Some finished projects

Just put the finishing touches to some cushions, embroidered journals, brooches and a wall piece. Busy, busy! Some of these can now be seen at the 'Willow' a new craft gallery in Claremorris. The shop is a treasure trove of craft and design from the region. 'Willow' also stocks some ribbon, beads, felt and other craft supplies for you to make some beautiful designs of your own!

Learning to draw

A sketch of Nick Cage from a photo in the Sunday Times.

Women's Support Project, Leitrim: Day 1

Today was the first day of 'Creative Journalling' with the Women's Support Project, at the Leitrim Design House in Carrick on Shannon. The thing I love most about 'creative journalling' is that anyone can do it, regardless of age, background or experience at 'art'. Even those who feel a bit anxious about where to start, become absorbed and then don't want to go home! So often people tell me it's the first time they felt 'allowed' to create something without any rules. If it doesn't work out as they like, they can just paint or collage over it until they are happy. Today's session was full of paint, glue, bits of paper and magazines. We created a happy mess, shared stories and had fun. Here are samples of the work from these very creative women.

Women's Support Project, Leitrim: Day 1

More photos of this first session

Women's Support Project, Leitrim: Day 1

Some more photos from this first session.

New batch of notebooks in progress

I'm having some fun combining colours, fabrics, buttons and beads for a new batch of blank journals destined for sale at Leitrim Design House, Carrick-on-Shannon and Willow Craft Gallery, Claremorris. The stitching bug has bitten me again!

'Go Create' Solstice Arts Day at Campbells Tavern

Local artists at work on their 'creative journals'!

'Go Create' Solstice Arts Day at Campbell's Tavern

The Solstice Arts Group held a family fun day 'Go Create' at Campbell's Tavern in Cloughanover, Headford, Co. Galway on Sunday 20th September, 2009. Local families showed up eager to get creative. There were free workshops in pottery, jewellery-making, card-making and quilting in the outdoor marquees. More workshops in music, web-design, candle-making and creative journalling indoors. The teepee had a log fire and some drumming workshops. Anyone who wanted to, sat for a while in the field to help create a beautiful mandala using shells, stones, wood and sand. Here are some photos from the day.

A workshop with Vikki Pignatelli

The Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society (http://www.westernips.blogspot.com) invited Vikki Pignaetelli to teach her method of creating curves and openings in quilts on Saturday 19th September in Galway. I took a day away from the lads to attend the workshop and see her quilts up close. Vikki gave us clear demonstrations of her techniques and then we tackled the process ourselves using a pattern she provided. This is a photo of my sample piece pinned together and ready for stitching. To see how the expert does it, check out Vikki's website (http://www.vikkipignatelli.com/) and be amazed!

Learning to draw

Another day, another sketch.

Inisheer magic!

Inisheer was wonderful. I loved flying there on a 10-seater Islander, staying at Brid Poil's B&B, Mad Uncle Harry's cajun band playing at Aras Eanna and of course the creative textiles workshop we did on Sunday. Here are a few photos from the weekend. If you get the chance to visit this quilt festival in 2010....grab it!

Learning to draw

I decided to take a drawing & painting course at Stiuideo na Coiribe Art School with Jim Kavanagh(http://www.jimkavanagh.com/). Jim's studio is a haven! A warm welcome with coffee and cake and soon I was absorbed completely by the project he introduced us to. I learned a huge amount in my first class and surprised myself with the drawing I managed to do. I'm trying not to jump ahead and worry about how I'll get on at the next step....painting. But if tonight's class is an indication, I reckon I'm going to enjoy this course of 5 classes a lot! This is a photo of a second drawing I did at home just to try and convince myself I could do it again. I can see areas where I need to work on it and I don't always know how to do that, but I'm trusting that Jim will point me in the right direction.

Creative embroidery classes on Inis Oirr

I am delighted to be invited to teach a 1-day workshop on 'creative textiles' on Inis Oirr in September '09. My class will include: an introduction to creative journalling, stitching into soluble fabric, creating fabric from scraps and slashing through layers to create a chenille texture. The day is aimed at introducing a number of experimental techniqes to those who may have tried traditional patchwork and quilting and are now interested in exploring some contemporary techniques.

