All Quilters welcome. Our membership encompasses the lone quilter to local groups, with our Mariner’s Compass logo representing the span of our membership. Each and everyone has a place in the Quilter's Guild of Ireland. Join us..
As all of you who organise events know, we have to cover our considerable costs of getting a speaker and having workshops. We were disappointed to have had so few people taking up the opportunity to take Kim’s workshops, and disappointed to have to announce that we have had to cancel Kim’s appearance at our Conference. All those involved have been informed. We are indeed sad that there wasn’t better uptake.
Kim Thittichai lives on the West Coast of County Clare and gave a lovely interview published on the Textile Artist website. Discover how Kim’s process has, and is evolving.
Her original training was in Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastics, through which she was taught how to use each material, prior to embarking on the design element. This is the bedrock of her career as an artist.
Her work is split roughly into three areas – 3D & experimental textiles, wall pieces and photography. Kim travels internationally to lecture about her work and deliver various workshops and summer schools.
She is renown for breaking boundaries and helping students to think outside of the box! Here’s the latest video, made in Jaipur, India.
“Be inspired. Take a journey, imaginary or otherwise with Kim Thittichai on her two day workshop with the QGI.
Learn how to create your own designs and printing blocks.
Working though several formulas for creating original designs, discussing the use of colour and materials.
Using paper, paints and pencils you will generate enough designs on this day to last you for years to come.”
Here are some images from Kim’s amazing trip to Jaipur, of which she says:
Well that’s it for the #jaipurjouney 2019. This has been a wonderful experience. To be able to teach my own design exercise in such a beautiful place, has been a great privilege. To work with such a great group of girls was the icing on the cake. Harmony, laughter and of course, cheekiness from certain individuals!!! I hope you can get some idea of what fun we have had and what the group have achieved on this holiday. Thank you girls, it has been a blast.
My last afternoon in Jaipur. Whilst I am excited to get to Ireland to finish my new teaching studio, I will be sad to leave this beautiful place and this lovely group of girls. This has been a very special time. One of my best teaching experiences. 🙏🏽
And more images
Kim has published 4 books in total, all of which are available on Amazon.
We know that not everyone does Facebook, so here’s what has been happening over there.
[Reminder that if you’re interested in attending one of the workshops at the Retreat in Maynooth in May, register as soon as possible. There are several packages to choose from. You don’t have to stay in the Hotel, there are other options – AirBnb/ B&B/ University Accomodation etc. etc. All members have been posted a booklet, but you can also find it here. Our next blog will talk about the courses. ]
Firstly a really exciting quilt which claimed 1st Prize in Houston 2018, in addition to prizes in Canada and elsewhere.
Ice Fishing Village
Brigitte Villeneuve, Diane Côté and Doris Boivin., Jonquiere, QC
Dimensions: 68″ x 42″
Materials: Cotton, organza and hand-dyed cotton.
Techniques: Hand embroidery and hand, raw-edge appliqué. Home-machine and longarm quilting with a stitch regulator.
Credits: All artists participated in every step of realization.
Artist’s Statement:
When fall is over and cruise ships are long gone, La Baie, Saguenay, faces a deep freeze, but it does not prevent people from enjoying life. The Ice Fishing Village rises in a matter of days. More than just fishing, this is a place for social gathering and is full of activity.
YouTube is a great source for nearly everything patchwork related and here are a couple suggested by our members:
This is a lovely wee blog from a New Jersey quilter, whose mission it is to help you to let go of some of your precious UFOs. Or indeed to try to finish them.
By now you will surely have heard that the Great British Sewing Bee 2019 is about to be shown on BBC 2, but just in case you hadn’t, here is a trailer. Airs on Tuesday 12th February 2019 on BBC2 and continues weekly, no time available yet, but likely to be 8:00.
Also published on our Social Media …
… was a link to the workshop given by Ann Marie Horan at the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society.
