sans Frontier". Ireland took on Russia and the UK in this event.
4 Irish quilters had to create 3 collections and 1 accessory.
Paula Rafferty from the Mid-West Branch was one of the designers and she also brave enough to move her outfits on the catwalk at the Hilton Hotel.

A slideshow of the fashion show has been set up on the IPS blog: Slideshow

Branching Out” Exhibition quilts heading to the Festival of Quilts

Here is the link to see which quilts have been chosen for the shortlists to hang at the IPS stand at the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK.


http://irishpatchwork.blogspot.com/p/branching-out-quilts-selected-for.html

It is hoped to hang all the quilts on the first list, and perhaps, most of the ones on the second. However, there is no guarantee that any particular quilt will hang.

But congratulations to the following Mid-Western Branch members who got shortlisted: Rachel Banting, Meg Kenny, Claire Lynch, the Genesis Group (Claire Lynch, Paula Rafferty, Meg Kenny, Tracy Watson and Ann Bradshaw).

Nora O’Connor is on the 2nd list so hopefully her quilt gets shown as well..

And remember as well as being at the Festival of Quilts, the "Branching Out" quilts will also be on display at the Knitting & Stitching Show, Dublin in November.

Last Chance to register your quilts for the Festival of Quilts Show

The deadline for entering quilts into one of the competitions at the Festival of Quilts is coming up fast.

Remember you have to register your intention to take part by the end of this month (30th April)!!

Once you've registered the organisers will send you an Entry Form specific to the categories you choose) in May.

Click here to go to the relevant page on the Festival of Quilts website where you can download full rules and regulations along with the registration form:

http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=25&view=review

Step 1: Register by completing the entry form. Do this before the 30th April. Registering doesnt commit you to entering, but it provides the organisers with an idea of the category you may enter. The fee for EQA members is €9. The fee is payable per entrant, not per quilt - it costs the same regardless of how many quilts you enter (only 1 quilt can be entered per category though).

Step 2: Entry forms. Once you register the organisers will send you an entry form in May, which will have detailed information plus an entry form for each category you wish to enter. Send this form back by the 28th May.

Step 3: Submit your work. The entry forms etc. will have detailed information on where & how to send your quilts, but quilts must be at the designated collection points by Friday 30th July.