Designs of Another Time

Has anyone else have preconceived notions about antique Irish quilts?

Much as quilting's history in Ireland has been distinctly without a business angle (as in America's patchwork growth and background), my intrepretation was narrowly constructed of quilts that were created out of need and necessity. Some years ago I viewed quilts made of wools and heavy textiles--100 years old stitching recorded the worn remnants of soldiers' uniforms.

Completely sterotyping a persona without more consideration or creativity, I pictured patchworkers of the Irish 1700s and 1800s with little or no design zest, piecing together remnants for warmth and practicality. Fabulous Ulster quilts with red applique dabbled in creativity but without presence, my mind files the olden Irish quilts as ultimately, a utiltarian need.

Last Monday, a viewing of quilts greatly broadened my notion of long ago Irish quilts and their creators. With special permission and guidance, four 1700-1800's quilts of Dublin's Collin Barrack's Museum lie before us. (Unfortunately there was no photography allowed.)

Two quilts were of hexagon piecing. Among six smaller hexagons circling one, great care and design was obvious as it was a multitude of design within designs. This hexagon piecing was clearly a product of fussy cutting, a kalidescope design. In a conceited effort to validate my earlier intrepretations, I do think the size of hexagons, ie., 2" shapes, were inherently scrap fabric in a time when quilting fabric was indeed remnants. However, the creators of these intricate designs and thoughtful coordination of prints and patterns certainly elevated their 'scraps' into contention with any of today's designers' work.

I had the pleasure of viewing these antique quilts with Cathy from City Quilter and we both were really impressed as several prints within the fabrics stood out with familarity. It was amazing to see how perfectly matched are today's designers' reproduction fabrics. Several prints, I felt, were dead ringers for Jo Morton's designs--or at very most, a great-great-great aunt of Jo's!

The shaped edges of the quilts were tidy hexagons kept together with aged, yet still invisible, whipped stitches. In continuing awe we also saw several 'bed covers' covered in colourful embroidery.
Imagine how this impeccible stitching was done in a time without electric lighting!
Honestly seeing these quilts really changed how I visualised quilters in 1700 Ireland. Really, once upon a time they were doing a necessary task--now I can very nearly hear design details shared among these creative ancestors.
Just imagine a time with no rotary cutters, no fusible web, no lamps. These quilters were amazing, nothing short of magicians!

Fulfilling Quilters' Quest in Ireland

Our industry is small in Ireland, so when I see the quilting forces working together, it is a great thing!

Check out Karen's blog--Karen is a regular contributor for Irish Quilting and for several other publications. Her designs are always colourful, clean and new for inspiring experienced quilters and beginners. Today she blogs about Quilters Quest, an Irish quilt shop in Belfast Northern Ireland.
She's even doing a great giveaway. Be sure to visit her blog and visit Quilter Quest online.

Big Apples in the Fair City

Monday this week myself and Dermot from the office had the pleasure to visit with Dale and Cathy of City Quilter. They had been visiting in Ireland and we were delighted to meet up in Dublin.

(I have previously met them in Houston and have regularly followed their Manhattan adventures such as creating City Collection fabrics and opening the latest and ONLY Art quilt gallery in NYC!)

Though they had mere days of a tour, we were honoured when we could meet up for a few hours at their hotel. Dermot had been forearmed and planned a little stroll and a visit to the Museum at Collins' Barracks.


Cathy Izzo (City Quilter Owner) Alex Ward (Curator) and myself

Now many here in Dublin know this museum is closed on Mondays. So we were really thankful that Dermot was able to organise a private viewing of some very old antique Irish quilts, categorically filed, "decorative textiles". (I am almost scared to report on this, being I don't want to annoy our lovely currator with similar requests... but it is too good not to share).

Dermot really turned on the charm and with special instruction we went on to view five gorgeous incredible quilts dating from 1700s to early 1900s. Museum quiet and closed, our Currator Alex had to unearth the secure textile boxes, schlep them to a vacant room and find space enough to unfold and layout for viewing. She really went above and beyond to share with us and our friends from the Big Apple. It truly was a grand gesture from the Fair City. My two favourite peoples: Dubs and New Yorkers!

These quilts were exquisite. Hands in gloves, Alex reminded us that photography was not allowed, so goes this blind post. We also want to stress that quilts are, indeed, found on show at the Country Life Museum of County Mayo and NOT in Dublin. So if you want to see incredible textiles like these of olden days of Ireland--olden as in hundred years old--do visit the Country Life Museum in Castlebar.

Dermot is here on left with Dale Riehl (City Quilter Owner), Alex Ward (Currator) Cathy Izzo (City Quilter Owner).

Hollywood Fair

This weekend our photo opportunity traveled back in time.

This the Annual Hollywood Fair in County Wicklow--one of the best if you ask me!

Where the dress is pre 1950s and livestock roam the grounds.

Food is on the grill. What's an Irish barbeque without potatoes? Check out the potato-filled crates!



