Quilters can cope with weather warnings of snow and ice, we’d just stay home and quilt. Sun is still shining at the moment and happy days – only one day to go for the Crafting Live exhibition at the Titanic Quarter, Belfast.  STAND E20

NIPG will be there, Stand E20,  so proud and thankful to our members  who have worked really hard behind the scenes, liaising with the exhibition and  a hundred and one things required to participate in an exhibition like this.  Best bit is that they have quilts to decorate the stand, Stand E20. Visit to see what they have found, or keep an eye on the Facebook postings. 

Anne James posted in today’s FB:   Exciting times for us! We’re gearing up for this, and hope to see you all there. We’re on Stand E20 and will be delighted to chat to you all about all things patchwork. Do come and see us!  Stand E20

Brenda’s letter to us:

Hi Members                          24 April 2017 22:09

There are 2 workshops left for this quilting year, the usual Sunday workshop on 7 May and one on Friday 12 May. As the meetings are always so busy I thought you might like to see more details.

Sunday 7 May Folk Museum.

This is a bag workshop with Pauline Openneer from Donegal. Pauline is Dutch, who came to live in Ireland some time ago and used had a shop in Dunfanaghy for some years.

She will be making a large bag, photo below. The photo shows the bag in tweed however Pauline has told us that you can make the bag in what ever material you like cotton, linen or tweed.

If you are interested in either of these workshops please get in touch with Paula.

Do not wait until the next meeting email her  through the NIPG email patchworkguild@yahoo.com

She will be able to give you all the details and requirements list.

Friday 12 May Orangefield Presbyterian Church

“Hello Members and Friends

Spring has really started over the last few days of lovely weather, lets hope it continues.

The April meeting is on the 1st April, All Fools Day, though we will not be celebrating the fools bit!

We meet as usual in the Parochial Hall at the Folk Museum, doors open 10.00 a.m. and meeting starts at 10.45 a.m.” 

Speaker at next meeting.

Our speaker, Gabrielle Grant whom we are very much looking forward to is from the Fennell Shed, Buncrana.

Not only is she going to be with us on Saturday, but all day Sunday 2nd when she will be taking an all day workshop  on  Magic Tricks which sounds interesting. 

Not sure what the ‘Magic Tricks’ will consist of, but I know that this is one of Gabrielle’s latest quilts. 

There may still be a couple of spaces, members contact Paula Ellis for information.

Create a Thon Organised by the BBC & Voluntary Arts

The next Friday Workshop  will be on  12 May 2017.

This will be held in Orangefield Presbyterian Church, Castlereagh Road.

The tutor is our own Valerie McKeown and she will show us how to make a Dragonfly cushion. 

This workshop is for those who already have basic machine quilting experience and who want to expand their skills to create colour and texture with thread. Using a line drawing of a dragonfly, you learn to create fusible pieces for the body, stabilise the fabric surface and choose the right threads for thread stitching. 

See Paula Ellis for more information and to book a place.

Crafting Live 

Many moons ago, we informed our members  about being offered a stall at the forthcoming  Crafting Live exhibition in the Titanic Exhibition Centre. That is now just around the corner.

The show itself is open from Thursday 27 April until Saturday 29 April, and is open 10am-5pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10am-4pm on Saturday. Your entrance ticket gets you in all 3 days of the show if you feel like making a weekend of it.

Over the duration of the show you can visit a vast range of exhibitors stocking stamps, dies, decoupage, fabric, ribbon and much more. You can stock up on all of your craft essentials, as well as finding inspiration from brand new products, whilst meeting your favourite TV crafters. There are also refreshment options and areas to have a much needed sit down after all that shopping!

We  want to decorate our stall with pieces made by our members,  to give visitors an idea of what the  Northern Ireland Patchwork Guild  is all about.

No theme, but obviously with our stall being  relatively small, ( 2 metres x 1 metre, and about 2 metres high, the item you submit should also be fairly small. Cushions, bags, small wall-hangings, quilts, bags, cushions, etc. it doesn’t have to be new, and may indeed have been exhibited before.

IMPORTANT    IMPORTANT   IMPORTANT

Please bring your chosen item  to the April Meeting, with the completed form, which you will find below.

For  information only, we’ve been allocated E20.

 Members and Friends,

Another month of grey skies, rain and storm Doris is nearly over, so great sewing weather.

Although it has been mild my garden is springing into life with daffodils and camillia’s.

The March meeting is next Saturday in the Folk Museum, doors open 10.00 a.m. with the meeting starting at 10.45 a.m. The speaker is Valerie Wilson who is the Museum’s Textile Curator, she will talk about the museum’s quilt collection and show us some of the quilts.

Sunday’s workshop is Mad March Hare with Paula Ellis. I am not sure if there are any places left but if you are interested you could give her a ring. Her number is on the back of your membership card.

