Feile na Tuaithe, Museum of Country Life, Castlebar

I'll be stitching furiously over the coming days in preparation for Feile na Tuaithe at the Museum of Country Life, Castlebar on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd May, 2010.

This is a very enjoyable event as there are lots of outdoor activities for the children to enjoy: music concerts, magic-shows, facepainting, etc. There are food and craft producers exhibiting their work in 2 marquees. A number of traditional craftspeople will demonstrate their techniques. The museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions are open to enjoy. Various artists are invited to create sculpture and other installations around the lake and the grounds. The restaurant and shop are open all day. And if the weather is good, there's plenty of nice picnic spots around the grounds.

Art in Action, Townley Hall, Slane Rd, Drogheda

Art in Action is an event that takes place every year on the June Bank Holiday Weekend. I've attended since 2000: first as a customer, then a craft-trader and now a demonstrating artist since 2008. I've always been hugely impressed with the quality and variety of arts, crafts, workshops, demonstrations, music recitals, food providers at this event. Come along from 5th to 7th June, 2010 (only 30mins from Dublin on the M1) and meet the makers, watch them work, ask questions and be inspired! For more information see http://www.artinaction.ie/.

"The West's Awake" exhibition opens at Galway City Museum

We gathered at the Galway City Museum on a sunny Tuesday evening to celebrate the opening of "The West's Awake", an exhibition by the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society. The Mayor of Galway, Declan McDonnell complimented the group on the variety of work displayed. Sandlin Poth presented the Mayor with a cushion inspired by the marble tiles in the Galway City Cathedral. For more photos and information about this exhibition which runs until the end of May see http://www.westernips.blogspot.com/.

Irish Quilt & Craft Magazine (May/June Issue)

Frances J. Sawaya (http://www.francessawaya.com/) is a feature writer for Irish Quilt & Craft Magazine (http://www.irishquiltandcraft.com/) as well as the organiser of the wonderful Lakelands Quilt Fair every September in the Ballyjamesduff Museum, Cavan. The May/June issue of Irish Quilt & Craft Magazine features a photograph of one of my wall-hangings showing the use of recylcled 'colour-catchers'. I was very flattered to see a photo of mine in print! Thanks Frances!
This transparent wall-hanging will also feature in the exhibition 'Make it New' by the Textile Art Forum (http://www.textileartforum.blogspot.com/) at this year's Lakeland Quilt Fair in September.

Classes 4 & 5 with Abbeyknockmoy ICA group

Breege adds a bit of satin-stitch to the logo.

Kathleen, May and Liz adjust the stitch to zigzag and alter the length and width to create the satin-stitch required.

And the quilt-top is almost complete. The logo is finished for the centre block and almost all the green sashing strips are attached. Next week we decide on the outer border and hopefully start to layer the quilt together to get ready for quilting.

Classes 4 & 5 with Abbeyknockmoy ICA group

The Abbeyknockmoy ICA group have settled into some serious sewing now. They've learned how to measure up the strips of sashing require to go between each block. The green fabric they've chosen is based on the colours of the ICA logo.

Annette and Phil learn how to adjust the zig-zag stitch to create a satin stitch which can be used to create a decorative finish around an applique shape. In this case they are creating the green, white and blue circles of the ICA logo for the centre block.

Theresa works on joining the blocks together with the green sashing strips in between.

Phil's previous experience making Irish-dancing costumes helps her pick up this new technique quickly!

Breege is very comfortable sewing the sashing strips in place.

Patti quickly accomplishes the skills required to use satin-stitch to applique shapes in place on a small sample piece.

Creative Journalling Classes with Mohill Family Resource Centre

In our third class we developed our ideas further. We played with new materials like foil, bondaweb and tyvek. All of these can add dimension to collage-work.

Using clear plastic sheets (like transparency film) can create layers of interest.

Combining images and materials from different sources can help create connections between different aspects of your life.

Experimenting and playing with household materials (like cling-film) allows you to become resourceful in using what you have around you to express your ideas.

Patchwork Classes with Abbeyknockmoy ICA

In our third class we were ready to look at adding 'sashing' around each block. As the group wanted to include the colours from the ICA logo we looked at both blue and green as possible sashing options. The majority voted to use green as it created a 'fresher' overall look to the piece.

