"Make it New" an exhibition by the Textile Art Forum in Co. Down

The Textile Art Forum

presents

Make it New

an exhibition of textiles at

Ards Arts Centre,

Newtownards Town Hall,

Conway Square,

Newtownards,

Co Down, BT23 4DB

Official opening: Thursday, 3rd February, 2011: 19.00-21.00

Exhibition runs from 2nd - 25th February 2011

Opening times: 10.00 – 16.30 Mon - Thurs, 10.00 – 16.00 Fri - Sat

http://textileartforum.blogspot.com

Hand applique class at Pippa Blue, Galway

This 2 ½ hr class is suitable for beginners.

Hand appliqué is a technique used in many quilts to create floral and other patterns. We will provide basic sewing equipment for you to share to help you get started. We will applique a pattern to a background square to form a 12 ½ in block, which you can put with others to make a sampler quilt like the one above.

You can bring the following supplies, if you have them:

 100% cotton fabrics (Pippa Blue has a selection of ‘fat quarters’ for sale)

 sewing needle

 neutral (cream or light grey) cotton thread

 sharp fabric scissors.

Notes will be provided.

Why not join us for a Sunday afternoon class (This class will be re-schduled for a later date, perhaps in February see below for details of how to find out more) and learn some of the techniques to help you make your own family heirloom quilt? For more information

 Call into the shop Pippa Blue, Middle St. Galway.

 Phone 091 566972

 Book online at www.pippablue.com (sewing classes)

Creative Textiles Workshop at Galway Technical Institute

I was delighted to be invited to work with students at the Galway Technical Institute on Friday 14th January, to demonstrate a variety of free-machine embroidery and quilting techniques.

Free-machine embroidery into soluble fabric. Circles of red stitches were formed into a lacy heart shape. Another student sample was curled into a cone shape. By leaving some of the 'glue' in the finished sample and forming it into a 3D shape while wet, it dries hard and holds its shape providing interesting design opportunities.

Here a student trapped some snippets of sheer fabrics between 2 layers of soluble film in an embroidery hoop and stitched over them in circular patterns.

A student traps snippets of various fabrics under sheer fabric. A layer of pelmet (heavy weight) vilene is used as a background. Free-machine embroidery holds the layers together. The finished sample can be cut and shaped into collars, cuffs, bags, etc. These can be further embellished with decorative stitching, beading etc.

For more information on the Advanced Certificate in Fashion Design see http://www.gti.ie/