For those who read the blog, but not their emails…
We are putting together another post of “Show and Tell” instead of our meeting tomorrow. If anybody has a photo of any current or recent project (or more than one), please forward them to us at the usual email address.
Many thanks, we hope to see your work at the meeting tomorrow!
“Welcome everyone, to our 2020 Southern Branch AGM…”
Probably in very different words, but something like this is what Frances would have said this morning if we had our meeting as planned!
Instead, we are all at home, and by the looks of things we are keeping busy. Before my last post (and email) I was afraid that we would be showing you just a couple of photos today. But in the past couple of days lots of members have sent us photos of their projects, so grab a cuppa and make yourselves comfortable for our “Show & Tell”:
Assumpta Lydon has made this version of Jack’s Chain since in isolation:
Ann Prendergast has finished four table mats and a quilt:
Ann also has two projects in progress that she shares here:
Joanna Harrington made this baby quilt recently, the second photo shows the quilting from the back:
Joanna is also finishing up two more
baby quilts, and is sewing face masks:
Joanna is also having several new Works-in-Progress. The first is a wedding quilt for her son, who is married two years this May. It is an adaptation of the Mochi quilt pattern: linens, Oakshott cottons, some Liberty fabric from Kitty Whelan’s stash and from her own stash. The other three photos are from her first online quilt-along with Denyse Schmidt – #theproverbialquiltalong:
And lastly Joanna is showing us two large throw size quilts made from layer cakes:
Ann Walsh is showing us her quilt in progress below. She says: “… here is what I’m working on during “The Emergency“. I’ve only been quilting for about 5 years, but I realised recently that I had only made one quilt for myself… any others have gone to raffles, friends and relatives. So this one is for me. I love these colours, and had built up enough of them to get cracking. Hope my fellow quilters are making good use of their enforced sewing time….”
The quilts below are from Eilís Watson. The first is a baby quilt 42” x 48”. Made from a charm pack, with a few squares added to make up the numbers. It is machine pieced and machine quilted:
Second picture is still at the ‘top’ stage. A bookcase/bookshelf quilt made from an Alison Glass layer cake with 5 green strips added, to dilute the pink, girly look. It’s a “big boy” quilt for my nephew, who is an avid reader.
Eilís is also taking part in Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt. This can be found at the Quiltville blogspot. We are currently stitching Part 3. The third photo shows my quilt after the first two parts. (edit: see our sew at home page)
Maura Warren wrote: “I can’t seem to concentrate on sewing but I have gone mad on knitting tea cosies as you can see one for every one in the audience”:
Louise O’Hanlon writes: The blocks on this quilt are finished and ready to sew together. The quilt is a pattern from the Missouri Quilt Star company:
Mai Murphy shows us her version of Mary Palmer’s mystery quilt, photo taken by Joan:
Mai also sent us photos of nine(!!) quilts that the group has recently sent to Cork Cancer Care:
Bernadette Keniry has been busy, too. She says: “I made that lap quilt for my husband as I’ve never made him anything except his dinner…” She also made 97 crochet triangles ready for a shawl as well as a chair cover with pocket, another quilt, and a face mask:
Noreen Brazier has been busy, too. Brooke, her 5 year old granddaughter, designed her own quilt. Then there is Moya’s mystery medallion center square, a work in progress. The one on the bed is waiting to be quilted:
Carol O’Brien sent us these two projects:
Moya Geraghty writes: “Here are some baby quilts from Patchwork Plus. Hope everybody is well and getting a bit of sewing done, mind yourselves”:
Moya also sends us a picture of a small wool applique project she finished recently:
Bernie Kelly sends us a baby quilt she is making. The hand quilting is nearly finished and she hopes to put on the binding this weekend. She includes a close up and a picture of the backing material. The pattern is from a McCalls magazine:
Mary O’Regan has been sewing face masks, and lots of them:
Sheila O’Sullivan sent us this wall hanging. It is called LUMINARIA. As Sheila wrote: On a holiday visit with my brother, Brian in mid coast Maine, and visited Alewives Quilt Store, Nobleboro, Maine. I purchased this panel ‘Luminaria’ by Julie Paschkis for In the Beginning Fabrics. Recently I attended a wonderful workshop with Tracy Wardle on attic windows and I decided to work on Luminaria. The dark fabric for the window frame was a gift from Anne Moloney. Thank you to all my IPS friends for sharing their creative talents. Best wishes to all.