We began cutting the strips to the desired sashing width and stitching the blocks together in rows. In class 4 we will add the rows together and hopefully make our own ICA logo for the central block. All along we have been using a stitched logo which was given to us just to see how it might look.

Everyone seems pleased with the progress so far and looking forward to the next step.

Creative Journalling Classes with Mohill Family Resource Centre

Keeping a journal is a great way to express your own ideas on how you see the world. A journal can be a place where you are free to explore your thoughts no matter how crazy they may seem.

This course is suitable for all ages and no previous artistic experience is necessary. Using a combination of simple techniques and thought-provoking exercises you will be more aware of ideas you want to express and learn how to do it.

Rediscover your creative side (I have yet to meet someone who doesn't have a creative side, despite their belief to the contrary!). Become absorbed as you learn how to ignore your inner critic and just play with creativity.

Become aware of your own likes and dislikes. Discover your taste in colour. Discover you can draw eventhough you may have convinced yourself you can't.

Find connections between things that come together to express your vision of the world.

Let your journal inspire you to start other creative projects in your home, garden or at work.

The images above are from the journals created by participants in this course of 5 classes in Mohill, Co. Leitrim. These were created in their second class.

Patchwork Classes with Abbeyknockmoy ICA

Tonight was this group's 3rd patchwork class. Liz arrived with her block already pieced together! Gold star for enthusiasm!

Liz

Brid quickly completed hers soon after.

Patchwork Classes with Abbeyknockmoy ICA

Kathleen

May

Patty

Theresa

The group worked together on the colours chosen by Annette and Phil who couldn't attend tonight and soon we had 7 finished blocks and one almost there! A sample ICA logo was used to help us get an idea of the central block, which we need to tackle next. We might still swap the blocks around until we are happy with the layout. We still need to add sashing between the blocks and a border in ICA colours. But the group achieved a lot tonight. For most of the group members this is their first attempt at patchwork. Pretty impressive work I think!

West Awake: Galway Traditions

The Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society holds an exhibition every two years and the next one opens on 1st May, 2010 at the Galway City Museum. The exhibition is entitled 'West Awake'. I was thinking about this and wanted to do something that celebrates something unique to Galway.
When I first arrived I walked the Salthill promenade with a friend and laughed when she told me I had to kick the wall at Blackrock as 'it's the tradition' I thought she was joking me but then I stood and watched as almost everyone who walked to this point gave the wall a kick and turned around to walk back in the direction they came!
Despite asking many people about it, the only explanation I seem to get is 'it's tradition'! And so, with camera and tripod in-hand I spent a morning at the wall, asking people if I could photograph 'the kick'. Lots of people joked with me on the day and were curious to find out what I was going to do with the photos.
I've printed a number of these onto fabric to make up a wall-hanging and I will stitch into these further and I think I will quilt in some text as well. I hope to finish this in time for the exhibition in May.

Textile Art Forum Update

Day 4 of the Textile Art Forum residential at Ballyduggan Cottages.

On Thursday I took a walk up 'The Old Town Trail' at the back of the cottages. The 360 degree view from the top was lovely looking down on the lake, back towards the Mourne mountains and on to Downpatrick. I walked back through the Sally Gardens.

Then back to work stitching!

The photo above shows the variety of muted shades of 'Colour-catchers' I have collected from the household laundry and just have to include in stitch projects because they are so nice!

Textile Art Forum Update

Day 3 of the Textile Art Forum residential at Ballyduggan Cottages:

'Buttermilk Cottage' was full of nooks and crannies. This photo was taken from the hallway, through a little window into the kitchen and across to the outside window. Jan's tulips from Amsterdam sit in a jug on the windowsill. The cottage windows were so nice I took loads of photos into and out of them!

I spent the day experimenting with different media (Clear gloss, clear semi-gloss and white matte precoat Inkaid's) painted onto different fabrics (bleached cotton, unbleached cotton and linen). Once these were totally dry I printed onto them using a standard inkjet printer. I then washed the pieces to see how 'fast' the colours remained. This was a good day's work as I learned a lot about the media, the fabric and the printer so that I will know what to use depending on the effect I hope to achieve for future design-work.

The photo above was a sunset over the stone-walls on Inisheer in 2009.

