May 9th Meeting

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Letter from the chair of the Southern branch of the Irish Patchwork Society

Dear members,
I hope you have all had a productive month and made the most of the very mixed weather. I feel guilty being out on Sunny days but it is soon made up for on the wet ones.

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Following the AGM, the new committee is as follows;
Jane Horner -chair.
Tracy Wardle- secretary
Ann Prendagast- treasurer
Erin Case- PRO, Ed rep
Collette Carey- Membership Sec
Olivia O’Sullivan- exec rep

Thank you again to Eilish who gave a brilliant handover. If anyone is willing to serve on the committee, please contact a committee member.

Please note the following;
~The door payment for each meeting will increase to €4 for paid up members  and €8 for guests.
~Any stalls, works for charity or items for display must be discussed at a meeting of the committee.

May’s meeting will be on  SATURDAY 9th MAY at 10am We have called it a SOCIAL MEETING, we aim to give folks more time to chat and welcome the many new members we have. This will be a day for some ‘Social quilting’ so bring along whatever handwork project you’re working on. We also intend to have a bit more time for SHOW AND TELL this month and give your brilliant quilts their proper accolade.  So bring them on!!!!

BOM – as we ran out of time for this last month , Erin will give us a catch up, can you believe it’s MONTH 4 already?

Killbora Quilt Shoppe and Ann Marie Hobbs will give a TALK on her quilting journey.

There will be the usual RAFFLE,

TEA & COFFEE will be provided but the cakes and biscuits are dependent on your generosity, and you have never let us down yet!

I do hope you are all watching Facebook, Erin does a great job in keeping us abreast of all the forthcoming events
PHEW! After all that…….. See you SATURDAY

Jane Horner
Chair

Don’t Forget about our Pinterest Website!

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Stuck in a rut with your quilting?  Did you enjoy making the block from the block of the month?

Don’t forget to check out our Pinterest website!  We’ve got boards over there for each of our Blocks of the Month, and of our recent demonstrations/speakers!

I’ve spent some time this morning finding some tutorials about improvisational piecing if you were inspired by Sandra Jensen’s talk at the last meeting!  Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 11.19.31 AM

And look at all these interesting quilts using April’s Block!

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Let us know if you’d like to see anything else on the Pinterest website!

April Meeting Recap

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Today was our April meeting, as well as our AGM.  What a meeting!

Our AGM started with our Chair’s report, where Jane recapped the past year, and thanked the members that gave her assistance through the year.

Next, Tracy read the minutes of the previous AGM, and then Eilis gave her treasurer’s report.

At this meeting, it was announced that Eilis would step down as treasurer and Olivia would step down as Branch representative.  Volunteers were requested to join the committee this year, as next year 4 members of the committee would be stepping down.  See Jane or any other members of the committee if you’re interested in volunteering!

Motions that passed included increasing the fee at the door in order for us to cover room rental fees and a motion to present to the Executive AGM focusing on education for branches.

Once all the business was completed, we had our Show and Tell!  How about these quilts!

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Next, Sandra Jansen gave a talk on her quilting history and improvisational piecing.  Below is a slideshow of her work she showed the group!

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Due to the length of the meeting, the Block of the Month instruction was delayed until next month, where we’ll be having a social meeting.  Be sure to work on your nearly finished quilts to bring to the Show and Tell.  We’re hoping it will be the biggest Show and Tell of the year!

Next Meeting, April 11th!

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From our chair:

IMG_0263Dear members

Happy Easter!

We are gearing up for next meeting on SATURDAY 11th APRIL  at 10 am.  Please do not let the fact that this is also our AGM fool you into thinking that this meeting will be less than fun!  It still has lots to offer with a Speaker, Block of the month, Raffle and more!  – see below.  And don’t forget to sign up for the Irene MacWilliams workshop(s) in June; spaces are limited and filling up fast.

Two of our committee members have served their term and we would love to welcome new members onto the committee – no pressure! – we’re a lovely bunch and the more the merrier.

We have been so fortunate this month with many courses, workshops and weekends away in the Cork ‘Quiltiverse’, that I hope we have lots to Show and Tell!  If, God forbid, any of these masterpieces are not quite finished, panic not….we are having a ‘Social Meeting’ in May with extended Show and Tell.

