An Grianan 2016

An Grianan 2016 will be taking place from March 4th to 6th.

 There are 6 workshops available:

• Exploring Velvet with Angie Hughes
• Mastering your Sewing Machine with Ruth Jarman
• Circling the Square with Sandra Montgomery
• Storm at Sea with Anne Marie Horan
• Embelling Workshop (Added Value) with Valerie Mullally
• Quirky Squares with Elizabeth Brennan

Fee is €225, with a deposit of €55 required by January 5th 2016.


An Grianan Challenge:
The An Grianan Challenge is "Celebrating Stitch" - make a 1 metre length of bunting which represents your hobby. The pennant can be any shape you like but no more than 8.5" in length or 5.5" in width or diameter.

 The bunting will be redistributed to the branches for use within the branch to bring attention to exhibitions or meetings.

 

Christmas Party

Our Christmas Party will be taking tonight.

We'll be having our usual Potluck party (please bring either a sweet or savoury dish).

Wrap up your mug-rug for the swap, and don't forget to put your name inside the package.

We will be having a Table Quiz and games, Christmas caroling, Show and Tell etc.

Shop: Patchwork Plus.

See you there

October meeting

For our October meeting Ruth Bourke gave a talk on Modern Quilting.

 

Ruth Bourke

Some of the work that Ruth brought for her talk!

 

Modern quilting is very popular now, but a lot of people are unsure as to what it means. Ruth explained about the Modern Quilting Guild in the USA, some well-known modern quilters, modern quilting in Ireland etc. She also spoke about the Gee Bend quilts and how they have inspired a lot of modern, improv quilting.

 

Here is a tryptch of quilts by Paula Rafferty which were inspired by the Gee Bend Quilters.

 

This quilt top by Grania Preston was also inspired by the Gee Bend quilters.

Grania (on right) showing her Gee Bend quilt

Here's Ruth and Louise after the talk. Ruth Bourke and Louise Mullane are new committee members this year, Ruth is the Editorial Rep and Louise is our membership secretary.

 

Demo:
Liz Stanley gave a demo on making Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer patients.

 Show and Tell:

Here is a lovely quilt made by Siobhan Birmingham.

A house quilt block made by Suzanne Pass. The IPS National AGM took place on 17th October and the challenge was to make a house block which would be donated to the Western Branch. Suzanne made this block to enter into the AGM Challenge.

 Deirdre Trecy with her fabulous Fairy quilt, the third one she has made using this pattern.

 

Seams Sew Simple was our shop on the night.

 

 

Louise and Suzanne on the door taking in membership forms and door entry fee.  

 

September Meeting

For our September meeting, Maureen Talbot gave a fantastic show and tell on her work. Maureen hand-quilts most of her work and her quilts were exquisite.



Seams Sew Simple was our shop on the night.

June Meeting

For our June Meeting we had various demo's and lots of food for our summer party.



Ursula on tea duty

Alison Bingham gave a demo on the Missouri Quilters Disappearing Pinwheel. Ruth Bourke showed how to make a patchwork hoop.
Claire Lynch gave a demo on using up your scraps.


We had lots of show and tell on the night.

Here's Isobel with her sock monkey.

Avril with her quilt.

 

Suzanne Pass with her mini-bargello.

Phil Aylward with her lovely quilt.

The summer challenge was announced - to make a postcard based on your summer holidays. Entries to be brought in for the September meeting.

Fluffy Sheep Quilting was the shop on the night.

Hungarian Modern Movement Quilt Exhibition Galway

MOMU in Galway

 

This year the Western Branch of the IPS is hosting the national AGM for the Society in the Salthill Hotel on October 17^th.
As part of the event we have invited the Hungarian Modern Movement (MOMU) to bring their current exhibition “Signs” to Galway.

 

The Hungarian quilts will be on display in the Galway Civic Trust, at the Hall of the Red Earl, Druid’s Lane from:

Monday October 19^th until October 31^st.