So excited. It’s the QGI Annual Conference Programme.
Hello QGI Members
Well? Were you as excited as Spongebob Squarepants, upon receipt of your QGI Annual Conference Programme? At least a few of you were, response has been really positive so far.
Our Education Officer, Clare Loughrey has done us proud, it’s a beautiful booklet and has exciting classes for quilters of all kinds, with high quality tutors.
How: Places are allocated on a first come basis to FULLY PAID UP members.
WARNING: We have more members at present than we have had in the past few years. So be warned, if you leave it too late, you may not get the class you want. In fact you may not get a class at all. We hope that won’t be the case and we don’t want you to be disappointed.
Meanwhile, enjoy your Christmas, however or where ever you spend it.
A wee challenge or two may come to you in the New Year … not saying anything more yet…
If you haven’t received your booklet and you’re a paid up member, please get in touch.
You can access it from here, but we want to make sure our details are up-to-date.
So, don’t just say to your friends, tell us. theqgi@gmail.com.
The season is almost upon us and as with all organised quilters, your projects are probably almost finished, having begun them in July?
No!? Me neither!
Not our fault. It was the weather… or something. In Ireland, we can blame the weather for everything. This year, for the most part, we enjoyed an unusually great summer. Obviously when it’s sunny here, it’s criminal to be sitting indoors, never mind working on Christmas projects.
Us being in the mouth of Nollaig, was just thinking the other day, that while we have been posting regularly to our Facebook (FB) page, you may not have seen them. [Spotted you screwing up your face and screaming that you hate Facebook!]. No arguments from us, it’s certainly not for everyone, and we’re not about to tell you that you should join. However, just because you don’t ‘do’ FB, isn’t a reason to miss out on some of our postings.
So, here are a few links which we have shared to our Facebook page.
Starting with this posting:
We had great fun on our Athlone Sew In weekend. There was plenty to talk about – rugby, football, GAA, and we did talk about quilting too! In particular about inspirational quilters from Ireland and one of those was Irene MacWilliam whom we follow on FB Irene MacWilliam
Here is her latest posting: “Margaret McCrory and I are having an exhibition of our work in Cregagh Library for most of December. On Monday 3 December between 3.00 and 4.30 pm we will be present for a meet the artists afternoon. Please come, refreshments provided.”
NB Cregagh Library is in the Greater Belfast area.
[Refreshments only apply to the opening on Mon 3rd Dec].
More news from the Athlone Schoolhouse Quilters’. Winner of the Viewers’ Choice award was ‘Shakespeare in the Park’, pieced by Maureen Feary, quilted by Frances Flanagan.
As those of us who attended the exhibition can confirm, amongst a great exhibition of quilts, it was indeed stunning. Congratulations Maureen and Frances.
[By the way Frances does all her quilting on a domestic sewing machine and custom quilts each piece. Many of the quilts in the exhibition were custom quilted beautifully by her.]
We’ll be posting more photos of this exhibition at a later date.
This quilt, reflecting the emotional trauma of a tsunami and its consequences was posted originally by the International Quilt Association. It is entitled “Over the Waves” by Setsuko Matsushima of Shiga, Japan. Winner of the Founders Award, sponsored by International Quilt Festival.
Artist’s Statement: “A huge tsunami hit in March of 2011 in Japan. I made this quilt to pray for the people who sacrificed [their lives]. I hope that all people receive this light as a ray of hope from a lighthouse.”
ONE INCH SQUARES
This came via Dublin Embroiderers’ Association, originally posted by the Embroiderers’ Guild of Victoria.
This stunning quilt is the work of quilt artist Deb Hyde (pictured in the photo).
Deb creates her pieces using thousands of one inch squares of fabric, painstakingly placed, stitched together and finally quilted.
Hundreds of hours goes into the creation of each quilt. She takes her inspiration from photographs or her own life-drawing sketches.