Meeting  

Our SHOP will be Moya Geraghty of Patchwork Plus

This month is our AGM.  This will only be part of the meeting, so please do come along.  Anyone wishing to stand for the committee, or nominate someone to stand will be most welcome.

Our SPEAKER will be Sandra Jansen, who will give a talk on Improvisational Piecing 

Erin will demonstrate the third instalment of the BLOCK OF THE MONTH

There will be our usual SHOW AND TELL – please log your quilts with Eilish.

We will have our RAFFLE

As usual we can all help ourselves to tea and coffee – please put away your own mugs……oh yes, and bring cake!

Notices and Upcoming Events

  • European Quilt Association Exhibition at Festival of Quilts 2015, “MUSIC… with a touch of red”.  Details and application form in the Autumn Newsletter.
  • May 9th Meeting : Social Meeting
  • June 13th Meeting : Irene MacWilliam comes to the Southern Branch!  Irene will be our speaker in June and will also be giving not ONE but TWO workshops that weekend. Information and signup sheets available at the meeting.
  • Summer Challenge will be unveiled at the May meeting…watch this space!

I say this every month, but without you the meeting would not happen, so do come along.  See you on Saturday!                                                                                                                                                     Jane Horner

Announcing Irene MacWilliam Workshops June 13 and 14th!

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At our March meeting we were excited to announce that we are holding two workshops from Irene MacWilliam!

Come and spend an afternoon learning and having fabric-fun in the company of the celebrated patchworker and textile artist Irene MacWilliam, all the way from Belfast!  Irene has exhibited all over Ireland, the UK, Europe and America and has won more prizes for her work than there is room here to list and is a sought after teacher.  This is likely to be a popular class and places are limited, so secure your place asap!

On June 13th, we’re holding a half day workshop entitled “Japanese Folded Patchwork.”

Various shapes will be explored : squares, diamonds, triangles.  These produce double sided units that can be made into decorations, wall-hangings, fabric boxes or full-size quilts.  We’ll also look at other origami based patches.  This fun class is suitable for all levels of ability.

The class will run after the meeting, in the Sacred Heart Hall on Saturday 13th June, approximately 1.30pm to 3.30pm.  Bring a packed lunch. Tea and biscuits will be provided!

Requirements:
• Fabric scissors, paper scissors
• Cardboard for making templates (not plastic). Cereal packets are ideal – as many as you can
• Ruler, pencil, sharpener, rubber, compass (if you have one)
• Crayons or colouring pencils, if you have them
• Rotary cutter and board, if you have them
• FABRIC – at least ¼m each of 3 or 4 cotton fabrics. Wide striped fabric works well. One fabric should be plain e.g. cream calico.
• WADDING – any batting will do, scrap pieces will do or ¼m maximum
• BONDAWEB – off cut pieces, no need to buy especially
• General hand sewing supplies – pins, needles, thread (for tacking and to match fabric), quilting thread, fancy threads. Beads and sequins for decoration, only if you have them
• Please bring your ‘craft iron’, table ironing pad or board and extension lead if you have one
• Bring a digital camera if you have one

Japanese Folded Patchwork workshop – €20

Secure your place with a €10 non-refundable deposit – sign up list at the door at the March, April and May meetings

On Sunday June 14th we’ll hold a full day workshop entitled:  “Explore and Create with Your Sewing Machine”

This workshop covers free machine control …. drawing, cut work cobwebs, cord making, perfect circles, sequins by machine and various tricks on how to get the most out of your sewing machine. What about tensions? Mini lectures on care of your machine and on needles and threads. All levels of ability.

The class will run on Sunday 14thth June, in the Sacred Heart Hall, prompt start at 10.00am sharp to approximately 3.30pm.  Bring a packed lunch. Tea and biscuits will be provided!

