The sunshine brought out a dozen small tortoiseshell butterflies to feed on my heather, while several dozen ladybirds basked in it`s warmth. I don`t know where the latter were hibernating but, perhaps, that`s why I don`t see greenfly nowadays, if only the blackbirds were more effective at eating slugs!! Enough of my nature ramblings…
This is an early reminder of our next zoom talk on Saturday 10th April 2021 (i.e. not Easter Saturday). We will be welcoming Joanna O`Neill to give her talk:
Bitesized `working small ( and much less scary), art quilts and embroidery on a friendly scale`
The zoom will be open from 10.00 with the talk starting at 10.30.
The programme for the rest of the year is: 1st May. Julia Gahagan will give a talk.
5th June. AGM with Show and Tell – (more details later, but the aim is to show images of your quilts, like last time via Powerpoint. So keep taking the photos). I hope all is going well with the planning of your Hands Across the Border Quilt (Click on the link for details)
Theme is: “Hanging Together Again..”
Members, please look out for your zoom invitation nearer the 10th April.
[If anyone says they’re not getting our emails, ask them to email us at patchworkguild@yahoo.co.uk).
I hope that the sun shines so that everyone can enjoy a Happy Easter.
[STOP PRESS Information for those travelling to the venue...
The country bound lanes of the Sydenham bypass from Dee Street to George Best City Airport will be closed from 11pm Friday 6th March to 4.30 am Monday 9th March].
Hello Everyone
March Meeting and Sunday Workshop
March will be a busy month for the guild. Beginning with our regular Saturday meeting on 7th March, when we will welcome Janet McCallum to tell us `How I got here`.
There isno workshop on Saturday, however, on Sunday Janet`s workshop will help us to `Loosen Up`, by using some of our fabric stashes to make innovative pieced blocks. Spaces are available and I suspect that everyone already has the requirements at home.
LOOSEN UP
Loosen Up: A quick and easy way to use up your scraps and produce a striking individual quilt. A quick piecing, machine sewn, scrap quilt technique suitable for all level and ideal for using up leftover strips and sample squares. Can also be made with purpose bought fabric.In a day, you should be able to produce enough blocks for a cushion cover or cot quilt. A relaxed method with no templates, no measuring and hardly any rules!
Janet is a member of By Design , a group of twelve leading textile artists from the south of England, brought together to form an impressive exhibition group. All the members are well known artists in their own right, working individually to create their own pieces of quilt art.
Charity Table In March there will be a charity table when members are invited to bring along items of patchwork and sewing interest( preferably priced) that they would like to re-home. Proceeds will go to our charity of the year, Air Ambulance, Northern Ireland. Donors are asked to take home again any unsold items.
Quilt Fayre March is the month of the Quilt Fayre in Stormont hotel on 26th, 27th and 28th. Anna Campbell has generously volunteered to receive items for our mini exhibition, ( A4 size or not bigger than about 12 inches square) please do remember to put your name on the back. I will be giving out complementary tickets to those who have volunteered for stand duty – I’ve got a little list – so please don’t go home without your free pass. Do tell all your friends about Quilt Fayre, there are over 24 traders. many from Ireland, the list is on Quilt Fayre website- https://www.quiltfayre.com/ I will definitely be visiting Kaleidoscope.
April Meeting Looking forward to April we will welcome Angela Daymond for a weekend of Kantha work. Spaces are still available on her workshop.
Looking forward to seeing you in March Anne Hardcastle
Next Meeting: Our next meeting is Saturday 1st February, when we welcome Ruth Brown ( Stone Creek Textiles) to give her talk ‘Turn Around when possible` .
Her workshops are a bit different and involve making notebooks and sketchbooks.
Saturday half -day workshopwith Ruth Brown is making a hardback A6 notebook (front row in photo below) and the Sunday full-day workshopis the A5 Coptic Stitched Sketch book (back row in photo below).
Workshop Requirements: The only requirement for the February workshop is a cutting mat – at least A4 and preferably bigger. Ruth brings all the other materials and tools that are needed.
Materials Fee: £3 for the half-day Saturday workshop & £6 for the full-day Sunday workshop.
It’s been a long road from there to here… I spent many years working in various jobs, mainly in IT before I was dragged along to an art materials exhibition by a friend and saw someone demonstrating silk painting. The colours she was using were amazing – rich vibrant colour on a shimmering fabric. So I started my textile work with silk painting, then added batik and shibori to various dyeing methods, including procion dyeing and indigo. I use a number of different screen printing techniques including the wonderful breakdown screen printing.