The Opening Times of the Galway Civic Trust are:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm

Saturday: 11am-3pm

Sunday & Bank Holidays CLOSED

Reminder - AGM Challenge

If anyone is attending is the IPS National AGM on the 17th October don't forget about the AGM Challenge.

 

The challenge for this year is to make a HOUSE block. This block must be quilted and measure 12 1/2", not smaller. You have to finish the edges of the block with a narrow zig-zag stitch all around the block.

The HOUSE blocks will be assembled by the Western Branch to create a quilt which will be raffled for a charity looking after the homeless in Galway.

 

Also, the winner of the challenge receives the James Lawlor trophy for the year.

 

 

 

Update on the IPS National AGM

Update on the IPS National AGM:

The AGM Workshop is now full. There are three names on the waiting list.

To date there are only 26 registrations in for the AGM and this includes the 15 people doing the workshop on Sunday.

If you intend coming to the AGM could you please send your registration form ASAP! (form was in the Spring issue of the newsletter).

 

The Western Branch cannot make proper preparations forthe AGM if they don’t know in advance how many people are coming.

The AGM Challenge is to make a HOUSE block.

The timetable for the AGM on Saturday October 17th is as follows.
10.00am Registration and Tea/coffee
11.00am Annual General Meeting of the Irish Patchwork Society
1.00 -2.30 Lunch, time for a chat, a walk, a browse of the shops and the exhibition of the Hungarian Modern Movement quilts
2.30 - 4.30 Zsofia Atkins: The Hungarian Modern Movement.
4.30 -5.00 Plenary, presentation of James Lalor Trophy and raffle

The timetable for Sunday October 18th (for those taking part in the workshop).
(Requirements will be emailed to those taking part next week.)
10.00am Workshop begins (coffee break in the room at 11 or so)
1pm Lunch in the bar at participants own expense
2.00 - 4.00 Workshop continues
The shops at the AGM will be Rags for Linda, Seams Sew Simple and Clew Bay Quilting .

Limerick Show Exhibition August

The Mid-West Branch were invited to give an exhibition of their work at the Limerick Show in August this year.

Here is a small selection of what was on show. Thanks to all the members who gave quilts to display and those who helped out with hanging the quilts and invigilation.

 



AGM Challenge

Hands Across the Border Exhibition

The Hands Across the Border Exhibition is opening today in the Botanic Gardens in Dublin. 
The exhibition runs from Wednesday 1st July to the 3rd August. 
Theme: Reflections 

Branch AGM

Our May meeting was the AGM, so the 1st part of the meeting was dealing with minutes, treasurer's, secretary and chairperson's reports. Many thanks to the previous committee for doing a sterling job in arranging meetings, speakers and workshops over the past two years.

All of the existing committee were stepping down at this meeting, so a new committee were voted in on the night. Four new members were elected on the night - Claire Lynch, Grania Preston, Ruth Bourke and Louise Mullane.


After the official business, Eileen Costelloe gave a show and tell of her fabulous work. Eileen's work was amazing and had fabulous colours and designs.She doesn't use cotton, instead preferring silk and shiny fabrics, which gave her work a shine and glow.

A number of quilts for the upcoming branch exhibition "Local Landscapes" were collected on the night, with more work promised over the coming weeks. Going by the work submitted so far, it's going to be a brilliant exhibition, members have really put a lot of thought and work into their quilts.

Shop on the night was the Quilt Shop Tuam. 

Local Landscapes Invite

Don't forget, our branch exhibition "Local Landscapes" runs from 2nd - 6th June at Ormston House, Patrick Street, Limerick

The official opening is on Tuesday 2nd June at 7pm.Guest speakers are Mayor Michael Sheahan of Limerick Metropolitan District and Clare Jordan (Founder of the Limerick Craft Collective Hub).

Western Branch Exhibition

The IPS Western Branch will be holding a branch exhibition "Summer Colours" from Friday 5th to Thursday 11th June.
Venue: Foyer of the Orbsen Building, NUIG, Galway
Venue open daily from 9am to 6pm
Admission free

April Meeting - Guest Speaker Gillian Travis

At our April meeting Friday 10th, we will be joined by a very special guest Gillian Travis.