The photo I printed here is of the stone walls at home in the snow with thorny brambles.

The photo here is of my stone walls again at sunrise.

And here they are again at sunset with the sun shining through the walls.

Textile Art Forum Update

Day 2 of Textile Art Forum Residential at Ballyduggan Cottages:

I wanted to work on creating individual 'stones' instead of embroidering/quilting onto a whole-cloth piece as I've been doing lately. I hoped to create a more airy, lighter piece.

I used some 'colour-catcher' swatches I have been saving from my household laundry (because I hate to throw them out as they always seem to be such nice random dyed pieces!). They varied in colour from grey and blue to pink but they reminded me of my stone-walls at home when the sun hits them at different times of the day.

I joined them together by stitching through the spaces between them on water-soluble fabric.

Jan donated some light pink organza for the background, which was just what I needed for the 'floaty' effect I hoped to achieve. I added a foil moon and used the bare branches of the hedge outside my window as the inspiration for my stitched patterns.

The whole piece went into the bath to dissolve the water-soluble fabric as you can see in the photo above! Then I hung it out to dry on the line before lunch!

I like the way it floated about in the breeze, with the lovely stone cottage in the background for the photograph.

This was a satisfying experimental piece to work on.

Textile Art Forum Update

Day 1 of Textile Art Forum residential at Ballyduggan Cottages

The theme for the current series of work by the Textile Art Forum is 'deconstruct/reconstruct'.

My current work is based on the dry stone walls in the West of Ireland. I love these temporary-looking structures which can be easily dismantled and rebuilt. Yet they have stood for years, keeping livestock contained in the fields, marking boundaries between farms, providing habitats for native plants and animals, etc. I like the fact that the these walls were built with the stones found in the fields when they were clearing the land for farming. It was a practical 'make-do and mend' solution to use the materials available on site to build walls.

As well as my contemporary wall-hangings I'm also 'recycling' scraps of fabrics into a colourful quilt. Most of these fabrics are cut from old clothing or left over from other projects so in the spirit of 'make-do and mend' I am making something new.

We discussed eachother's completed pieces and our work in progress and confirmed our plans for the collection of work for 'Make it New' our exhibition which opens at the Lakeland Quilt Festival, Ballyjamesduff Museum, Cavan in September 2010.

With our initial discussions completed and following a lovely shared lunch....it was time to take a walk down Lake Road to see my surroundings. I photographed my walk and was inspired by the light of the setting sun through bare branches, the reflections of the swans in the lake and the sight of colourful boats through the rushes.

Patchwork Classes with Abbeyknockmoy ICA

2010 sees the ICA celebrating its centenary. To mark the occasion, the Abbeyknockmoy ICA group decided to make a patchwork wall-hanging. I met with the group to discuss what kind of work they wanted to do and they decided to make a wall-hanging where each of the 8 members of the group would choose their own colours to make an 'Ohio Star' block. A central block will be made with the ICA logo and ICA colours will also be incorporated in the hanging. On 11th March the group began their first class. They learned how to measure and cut the pieces required to make each block. For most of them this was their first time using rotary cutters, rulers and self-healing mats. With a bit of practice they all grew in confidence and were looking forward to the next stage....learning to piece the blocks in class 2 on 18th March.

Textile Art Forum Update

Ah! What could be better than a whole week in a beautiful cottage in Downpatrick, near a lake, looking towards the snow-capped Mourne Mountains with nothing to do but eat, sleep, share ideas and be creative? Maybe 2 weeks of the same!

I'm just back from my residential week with the Textile Art Forum, where 4 of us lived and worked towards creating new work for our upcoming exhibition 'Make it New'. The work will be exhibited first at this year's Lakeland Quilt Festival in the museum at Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan in September, 2010 (http://www.cavanmuseum.ie/).

I have loads of lovely photos from my week at Ballyduggan Cottages (http://www.ballyduggan.com/) and I will post them over the coming days and weeks here and on the http://www.textileartforum.blogspot.com/ page. The photo above (thanks Jan for catching me absorbed in my work!) shows my lovely little workspace at the cottage beside the fireplace.

Right now, I have a lot of catching up to do at home! I'd better start by putting away all the stuff I brought with me to Downpatrick!