February 2025 Summary

The Irish Patchwork Society’s Southern branch recent meeting was a resounding success, drawing a fantastic crowd of over 50 members. It was especially heartwarming to welcome some new faces to the group for the first time. These newcomers were in for a treat, experiencing firsthand the vibrant and supportive community that the IPS fosters. The energy in the room was palpable, with members sharing projects, exchanging tips, and simply enjoying the company of fellow quilting enthusiasts.

New members and seasoned quilters alike were captivated by a fascinating presentation by Tomomi McElwee. Tomomi, of Slaney Quilting Studio. She brought along a stunning collection of her quilts, showcasing her unique approach to working with shape and colour. Her quilts weren’t just beautiful; they told stories. Tomomi’s ability to develop a narrative through her designs truly inspired the audience, offering fresh perspectives and creative inspiration. It was a privilege to see her work up close and learn about her creative process.

The creativity continued with the show and tell segment. Members displayed a wonderful array of their own projects, demonstrating the diverse range of styles and techniques being explored within the group. From intricate piecing to innovative use of colour and texture, the talent was truly impressive. For the new attendees, it was a fantastic introduction to the possibilities of patchwork and quilting.

A special thanks also goes out to Tomomi McElwee’s Slaney Quilting Studio for her wonderful pop-up shop. The diverse selection of fabrics proved a huge hit, providing inspiration and materials for quilters of all skill levels. From vibrant prints to subtle textures, there was something to tempt every taste and project.

Join us for our next meeting on March 8th. Clare Newell will be our guest speaker, and Patchwork Plus will provide the pop-up shop. We look forward to seeing you there!

Coming up at this weeks meeting

The next meeting is on Saturday 8th February. We are so lucky that Tomomi McElwee is coming down from Co Carlow. She is bringing her shop and will also give a talk about working with scraps and how she improvises her designs. I am sure she will have some wonderful quilts to show us.

We would love to see all your latest creations in show and tell.

Date: Saturday 8th November

Venue: Sacred Heart Church Hall.

Door Opens: 10am

Door fee for members: €4

Door fee for non-members: €8

Shop : Slaney Quilt Designs

Talk: Tomomi McElwee

Show and Tell: Please bring you latest creations

Raffle: Only 5 Euro a stripCoffee and Tea : Provided but please bring some of your goodies to tempt us. Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

January 2025 Summary

The ice and snow of the past week had melted allowing many of us to gather for our first meeting of the year and a warming welcome was received by all.

It was interesting to find out how little, or how much, members had been able sew over the Christmas period and I think we are all happy to look forward to a productive year ahead.

Moya from Patchwork Plus hosted the pop-up shop, and as always had a lovely selection. She also gave a very informative talk detailing some of the different needles and pins that are available and some of the best brand. She then went on to discuss the different types of batting, discovering the difference in quality, weight and overall affect when quilted was really helpful.

Show and tell as always saw a wide range of work, including a hexagonal quilt made by Heidi from scraps of tweed. Jane O’Brien made a wonderful quilt with silk, Tracy Wardle’s robin cushion was exquisite, and Cathy Davis showed a wonderful reversible sashiko bag.

Patchwork Plus are hosting a big clearance sale this month. From 20th to 27th January there will be lots of bargains to be had. The shop is open by appointment only so please call to arrange a visit on 087 7986972 or email patchworkplus@gmail.com

Our next meeting will take place on 8th February, all welcome.  

December 2024 Summary

The season of fun and festivities was well and truly underway at Saturday’s meeting. A group of around 50 members came together to celebrate all things quilting. Our cakes team provided some delicious home-baked goodies, which went down very well with the hot drinks and chat. Many participated in the Christmas decoration swap, which was a huge success. The range of different decorations was extensive, from decoupage oyster shells to a pink knitted festive chicken (which everyone seemed to want); they all created a wonderful display.

We were blessed to have Ann Prendergast once again as quiz master. All the questions were quilt-related and it definitely brought out the competitive nature of our members. As the rounds progressed, it became a tight race to the lead. We clearly have many exceptionally knowledgeable quilters as there were 5 teams tied for second place.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday 11 January 2025. Doors open at 10am.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members, followers, and friends a happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.

November 2024 Summary

This was our annual open meeting where non-members are invited to attend and discover the benefits of joining the IPS. The meeting was well attended by members who were eager to welcome several newcomers who were able to see a variety of projects that were on display and learn from members who were demonstrating several different projects, including festive table runners and scrap busters. 

Last year the branch organized a fabric swap at the November meeting, it was so successful that it was decided to repeat the swap again at this months meeting. The swap shop took place so that scraps and unwanted fabric in our stashes could be traded and donations made for charity.   

October 2024 Summary

A great autumn meeting was held this month with members sharing tips, tricks and techniques in a variety of different stitching methods.

The pop-up shop was hosted by Moya from Patchwork Plus and as usual she bought a lovely selection with her.

November’s meeting will take place on Saturday the 9th. This will be an open meeting for non -members to come along and find out more about the wonderful craft that is patchwork and quilting. All are welcome to join us for tea, coffee and cake and to discover more. Doors open at 10am.

Upcoming meeting

The next meeting will take place this coming Saturday 12 October. For those of you that have signed up for sewing machine servicing this will take place durring the meeting. Patchwork Plus will be our guest shop and there will be lots to discuss as well as the show and tell so bring along your work for all to see. Cakes and snacks will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed if you can bring some to share with tea and coffee.

September 2024 Summary

The new season of meeting began with a real bang yesterday with the first meeting of the new committee. As the yearly memberships were taken, we welcomed several new members as well as a large group of returning members who enjoyed a great morning of catch-up’s coffee and cake.

Gerardine Cahill from Giddy Goat Patchwork created a buzz with her lovely collection of fabrics, patterns and kits in her pop-up shop and gave an inspiring talk about her workshops and the array of classes, kits and products she has to offer at her studio near Limerick.

Members shared in a collection of used books that were on offer for a donation to charity as well as a raffle and the society library.

There has been a great deal of activity over the summer with the evidence revealed in the Show and Tell. A wonderful array of work was on display. We were pleased to congratulate all the southern branch members who participated in exhibitions over the summer particularly those who won various categories at the All-Ireland Quilt Competition at the Tinahely Show. Tracy Wardle won 1st in the wall hanging class and overall Best in Show. We were particularly delighted to see today the winning exhibits by Eilís Watson 3rd place Wall Hanging (Guitar) and Heidi Wischniewski in the Large Quilt category for her Japanese quilt. Other work on display for the show and tell included two colourful, twin baby quilts by Michelle Linehan and a fantastic shadow quilt using Kaffe Fassett fabric by Cora Quinlan.