Women's Support Project, Leitrim Design House

'Supports for Women' is a creative learning project tailored to the needs of women living in County Leitrim who have been adversely affected by the troubles in the North. The project will run between Sep '09 and Aug '10. It aims to deal with issues of trauma and release these issues in a creative way.

I will work with the group over 5 classes to help them express ideas in a 'Creative Journal'. This form of journalling is a great way to kick-start creativity and I hope to provide the group with some very simple techniques to help them find their creative voices. Using journals in this way has helped me develop my own ideas for my work and I find it very inspiring. Further information on the Leitrim Desgin House and this project can be found at http://intoleitrim.com/

Textile jewellery

This was part of a set (choker and bracelet) commissioned by a bride to incorporate fragments of the fabric used to make her dress. It is machine embroidered and hand-beaded.

Strength and decay

Here's a photo of 'Chinese Lantern' (physalis alkekengi) after it has lost its orange glow. The flower leaves have skeletanised to form a delicate 'cage' around the fruit on the inside. I was amazed at how this 'fragile' plant could withstand the harsh winter weather. So I messed about with this idea in thread and stitch for a while making shawls and framed pieces.

Jump for Joy

These fabric oulines of my son doing what he loves (jumping around!) are applied to a dip-dyed background. These formed a vertical banner for the EQA exhibition 'Celebrations' at the Festival of Quilts in Bermingham in August 2009. This exhibition will be at the Knitting and Stitching show at the RDS in November and will later move to Wales. The piece is entitled 'Jump for Joy' and is inspired by my eight year old son's ability to celebrate the 'everyday'.

Working with soluble fabric is great fun. Using a variety of threads and old lace creates lovely textures and mixtures of colours. The bowls can be used for trinkets and although they look delicate they hold their shape nicely.

Love Letters

This is a photo of a wall-hanging I made some time ago. It was inspired by the fragile nature of a long-distance relationship where letters play an important role. The wall-hanging was chosen by Galway based florist Richard Haslam as a backdrop for a valentine's day floral arrangement in his book 'Flowers' (www.richardhaslam.com). The wonderful photography for the book is by David Lloyd (www.spiritoftherose.com).

Beginner's Patchwork Classes

This course of 5 x 2.5hr classes takes place in the Claregalway area of County Galway. You will use basic techniques to make a selection of patchwork 'blocks' (eg. piecing over papers, applique, log-cabin & strip-piecing). The final class provides an overview of putting the blocks together, quilting and binding a quilt. The class is relaxed and no previous patchworking experience is necessary (a previous knowledge of basic sewing skills and machine sewing are a definite advantage).

Letters Home

When I was growing up I loved writing and receiving letters. Receiving letters from penpals in France, Germany, Italy, Canada and India was great fun. On leaving home family and friends were great to keep in touch by post. While making this wall-hanging 'Letters Home' I recalled all those envelopes and created one for each of the 15 addresses I have lived at. Plain cotton calico was dyed using onion skins, tea, coffee and red wine to achieve the look of faded papers. Free-machine embroidery captures the memories in hand-written letters. 5 miniature 'memory quilts' sit in the envelopes to capture moments in time. Red child-hood shoes, a bicycle in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region), a funfair, an old sewing machine bought at a second-hand market and the front-door of 'home sweet home'. This quilt is often exhibited to show people how a wall-hanging can be made to celebrate everyday memories.

Creative Journalling

I've always loved diaries, but mine always bored me! When I became interested in creative textiles and first saw student sketchbooks I started to keep a notebook by my side almost all the time. A good friend introduced me to the idea of 'altered books' and we started a 'collaborative journal' together when I moved from Dublin to Galway. The notebook travelled by post back and forth allowing us to share ideas with eachother. I loved to see the postman coming with a fat envelope containing those notebooks bursting with new ideas from my pal in Dublin. Now I keep a visual journal going all the time and it provides me with ideas for my work in textiles. I've also given workshops to all age-groups on creative journalling and people love doing them.

Craft in the classroom with Ballinamore N.S.

I've been involved in the 'Craft in the Classroom' project with the Crafts Council of Ireland. I was paired with Scoil Bhrid Naofa, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim to work with 5/6th class girls. We collaborated to make a 3d textile art installation for their classroom window entitled "Precious Treasures". I was very impressed with the girls' enthusiasm for the project and their ability to work together to problem-solve and decide on the details of their final piece. I learned how to take a back seat and let the children make the project their own