Athlone Sew In – and before you ask, yes, we all had a great time. More about that in our next blog, with photos; suffice to say that on the Sunday morning Neesa McMahon, from Schoolhouse Quilters, gave us a demonstration and individual instructions on how to make these gorgeous little ornaments. Yes, you can view the video, which is excellent, but nothing beats a patient instructor. Neesa was indeed patient and literally held all our hands as we all needed a wee bit of help. Huge thanks to Neesa.
A professor of surgery says students have spent so much time in front of screens and so little time using their hands that they have lost the dexterity for stitching or sewing up patients.
Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College, London, says young people have so little experience of craft skills that they struggle with anything practical.
“It is a concern of mine and my scientific colleagues that whereas in the past you could make the assumption that students would leave school able to do certain practical things – cutting things out, making things – that is no longer the case,” says Prof Kneebone.
Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, will be speaking alongside Prof Kneebone.
“Creativity is not just for artists. Subjects like design and technology, music, art and drama are vitally important for children to develop imagination and resourcefulness, resilience, problem-solving, team-working and technical skills,” says Mr Hunt
Auntie C has given us quite a few of these links, which are freely available on YouTube. Thanks to her for this and the following pincushion ornament. There’s no shortage of adorable ornaments to make before we get caught up in the madness that is Christmas!
Congratulations if you have read all the way to the end.
QGI Members, if you have anything that you would like to share on your website, let us know. [Always being cognisant of copyright, of course]. Email theqgi@gmail.com.
Just in case, we’re tied up finishing off our Christmas things, wishing you all, each and every one A very happy and healthy Christmas. Shona Nollaig Duit
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Do one thing every day that scares you. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Hello Fellow Quilters
Current members of the Quilter’s Guild of Ireland, will know that we’ve had a turbulent few months with one thing and another, but we’re delighted to announce that rumours of our demise are greatly exaggerated.
The QGI AGM held in March 2018, for several reasons, deemed it necessary to ascertain whether or not we should continue as a Guild. Current members were informed in detail at each and every stage of our road to conducting the Ballot.
Members answered overwhelmingly in favour of the Guild continuing as a going concern. While this is good news, it also means a lot of work for a small number of people, so if you feel you can contribute in any way, no matter how small, let us know, we’d be delighted to have you on board. [That doesn’t always mean having to be on ‘a committee’. ]
Your small committee has already been working on the 2018 – 19 Season and partly in answer to suggestions made by our members, we are hoping to announce a few extras for the forthcoming year. Yet again, I do need to reiterate that help is always appreciated.
Our Facebook page has been receiving a lot of attention since April 2018 and we now have over 950 followers and our messages regularly reach 1,500 people. While not everyone is on Facebook, it has proven a useful tool in marketing our presence. If you’re not on Facebook, postings may be viewed on the website.
We will not have any broken links on QGI
We have moved our website from Blogger to WordPress and in doing so have moved from .org to .com. The new URL is quiltersguildireland.com. Seems like a handful, but it is a better name for search engines to understand what we are all about, hence for quilters to find us.
Why change platforms? Many reasons, not least being that Blogger (owned by Google) formerly a popular choice, have fallen behind in updating their software. WordPress offers excellent support and security.
Our old website shall still be ‘active’ for the next few months. Don’t worry, all the material from the old website has been painstakingly moved across and placed in the archives. We wouldn’t want to lose our history.
Oh and I should say that any comments/criticisms/suggestions will be gratefully received. This is the website for the members of the Quilting Guild of Ireland, therefore it represents you as a member.
Our current banner was created by Mary Palmer of MArimu DEsigns Textile Craft. This piece entitled: ‘Lost in Translation II’ was the winner of the Modern Quilts Category at the 2018 Festival of Quilts.
More news from the Athlone Schoolhouse Quilters’. Winner of the Viewers’ Choice award was ‘Shakespeare in the Park’, pieced by Maureen Feary, quilted by Frances Flanagan.