Requirements:

• Zig-zag sewing machine, with all accessories and instruction book.                                        Don’t forget your foot pedal and transformer if required.
• Spare machine needles – size 80 or 90
• Variety of sewing threads, some machine embroidery threads if you have them
• 6” or 8” embroidery hoop – wooden or spring clip (easily purchased)
• Pieces of plain cotton or calico
• Small sharp scissors, pins
• Pencil and notebook
• At least 8 sheets of scrap paper
• Smallish pieces of wadding – an offcut will be fine
• Please bring an extension lead if you have one

Explore and Create with your Sewing Machine – €50                                                                  Secure your place with a €25 non-refundable deposit – sign up list at the door at the March, April and May meetings

For more information about Ms. MacWilliam, check out her website here.

What a turnout at today’s meeting!

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What a fantastic turnout we had at today’s meeting.

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We started out with announcements and then moved on to Show and Tell.  And the show and tell?  How inspiring are these quilts?

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Well done ladies!  Fantastic work!

We then moved on to the Block of the Month project, debuting our Churn Dash block.

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Due to the fact that our speaker had the flu, several of our members stepped up and provided demonstrations.

There was a tissue packet demo:

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And a Japanese Rice Bag demonstration.

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You can find the handout for the rice bag demo here.

Our next meeting is April 11th.  It will be our AGM and we’ll have Sandra Jansen speaking about Improvisational Piecing.  Start working on your show and tell now!

Meeting this Saturday, March 14th!

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From our chair, Jane Horner:

Dear members

Can it be meeting time already?  How time flies when you’re enjoying yourself.  There is a plethora of really interesting workshops and classes for all of us at the moment.  We hope we can compete with a tempting meeting next Saturday 14th March at 10 am in the Sacred Heart Hall.  But there is no meeting without you!  So see you on…….

SATURDAY 14th MARCH at 10 am.

Meeting

Our SHOP will be Maeve Meany of the Limerick Quilt Centre

Our SPEAKER will be Arlene Shawcross, who will give a talk about her own work and hand stitching and embellishment – leading into her afternoon workshop “Stitch to Enrich”

There will be our usual SHOW AND TELL – please log your quilts with Eilish.

We will have our RAFFLE

Erin will demonstrate the second instalment of the 2015 BLOCK OF THE MONTH

Please Note : at the time of sending this email there is only one place left on our afternoon workshop with Arlene Shawcross.  Congrats to those who are signed up.  We will be sending out copies of the bring list this week – apologies if you already have one.

Notices and Upcoming Events

Executive : Applications are requested for the posts of International Representative and Crafts Council of Ireland Representative by 31st March to IPS Secretary, PO Box 45, Blackrock, Dublin.  Details in the Newsletter.

Hands Across the Border Exhibition, ‘Reflections’. Details and application form in Autumn Newsletter.  Note : These need to go up to Dublin by the 21st March so if you have an entry for this bring it along on to the meeting on 14th March.

European Quilt Association Exhibition at Festival of Quilts 2015, “MUSIC… with a touch of red”.  Details and application form in the Autumn Newsletter.

April 11th Meeting : Southern Branch AGM.  Speaker Sandra Jansen on “Improvisational Piecing”
May 9th Meeting : Social Meeting
June 13th Meeting : Irene MacWilliam comes to the Southern Branch!  Irene will be our speaker in June and will also be giving not ONE but TWO workshops that weekend. Information and signup sheets will be available at the March meeting.

Arlene Shawcross Workshop, March 14

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IMG_1104After our March 14th meeting, a workshop is being taught by Arlene Shawcross entitled “Stitch to Enrich”

Background of Ms. Shawcross

Ms. Shawcross has exhibited widely in Ireland and in the U.K.  She was awarded the Mairin O’Brien Flegg Memorial Award for contemporary embroidery from the RDS in 2011.  She is a member of the Cork Textile network, Society of Designer Craftsmen in the U.K., the Textile Society and the Irish Patchwork Society.

She states “I work mostly using the technique of free-machine embroidery often stitching onto a soluble background which is later dissolved away to create a lace-like effect, or I combine my stitching with my own hand-dyed silks and velvets.  I create individual wall pieces, garments and accessories.  I teach workshops in free-machine embroidery and related textile techniques and enjoy working to commission.”

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Workshop Information

Cost is €15 – A bargain!

You’ll be using hand sewing to work on some practice pieces to learn new techniques to combine color and textures.  The workshop will happen after the general meeting.  The pictures included in the post are examples of what you’ll learn!  Come join us on March 14th!