Ailbhe O’Callahan sent these 8 of the 12 blocks she is making while cocooning… She really enjoys looking online for ideas and still has to draw a fruit basket block for the centre . Then there are borders and quilting ….
Sheila Devereux has made a quilt in English paper piecing, a brooch for Patrick’s day and a cameo pendant:
Heidi Wischniewski has made some butterfly wings for her granddaughter, as well as two Baltimore applique blocks:
Heidi also made a small quilt. As she says: “I did this small quilt in one of Mary Palmer’s workshops about 3 years or so ago. Never got the courage to free motion quilt it, finally did it and I’m pleased with the outcome. Took me ages. On the pink background picture you can see it in detail. Binding is done now. Handsewing will be a breeze:
Hilary O’Kelly sends us a picture of her Hexagon quilt: “It is now in its sixth year – I think it is Grandmothers Garden pattern but I didn’t use a pattern. Hopefully I will finish it over the next few weeks”:
Hilary also made this baby quilt for her niece from a panel – she used minky fleece and hand quilted around all the figures etc:
Tracy Wardle sent three photos: The first is a Machine Appliqued cushion, which I was making as part of a Machine Applique class I was to give on 1st April. It is based on a wall-hanging called ‘A Little Birdie Told Me’ by Kathreen Ricketson in her book Whip Up Mini Quilts. I had the applique finished before lockdown and it was the first thing I quilted and completed after the first announcement from Leo Varadkar on 12th March. The second is a FMQ Filler Sampler, which was also going to be for an upcoming class. I’ve made a couple of these in the last few weeks and I’m really enjoying them. I want to do one similar to this, or maybe even a small whole cloth but in silk. Yummy! The third is of just three of the I’ve-lost-track-of-the-number of postcards I’ve made in the last four weeks, which I’ve been sending to family and friends in the UK. These are also FMQ or maybe they’re Free Motion Embroidery. THe designs are inspired by work by Carolyn of Free Bird Quilting Designs. The bottom two are on silk and the top one is on simple calico:
Frances McCarthy sent this “Sewcial distancing” quilt top, a pattern from Nikki Foley of the Sewing Shed. It is a mystery medallion quilt started in late March (edit: see our Sew at Home page for a link):
Carol Cave sent us this snowman quilt:
Edit: With uploading all your brilliant photos I almost forgot to put up a project from myself: So I (Sandra Jansen) have been working on this quilt. I am also trying to write a pattern for it… Hand quilting, because I don’t get much opportunity to get the sewing machine out these days:
I have been overwhelmed by your responses to my call for your project photos! We all make different things, but especially in these difficult times it has been great to put this post together. We are a community, coming together to encourage and inspire each other. So I hope you have been inspired today as much as I have by the photos of what others are making. I hope you enjoyed this “meeting”, and we hope to see you again next time!
Lastly a little housekeeping: Since we have had to cancel today’s meeting the committee will remain in place until we can hold our AGM at a later date. The executive has postponed the national AGM, to October for the moment.
And a quick mention to our members who are also in the group the PinPals. They have made the Echo: “Cork group are ‘sew’ glad to make sanitary kits for girls in need“.
Thank you all for joining me for this virtual meeting! For now, take care, stay home, and try to relax (with some sewing?)… at least some of the time.
Sandra
We hope you are all well, and coping as best you can with the current situation.
As you will expect, there will be no branch meeting this Saturday, and no-one really knows when we will be able to get together again. So as a community we have to limit ourselves to online contact.
In my last post I asked you to send us a picture of your current project (finished or work-in-progress) to add to a gallery on the website. I was hoping that we would have lots of photos and it would feel like a virtual show and tell. However, so far we have received exactly ONE photo to fill the page…!!!