Gillian will also be giving a Fabric Flower Workshop on Saturday 11th April. 

You can check out Gillian's beautiful colourful work online at her website http://www.gilliantravis.co.uk/

Our shop on the night will be Fabric Matters from Dublin. 


Hopefully you are all working on quilts for our exhibition in June. 
As always, don't forget to return library books. 
See you all on Friday.

March meeting

For our March Meeting, Western Branch member Ann Marie Horan was the guest speaker. Ann Marie brought lots of items for show and tell encompassing her journey through quilting.

Ann Marie also brought a number of her earlier pieces, which she brought to show beginner quilters that everyone has to start somewhere.

She also had lovely stories about each quilt, who it was made for, and how the recipient's colour choices (or in some cases hair colour ) decided the colour scheme for the quilt.

This quilt was designed by her daughter.

Panel made by Ann Marie. The Western Branch made a number of these panels which all hung together at the Irish Quilt Festival 2013 in Galway.

 This Tuscan landscape inspired piece by Ann Marie was part of the IPS National Exhibition "Explorations". 

 

The shop on the night was Clew Bay Quilting. 

Show and Tell:

Mary Murphy showed this fabulous quilt made for her son. Her son is very involved in the Scouts and all the blocks relate to his scouting pastime in various ways.

February Meeting

February

Speaker: Ray Moore (Eastern Branch)

  Shop: Patchwork Plus


Show and Tell:
Siobhan Bermingham showed this lovely quilt made from football tops.

Ursula displayed this fabulous Amish inspired quilt which has been 10 years on the go. 

Alison Bingham showed this lovely cushion cover.

Kate's Quilt

Every quilt has a story. Kate’s quilt began one December morning in 2009 in Emerald Beach near Coffs Harbour in Australia. A 6.30am phone call from my son Paul in Cork announced the expected arrival of our first grandchild due June 2010. We had a champagne breakfast; champagne lunch and that evening went out to celebrate...more champagne. 

Our hosts were an Australian quilter Liz Kennedy and her husband Grahame .We had met in 2004 when they came to Limerick for a year. Liz contacted me and she immediately joined the Mid West branch of IPS and became a valued member for the year and a friend for life.  

Later that day in Emerald Beach  Liz’s Quilting group arrived, more celebrations, cake this time. Then the idea for the quilt was born. They sent me home with the plan for an ‘I Spy ‘quilt and fabric depicting Australian animals and birds. When I returned to Brisbane I shopped for more fabric with my daughter Aoife. 

On my return to Limerick, the Sew What Quilters enthusiastically embraced the project. Betty Roche and I unearthed pieces of fabric from the 1980’s when we began Patchwork. A slightly decapitated giraffe dates from then .He had to be included because Kate loves the giraffes in Fota. Placed below a few bales of hay he appears to be busy feeding.  

There are four decades of fabric, of friendship spanning that time and two continents in this quilt.  It epitomises the essence of the bonds of Quilting. 

Sadly, Liz died suddenly in 2011. This quilt is full of memories of the time we spent together.Memories of balmy summer evenings spent on her veranda watching kangaroos grazing nearby and brilliantly coloured parakeets diving in and out of the feeders nearby. Laughter filled Sundays in Villiers sewing; demonstrating Christmas decorations to her Australian Quilting group; her enthusiasm when we visited the Knitting and Stitching Show; a memorable visit to Paris. We said goodbye to Liz and Grahame at a wonderful farewell party hosted by Phil Aylward in Feb 2005.  We continued to exchange fabric and ideas and were delighted to meet again in 2009 in Australia. 

Last Sunday I delivered the quilt to my granddaughter Kate.. Her memories begin now with the knowledge that her grandmother made this quilt just for her, with love.

 

The basic unit of this quilt is a 9inch square made up of a 6inch square with strips down the side and bottom to make up to 9inches. There are at least 60 items to be found during an ‘I spy’ game not including the number of coloured cats to be counted on the back.

Why did it take 4 years to complete?  That’s another story........

Phil Walsh     Mid West Branch