For many years I’ve produced cyanotypes on fabric, a photographic process from 1843 which gives beautiful prussian blue and white images. This was the subject of my first book revised and re-printed in 2016, and is still a firm favourite.
Books by Ruth Brown
I also use digital images and design methods in my work. Since I spent 20 years working with IT I’m very comfortable with combining digital techniques and textiles and this formed the subject of my second book, Digital Imagery on Fabric. More recently I’ve become hooked on making books. I went on a one day workshop with a brilliant binder called Glenn Malkin – we took a pile of paper, some board, a length of thread, a piece of book cloth and some very basic tools and created a proper hard back book! I was thoroughly hooked and have studied with Glenn and other binders ever since.
Glenn Malkin in his bindery, East Yorkshire
Through Glenn I discovered the Grange a beautiful centre that specialises in book related skills – book binding, Letterpress and marbling. I am investigating various book forms, with multi-needle coptic binding a current favourite, and enjoy converting my own fabrics into book cloth to use on the books I make. I’ve been teaching textile workshops for many years now and thoroughly enjoy passing on my knowledge and experience to my students. I get such a ‘buzz’ from seeing what they achieve. Now I’m teaching them to make books as well …
Forthcoming Quilt Fayre: I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered to lend a hand at the Quilt Fayre in the Stormont Hotel in March. I am now reassured that there will be enough helpers to make it feasible for the Guild to have a ( free) stand at the event.
Display item for Quilt Fayre: The sign-up clipboards will be available again in February because I’m hoping that there has been time to look, that perhaps more folk will have found a small ( about 12″ square or A4 Christmas Carol )item for the display.
If you have and they would be much appreciated, these will need to be brought to the March meeting. Please, please put your name on the back.
Help in March: Help on the exhibit receiving table would be appreciated as we will also have the Charity table in March.
Charity Table in March: Yes this is happening in March Items for the Charity table please bring patchwork/sewing items-preferably priced- that you would like to re-home. Donors are asked to take home any unsold items.
The year is starting to become busy!!
Looking forward to seeing you in February.
Best wishes
Anne
NIPG Meetings: If you are interested in attending a meeting go to the information available on the website here About Us & Visitor Information
We are thrilled to have Rosie James as our Speaker on Saturday 2nd November. She is also doing a workshop for those fortunate enough to attend.
Rosie James is a Textile Artist living and working in Kent. She has a BA Hons Textiles degree from Surrey Institute of Art and Design and an MA in Textiles from Goldsmith College London.
Rosie started making dyed and screen printed fabrics, scarves, ties, cushions etc, but once she discovered that she could use the sewing machine to draw with, she found herself doing less print and began creating larger and more one off pieces. Her first stitched drawing was of a group of friends at a beach hut party in Kent. This piece won the Bentliff Museum and Art Gallery prize in 2008 and spurred her on to do more.
City Streets
She uses crowds and large gatherings as her first point of reference. She says she is ‘looking for the detail in the ordinary but also the commonality within the group’.
One of her favorite artists is Pieter Breughel the elder whose paintings depicted large groups of people with details of everyday life.
Photographs are used to still movement and to reveal details; these photographs are then used to create drawings and then sewn onto fabric using a sewing machine.
Wedding
Rosie uses transparent fabrics and likes to use raised stitches and to leave loose threads, which reveals the process of sewing. Transparent cloth allows her to layer the drawings on top of each other, and to build up the crowd. She screen-prints buildings, windows, roofs and skylines in many of her pieces of work, these elements create a sense of atmosphere and build links between the people and their location and their belongings.
Her commissioned work hangs in Ordeal Hall, Salford and the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5.
The Ordsall Hall, Salford commission hangs in the 16th century Great Hall. It consists of screen-printed photographs of groups of people living in the Ordsall area in the 1930’s running alongside a printed Ordsall skyline. Below this there are stitched drawings of people from the local communities in the area surrounding the hall.
Ordsall Hall, Salford
£ 14.99 Published Oct 2018. Available at most bookshops such as Waterstones and Amazon.
She enjoys teaching and running workshops and has recently written a book entitled: “Stitch Draw” which showcases other Textile Artists work and includes Rosie’s vast knowledge. She takes you through in simple steps and techniques on how to draw with a sewing machine.
Rosie is also a member of the Art Textiles Made in Britain Group
Thanks to Janette McKie for the photos and information.
Lovely weather for sewing!At our meeting on 5th October we will welcome Tomoni McElwee who began making patchwork quilts when she moved from Japan to Ireland in 1998. [More information on Tomoni at https://slaneyhandcraft.wordpress.com/ ].