I will be making a post on Saturday to show off that one photo (I will be adding a couple of my own), but I would love to see others send me an image showing what they get up to in their crafting time. I am NOT looking for professional photos, I do NOT need that heirloom quilt showing off. But maybe that baby quilt you are sewing the top for, the wall hanging that still needs binding, that new pattern you are sewing up, even the crochet you have been doing to try and relax in the evenings….. Share it with us, please, and let us feel as if we are meeting while browsing the photos on the website.
So get your phone/camera out, and take a picture. Describe what the picture is and send the photo to us. We all would like to see!
And to get us all some inspiration for sewing/quilt making, I have been working on the website, too. We have made a new page: “Sew at Home” where you can find ideas and links to patterns, most of which are free. If you know of any other links that can be added, do let us know and we can update the page.
Also check out our older pages, “Block of the Month”, “Back to Basics” and “Downloads” have some good project ideas, too.
So, stay home, stay safe (and keep sewing)!
Sandra
Dear members (and anyone reading),
In these unsettling and strange times, I am writing to say hello to you all.
Now we are forced to stay home, some of us will have much more time to sew than usual, others will have much less time than in ordinary times. But our quilting (and crafting in general) mostly helps keep us sane, so let’s celebrate that!
Since we will not be able to have our monthly meetings for the moment, we would like to create an online “Show & Tell”. Please take a photo (or several) of (you and) your sewing, quilting, piecing, or otherwise crafty project. Like with our usual show and tell, tell us what the project is, and perhaps how you will finish it, or any other information… Send the photo + info to our usual email address (comment below with your name if you don’t know it, and I can send it to any IPS member asking).
We are hoping to have a virtual “meeting” here on the blog, on our planned meeting day of 18 April (or as close to it as possible) by posting photos of us all and our project(s). A big post hopefully with images to cheer us all.
We are also working on putting up ideas for if you are stuck at home and need inspiration. We will post about it and send emails round when it is live on the site…
For now, take heart, take care, stay safe, stay sane…
Sandra x
Dear members,
We have been asked to bring the letter below to the attention of our members.
Please inform yourself of current advice if you are organising or attending any group event.
With the ever evolving covid-19 situation, the committee has decided not to proceed with the meeting this Saturday, 14 March. It’ll be hard to be 1m apart when looking at fabric!
Our April meeting is planned for 18 April (3rd Saturday because of Easter). We’ll monitor the situation over Easter and let you know about the April meeting nearer the time.
If you know anyone who might not get our emails (or read the website or follow our Facebook), please pass on the message.
We’d rather be very cautious now, given that there does seem to be community transmission in the Cork area.
Our meeting in February started with Kat opening the meeting with a few announcements in the absence of Frances.
The executive is working on a programme of exhibitions, mostly focusing on our anniversary year of 2021. It is hoped there will be exhibitions in all parts of the country. Details of upcoming calls can be found in the latest IPS Newsletter.
Our own Southern Branch committee is starting to look towards our branch AGM which is taking place in April, and we are looking for a couple of new committee members since some of us will be stepping down. Committee members contribute to the organising of the meetings, and keep the branch working. We meet about once a month to discuss whatever needs doing (speakers, meeting dates, issues from the executive, etc.) and to chat, drink tea/coffee, eat cake… We are a friendly bunch, really!
If you feel that this year you may be able to help us, either in the committee or in any other way, please have a chat with any of our committee members. It is really not as much of a commitment as many seem to think.
Remember, without a committee there will be no branch and no meetings. This has recently happened to two branches, don’t let it happen to us…!
After Kat’s introduction it was time for our speaker, Ethelda Ellis Erasmus. Ethelda is a doctor and quilter from the Midlands, and she told us of her journey in quilt making, her inspirations, and she showed us an absolutely stunning selection of her quilts.
The photos below really don’t do her quilts justice, but it shows you a flavour of them, and you may get an impression of her passion for her quilt making, and her style of quilts. She often takes part in challenges and exhibitions, so look out for her work.
If you want to find out more about Ethelda Ellis, and see more of her work, she can be found on Facebook and she has her own website, too.
Show and tell was low in numbers, but great quilts were shown:
We hope to see you all at our next meeting, which will be on the 14th of March.
