About Us & Visitor Information

Welcome to the Northern Ireland Patchwork Guild, affectionately known as ‘The Guild’ or #The NIPG’.

Our mission is to provide a forum for our members to display their work;  to provide details of events; workshops and any other information deemed relevant to the NIPG.

Visitors are most welcome. Click here for venue map and more visitor information

Where

The NIPG  are based in the North of Ireland, just outside Belfast, in County Down. Our base is  the Parochial Hall of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra.  Click here for more information on the Folk Museum.

[Please Note: There are days when the hall has been booked by the Museum for other  events, so obviously we shall then use an alternative venue. Any change of venue will be posted on our website and you’ll be alerted on Facebook, with details on how to get to the new venue. If in any doubt, please contact us at thenipg@gmail.com]

Important information.

We meet relatively early in the morning, (someone is there from before 10:00), which means it is possible to use the carpark close to the hall.

NIPG members and visitors do not pay to enter the museum.

Pull up at  the Folk Museum Kiosk, just before the barriers, tell them that you are going to the Patchwork Guild, and you will be let through.  They are happy to give you directions, if you need them. Otherwise continue to the car park at the museum itself.

As with everything, there are exceptions. If the Museum is holding an event, they may ask you to park in the car park near the kiosk, so should you have mobility difficulties, explain to the Kiosk staff, who can advise you.

When

Meetings take place from September to June inclusively, on the first Saturday of each month. Start time is 10:30, but we gather from 10:00 onwards.

What

First task upon arrival is to get a cup of tea or coffee. The buzz of conversation will hit you as you enter (unless you’re exceptionally early, in which case, you may find yourself helping to set out chairs, etc.).  Meeting up with old friends and getting acquainted with new people creates a great atmosphere.

Our meetings begin with tea or coffee. It can be a bit intimidating to be faced with many new faces, so upon entry to the hall, ask to be introduced to the membership secretary, with whom you will sign in and pay a £ 3.00 visitor’s fee which will be deducted from your membership fee, should you wish to join.

Alternatively, email us prior to your visit to ensure that we be on the look out for you. If you have transport problems, let us know, we might be able to arrange for someone to collect you. Information on how to get to the museum is available here.

Our members come from many parts of Northern Ireland, though the majority are from the Greater Belfast area. .

The meeting starts properly at 10:30 am, presented by the NIPG Chairperson, beginning with announcements. Usually we have  a speaker, using slides to illustrate her subject together with a selection of work. Occasionally if the speaker has travelled by car  the presentation may be a physical display.

We often have workshops on Sundays, and sometimes there is a half day workshop after the talk.  If you have checked the programme and there is a workshop you would like to attend, please contact us via email. Workshops are available in the first instance to NIPG members, but sometimes spaces become available.

We have had speakers and teachers from USA, Germany, Holland, England and Ireland, email for further information.

First visit? If you’re not sure where to go, make yourself known to those at the refreshments area.  They can direct you to the visitors’ sign in area or introduce you to one of the Committee members.  We do charge a £ 3.00 visitor fee, which will be deducted from your membership fee, should you decide to join.

The NIPG is a large group, and sometimes new people can find themselves feeling a little isolated. Please don’t let that happen to you. Speak to the people around you and tell them you are new. Attending workshops or our annual trip to Glenada is when you really get to know people.

Why

Our mission is to provide a forum for our members to display their work;  to provide details of events; workshops and any other information deemed relevant to the NIPG.

Programme

Access  our programme to see what’s on.

Already a Member?

Have you old photos of exhibitions, meetings etc., we would love to put them on the website. Send them to us theqgi@gmail.com

Have you got a blog or website? We would love to follow it, just let us know and put a link to it from here.

Question:

As a member or indeed a visitor, is there anything you would expect to find on this website and can’t. Have you spotted a mistake/inconsistency? This site is intended to be dynamic and to evolve and respond to the NIPG members. So c, comments and suggestions,  which will assist us in making it as good as we can are most welcome..  We may not be able to do everything you would like, but we will certainly try!

The site will, in response to suggestions,  be subject to tweaking – not twerking!