Illusion Table Runner – Sunday Workshop
A consistent prize-winner at the Tinahealy Show, Tomoni will enhance her talk by bringing her quilts with her.
Places are available on both her Saturday workshop for a small Japanese drawstring bag and Sunday `illusion table runner`.
Contact Mary Walker for details: marywalker42@hotmail.com .
Please consider having a go at the Christmas Challenge `My Favourite Christmas Carol` – an A4 size piece is not too challenging.
After a successful stay in Flowerfield, Portstewart, the Hands Across the Border exhibition moved to Louth County Library, in Dundalk.
After spending time in Dundalk, the exhibition has now reached the Charter Room in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, from 17th – 21st July.
Here are a few of the exquisite quilts which were seen in Flowerfield. Congratulations to the outgoing 2019 – 19 Committee for putting on an amazing exhibition and pulling everything together. It certainly doesn’t happen by magic, but through a lot of hard work. NIPG Committee: your turn to take it easy now.
HATB Margaret McCrory NIPG “Belfast Song Bird”
HATB 2019 Janet Kirkwood NIPG “Ruby Takes Her Own Path”
HATB 2019 Olive Byers NIPG “Belfast’s Own Home-Grown Ruby”
In honour of this year being our Ruby Anniversary, the NIPG chose the title ‘Ruby Serendipity’ for our biennial Hands Across the Border exhibition, which we share with the Irish Patchwork Society.
Why have a photo of Black Eyed Susans?
A learned friend spotted that we had referred to our Hands Across the Border exhibition as being bi-annual, that is twice per year.
The Gardeners among you will have been jumping up and down, because we should have said biennial – meaning once every two years.
Hence the photo of the Black Eyed Susans which is a biennial plant.
Everything is on track – lots of quilts were gathered up at our last Meeting for our, ready to be transported to the Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart.
At the time of writing, even the weather is improving, though we can’t get too complacent, April is not renown for April Showers for nothing! Still nothing, but nothing will dampen our spirits with so many great events behind us and still more to come.
We’ve had a wonderful visit from Kaffe Fasset and Brandon Malby, with the talk in the Ulster Museum. Congratulations to all those from ‘out of town’ who made it – not easy to find your way there. We think Belfast is small, but when you need to find a specific building and more importantly find a parking space, things can get trickly. So really happy you made it and trust you enjoyed it.
The workshop held in Windmill Fabrics was great fun and well received by all those who attended – not least the ladies from Windmill Fabrics.
As if all that excitement wasn’t enough we’ve a few more great events to look forward to.
While we’re galloping towards Hands Across the Border, let’s not forget we still have two meetings and a Sunday workshop ahead of us.
Saturday 4th May – Usual Meeting – 10:00 for 10:30 at Cultra with Hazel Bruce
Saturday 4th May – afternoon – quick gallop up to Portstewart for the Opening of Hands Across the Border by Lady Mary Peters at 15:00.
Sunday 5th May Ruth Crothers ‘Shibori Dyeing’. This is a class much demanded by members, so hope you can all make it. Non-members are welcome too.
The visit of Kaffe Fassett & Brandon Mably was the highlight of our Ruby Celebrations. If you have any stories or photos, we would be glad to have them, although our Facebook has actively published them.
Kaffe’s lecture at the Ulster Museum was an huge success, and the Workshop at Windmill Fabrics was great fun, but our Ruby celebrations continue. While all our attention has been on the Kaffe Fassett visit, we do have really exciting workshops in April and May.
Words from our chair, Paula
Good Morning All
With all the excitement of Kaffe Fassett’s visit, we have Workshops in April and May workshops, which to date have been overlooked.
Few people have signed up so far, this is disappointing, after all the effort which has been put in to arrange a varied programme.
At the April Meeting on 6th April, Mary McCormick will be on her desk early to give you all information. We do not want to have to cancel any of these
Hands Across The Border Mary McCormick and I visited Flowerfields last week to organise the forthcoming Hands Across the Border exhibition. We are very impressed with all the suggestions for a Grand Opening on May 4th, at 3:00 pm, for our 40th anniversary year.
We are happy that Mary Peters will be our Guest of Honour at the Opening. Light refreshments will be served there. Local craft and sewing groups and other people of interest locally are being invited. I hope we will have a good turnout .
Please bring your finished pieces to April meeting, where Janet and Clare will be on hand to take them from you. Clare has printed off a sheet for you to fill in and put with your work. Please bring in a cloth bag or roll with your name on back of the quilt (pinned on is fine) and on your hanging pole. I don’t think I need to say that a hanging sleeve must be sewn on the quilt.