Lastly, proof that digital cameras are not foolproof! This was found between my photos of Ethelda’s talk…
This Saturday, 8 February, we have our monthly meeting at our usual venue of the Sacred Heart Church in Cork.
Doors open at 10 am.
Talented quilter Ethelda Ellis will be visiting and she will show us her work in “My Quilting Journey”:
My journey as a textile artist started in my beautiful diverse homeland, South Africa. In 2010 I was privileged to move to Ireland, much smaller in size but a country with so many new places and landscapes to see and explore. This led to new inspiration to continue with my passion: using fabric and threads to make works of art.
I love creating especially landscapes, portraying locations that have special meaning and memories to me. Through my quilts I share my love of nature with others and attempt to take viewers on a journey to known or unknown places.
I also like to work to a theme and explore new horizons through research and then sharing the knowledge and telling the story in fabric and thread.
My style is representational with detailed focal points which are done with small scraps of fabric, fused together into designs and then thread sketched with my sewing machine. These are then appliquéd on a background pieced from blocks or strips patched together or sometimes even small snippets of fabric trapped behind black tulle. The fun part is the actual free-motion quilting of all the layers together, to create dimension and texture.
Textile art combines my love of sewing and quilting with my love of creating art. I attempt to promote it as a visual art.
I exhibit my work nationally and internationally and won prizes in Ireland, Europe and South Africa.
I was one of the founders of Laois Quilters, a group that meets once a month in Portlaoise.
More information: ethelda.blogspot.com
Also at the meeting:
In the afternoon we will have a hand applique workshop with myself (Sandra Jansen). If you have signed up for the workshop and you haven’t received further information and the list of requirements, please let us know as soon as possible.
For those who are attending the afternoon workshop in February, find the list of requirements below.
For members who would like to join us for the workshop (and who haven’t already done so) please send us a message so we can add you to the list.
Hand Appliqué – afternoon workshop (Sandra Jansen)
We will be working on a block of your choice similar to these:
I will bring patterns and instructions. I will be showing different techniques used in the making of appliqué blocks. We will make a start on the blocks, but they will probably not be finished in the afternoon. However, you should have enough skill to finish them in your own time.
If you rather come and work on your own appliqué project, you’re welcome, and I am happy to help and advise where needed.
PLEASE BRING:
Fabrics: Good quality cotton quilting fabrics (lesser quality may fray too easily)
For a Baltimore style block:
For the Hawaiian style block:
AND for all blocks (Don’t buy anything if you don’t have it. Most things can be shared, and I will bring a selection of items needed for us to use on the day!):
The new year started off with a very well-attended meeting. We even had to set out extra chairs to accommodate everyone!
Our demonstrator Sheila was happy to be folding old books into three-dimensional pieces, and talking about it:
If you would like to be working on your own project and chatting about it at a future meeting, please get in touch…!
Frances reminded us of closing dates for upcoming exhibitions from the IPS. Details came with your latest IPS Newsletter.
Also, the dates for upcoming meetings later in the year are not on the 2nd Saturday, because of hall availability. Please keep an eye on our Upcoming Events page. We also email those members (that have allowed us to) a reminder in advance of each meeting.
Appletree Crafts brought their shop down from Newtownmountkennedy, and it was colourful!
Our speaker this month was Helen O’Shea. Helen is an artist from Cork who uses stitch and plastic waste to make art pieces. She gave a brilliant talk on her journey from training as a chef to the work she now makes. And she was very happy to answer our questions about the way her pieces were made, and what you can and can’t do when using plastic bags instead of fabrics.
If you missed it, or you want to know more about her and her work, check out her website: Helen O’Shea
Show & Tell was started off by Helen, too, showing two quilts she has made:
Followed by members’ quilts:
Next month we are meeting on the 8th of February as usual from 10 am in the hall of the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork.
In the afternoon we will have a hand applique workshop by Sandra Jansen. Learn different methods for needleturn applique and work on either a Baltimore style or a Hawaiian style block. If you want to join us for the afternoon, email us at corkips@gmail.com, and we can send you the details.
Southern Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society 