A little story about Hollywood, the one in California and in the Republic of Ireland (FYI, there's also a Hollywood in Northern Ireland.) My maternal grandparents are from Hollywood, California. (In fact, my great grandfather is Harry Davenport, Doctor Meade in Gone with the Wind, and my grandfather was the one-armed soldier turned away by Scarlett O'Hara. There's media trivia for you! )

Acting on Hidden Signs

Recently we posted an image on Facebook asking friends to guess what it was. It was a partial shot of a larger feature that is in production on a quilt. There were a lot of guesses. Can you guess it correctly?
Neither could anyone else! Though, FB friends Patricia did guess 'clover' and Virgina guessed 'birds'. They both deserve a win and will receive a complimentary copy of the upcoming issue that features this quilt. Here is the full shot:
Months ago I spotted this Irish Hex Sign and immediately envisioned it on a lovely quilt. After contacting Jacob Zook et al. (the company who makes these signs), we secured permission and viola! production began.

The end result is a sweet quilt, king size. Talented Karen in County Kerry pieced this large applique quilt with Hex signs set in an Irish Chain. Now Romi of Creative Quilting is quilting it on her long arm machine.

People who know me know I'm a writer first and a quilter second.
(That's because my schooling happened to be as such. Trust me, had I attended four years of quilt school and could quilt for a living, I would! Heck! it is hard enough writing for a living--but I'll have a go at it anyway.)

Who am I fooling? My own stitching is never straight. My patience can't compare to the sharpest point of any star block. I stick to writing, but with my business, I know to surround myself with the best quilters.

So, here I am chuffed with each step of progress on this Irish Hex Sign quilt-- seeing my idea with the inspiration of the Zook signs come to life. I use the term 'designed by' lightly--but it is not to discount our ideas. Your ideas. You all have ideas and inspirations--they usually begin as simple as, "ooh, that would make a great quilt".

Most the time, it simply involves one call or email to get permission and the sewing can begin. Despite my inadequate sewing, had I more time, I would have loved to do the piecing myself. But then, with my sewing, who knows if the quilt would made it in the issue!

I Did Yudu

For some time now, I've had an ongoing email thread with reader Angy from Texas. Thanks to Angy, I'm a much smarter person today.

Angy is a subscriber who receives our magazine digitally. There has been intermittant problems with this service and following her most recent email, I became determined to find the source of the frustration. I wasn't going to stop until I did.

The only natural thing to do was to reinact what she was doing and hopefully these problems would surface. And they did. When printed, the magazine appears disjointed and content views obstructed. Yudu is our service provider for the digital magazines and having been informed of another issue (excessive spamming once becoming a Yudu registered user), I went to battle.

Surfed to Yudu, registered with Yudu and bought my digital version of Irish Quilting. (Note to other business owners: never wait to buy your own product! Be your first customer, it tests processes and you know firsthand the quality product is the result!)
Of course within a second or two of getting my digital version, I had questions. I am the MOST skeptic customer, in every part of my life, personal and business. The customer help at Yudu probably thought I was insane. I was saying, Why can't I get this? Why not? He actually said, this is your business, do you really want it given away like that? Oh. Right, put my business cap back on.

(We had been discussing why a simple downloaded PDF file didn't fulfill my purchase. Rather Yudu makes you download an application that runs the magazine on an offline utilty. This app confirms your registered name. His point was a PDF would mean one reader could forward it to one, two or 52,000 other readers. Not good for business.)
I reread Angy's latest email. The inability to have a PDF did not bother her.

Remembering customer feedback and realising I'd just registered, I envisioned spam emails filling my inbox. I had the customer helper direct me to my profile and options within where I could un-opt for special offers. Done. It is a bit hidden and not in the registeration process, so word up on the anti spam process. Check your profile settings.
I reread Angy's email. She said nothing about spam--she was probably smarter than the average (me) and un-opted in the beginning.

Finally I went to print as Angy had. My printer behaved just the same and printed disjointed and obstructed content. Back with customer help, we determined it was the original design settings on the source file. Customer help was kind enough to fix the back issues. Our designer is going to ensure going forward we avoid this problem.

Whew! I actually think we solved the problem presented for Angy and more!

Also, I now have a digital subscription to a fabulous magazine!

Reward Offered for Most Wanted Readers

Update: FOUND One Reader
Our unsung winner of the Janome blocks has been identified as Vicky Parsons. Now, Vicky, you winner, where are you?

We've lost two readers. Have you ever heard of anything sillier? It's not.
You see, it's happened and well, we're hoping you can help us find them.

One reader was lucky winner Robena Tyndall of County Antrim in our last issue. She won the book Charmed Beginnings by Jo Baddeley. Somewhere between the name draw and the packaging of her winning, her address was misplaced. Anyone who knows her and can put us in touch with Robena,will be rewarded with a year's subscription to Irish Quilting.

Worse, but funnier, is how we came to lose our next reader.

This reader sent in the block below, a winning block! Somehow, there was the wrong name credited to this block in our Janome competition. We were so delighted to receive 70+ blocks for judging; I actually thought, for a moment, that we should photograph each one with a name placard as they arrived in the post. Oh! but I didn't. (People, always follow your gut!)I suppose it is most upsetting because the winning block is in the magazine mis-identified and oh, how I wish this reader would phone us.

If you know someone who knows this block, please put us in touch and we'll reward you with a two year's subscription to Irish Quilting.

Time to network friends. We always want to find readers, but I'm particularly attached to these two.
Thanks!