We are looking forward to a lot of great work.
At the usual Saturday Meeting, there will be the tea and coffee, as usual bring your own mug. Hope you enjoy the morning and the Afternoon workshop, which has a small requirements list. Don’t worry if you are missing something, everyone loves to share Paula
One of the most popular events in the NIPG Calendar, when members themselves take on the demonstrations. Attendees gather themselves into groups and move from one demonstration table to the next. Each demonstration lasts approximately 15 minutes.
Brian said: ” The meeting seemed to me to be a complete success – all five presenters knew their subject and presented it clearly with pertinent hints and tips and had time to answer questions. In every case they drew gasps and appreciative comments as they revealed their work. “
In addition to a wonderful morning, in the afternoon our Chair, Paula demonstrated stencilling on velvet. Photographs of some of the results are at the bottom of this blog.
Lindsey’s – Jig-saw Quilt
Brian said, “On arrival we saw a very impressive looking jig-saw in lovely patterns which looked much too complicated to be the subject of such a short talk. But Lindsey quickly demystified the construction, thew in a couple of pertinent hints and even distributed the key pattern and back up information. “
Lindsey’s Jigsaw Quilt 1
Lindsey’s Jigsaw Quilt 1
Anne J’s – Twisted Squares
Brian said, “Which turned out to be ‘Not Necessarily Squares’ but were certainly twisted. Again a clear exposition of the required techniques was presented and questions answered.”
Anne’s Twisted Square
Anne’s Twisted Square
Anne’s Twisted Square
Anne’s Twisted Square
Anne’s Twisted Square
Joanne M – Improvised Curved Piecing
Brian said, “As It happened I saw much the same talk on TV this week where it was NOT done half as well and took an hour. Joanne had lots of variety to show, demonstrated the basic technique several times and still had time to move on to monochrome and then various multiple nested curve examples. “
Joanne’s Improv
Joanne’s Improv
Joanne’s Improv
Joanne’s Improv
Joanne’s Improv
Anne H – Soft Fabric Boxes
Brian says: “Anne H gave us a well thought out talk: starting with plain, useful although pretty boxes and then developed her theme into more ornate and fancy in different sizes. “
Anne H’s Fabric Boxes
Anne H’s Fabric Boxes
Anne H’s Fabric Boxes
Anne H’s Fabric Boxes
Irene McW – Printing on the Cheap
Brian said: “The title said cheap but the message was how one can use found and simple objects of any description to produce cloth. Gasps of admiration were herard from the group, as we were shown them. Whether one can be as successful without the backing of Irene’s brain and talent only time will tell. “
Our Christmas Meetings are invariably a joy, with Christmas jumpers, earrings and other decorative jewellery on view. This year was no different and enhanced with our invariably ice-cold hall being so warm that the doors had to be opened.
Jean and Ruth, our wonderful caterers, provided hot drinks and delicious cakes, for which we offer them our deepest thanks.
Then came an exceptionally entertaining and witty floral art demonstration from Roberta Orr of Flora Desingz, click on her name to access her website.
‘Don’t forget the Pound Shop’…. you had to be there to know what this means!
Good enough to eat!
Roberta had promised to make three Christmas flower arrangements, but she actually made five. These were given away as ballot prizes.
Anne Jame’s prize, including ballot tickets.
How unusual is this with a Xmas scene in the bowl, lit by lights?
Everyone left with huge smiles, especially those who had won the right to take home the finished items.
Roberta with the lucky winners. Photographer Brian, had to photoshop the sea holly out of Jean’s winning arrangement, so that it was possible to see her.
Some comments on our 2018 Christmas celebrations included
Such a great atmosphere at yesterday’s meeting. Thanks to all involved for making it a good one!
All went well hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as I did thanks to all.
It was a lovely day thank you.
This was my favourite.
Best response of all came from Catherine, who immediately went home and created her own delightful arrangement, absolutely fabulous.
Before you go – here’s a must-see exhibition from two of our talented members, both of international reputations. Loving Margaret McCrory’s self-portrait and Irene MacWilliam’s work is always inspiring and exciting.
Roll on to January 5th when we’ll take part in ‘Demonstrations by Members’. This is a popular event, where several members bravely take up a table each to make a 10 minute demonstration of a technique, tip, pattern or something interesting. We divide into however many groups that there are demonstrations. It’s a perfect way to start the New Year – Our Ruby Year.
Until then have a happy and healthy Christmas with lots of best wishes for 2019.