Hands Across the Border [Click for more information.]

Quilts are to be handed in on Saturday. Please make sure that your quilt has a hanging sleeve and pole with eyelets. Mary McCormick will be taking them in and has asked me to remind you to have your form fully completed and you name, address, telephone no and NIPG on your carrying bag.

Alex will be there with Blue Bird Fabrics. She has asked me to let you know that all Fat Quarters are £2, Remnants £3 and yardage will be 1/2 price.

Anne James is still looking for articles for the magazine.

Are you interested in dressmaking; Several of us  go to a class in Orangefield Presbyterian church – it’s not that we can’t sew but we need help with fitting. The teacher Pat Hughes is hoping to start a new class on a Wednesday night from September and if you are interested please speak to me on Saturday. I will give you her telephone no. so that you can find out more.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Brenda

“What goes on in Glenada stays in Glenada”

But, but, but girls we really do want to know about the projects you started, finished, or moved on to another level.

Hints have come our way, looks and sounds as if you were all industrious, with reports of great fun too.

Well, we understand that we’ll probably never hear about what you got up to outside of working hard on quilts and bags and other projects. That doesn’t stop us really, really, really wanting to get some photos of your achievements, however small or large.

A huge thank you to Adrienne for organising this great outing this year and every year.

Wondering about Glenada – set in Newcastle, County Down at the foothills of the Mournes. A great retreat and conference centre.

Dear Members and Friends

The January meeting was so successful and busy that we did not have time to mention workshops!  Here are details of the next 2 workshops. If you are interested or want to know more, please contact us.  Visitors welcome!

February 

Turning Japanese with Yvonne McAtamney of Village Fabrics

The design shown here is called

‘Autumn Blossom’. 

Techniques used in the workshop are- machine piecing

• 3D prairie points
• needle turn
• machine stitched appliqué
• sashiko stitching.

Requirements:

• Two contrasting fabrics for background 6½” x 22″and they really do need to contrast
• Another contrasting fabric for the circle. The fabric for the circle needs to be 10″ square and also contrast with background fabric.
• The appliqué uses three co- ordinating fabrics -10″squares enough 5″ width of fabric for binding Backing 12″ x 22″
• Wadding 12″ x 22″
• Bondaweb

• Sewing machine and bobbins
• Threads to match fabrics
• Also embroidery threads
• Usual sewing kit pins, hand sewing needles, small sharp scissors
• Cutting mat, 6½” x 24½” ruler
• Don’t forget your glasses!

March – Mad March Hare with our own Paula Ellis

The photographs show the project in two different colourways.

The techniques used in this project are:

• machine appliqué
• machine satin stitch
• the use of light boxes.

A variety of coloured tweed combinations can work for this project

Happy New Year to you all!

Dear Members and Friends,

I am writing this in Long Beach, California in 80F heat so I don’t know what the weather is like in Northern Ireland!

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and are looking forward to a new quilting year.
The next meeting is on the 7th January in the Parochial Hall. We will have four
demonstrations by members and two get-to-know-you tables.

There will also be a charity table in aid of the Chairman’s charity ‘Reconnect’. There will be lots of books, some fabric and ribbons etc. Please bring any fabric etc you no longer want. It helps whoever is managing the table if you price your articles for sale.

A Big Reminder –

Hands Across the Border

We are hoping for lots of new Quilts for this exhibition which will be on show in Northern Ireland in June 2017 in the Island Centre, Lisburn. The theme this year is Aurora. The quilts should be no larger than one metre square. Quilts need to be ready for the March meeting. We will post the information and form on the web site.

Best wishes,

Brenda

Dear Friends

 

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

 

Thanks to all who attended our Christmas meeting in Ballygilbert.

We had a great time and everyone enjoyed the games, Stand Up Bingo and the

handbag game.

Many thanks to Jean Openshaw and Joanna Warwick and their volunteer helpers

for the lovely mince pies, shortbread and mulled punch.

There was a good entry for the Christmas challenge, lots of ballot prises and the Secret Santa.

 

The show and tell was brilliant with so many new items. There were several items from Jennie Raymond’s workshops, several new quilts that are being made for family members and celebrations

and lots of other beautiful items. Well done ladies you never fail to show your skills and delight our members.

 

The entries for the Christmas challenge showed a great variety of interpretations on the theme ‘Winters Tale.’

First prize went to Gillian Barr  

 

and the second to Valerie McKeown. Well done.

 

Our next meeting is on Saturday the 7th January in our usual venue at the folk Museum. There will be 4 demonstrations and conversation. We always enjoy the demos and craic as well as benefitting from sharing techniques and sparking ideas and inspiration! Hope to see you all there.

 

Don’t forget that the programme for the meetings and the workshops for the year are listed in your membership cards.

 

Best wishes to you all.

 

Brenda