The Patchwork Group
AT THE
ARXIU COMARCAL DE CERDANYA,
PUIGCERDANA, CATALUNYA
FROM 9TH TO 23RD JULY, 2008
11:00 TO 13:00
Patchwork
at the 20st Mostra d’Art in Andorra
to
be seen until the 20th July 2008.
To receive an invitation is a pleasure, but to receive an invitation in
acknowledgement of one’s creative skills is delightfully flattering! In
mid-April, I was contacted by my former patchwork teacher, Inmaculada Farreró,
who is also Editor of the magazine Asociación Española de Patchwork [Spanish
Patchwork Association]. Sra. Farreró knew of the Andorran Patchwork Group,
and she wanted two things: an article about the group for her magazine, and to
ask the group to participate in a two-week long exhibition of patchwork.
Gill Furmston, the founder and leader of our patchwork group, said yes
to both these challenges. The easy part was producing an article which was then
published in the June 2004 issue of the Spanish magazine. Preparing for the
exhibition was much more demanding because we had very short notice: the
opening date had already been set as 15th. July, 2004.
The title was Primera exposición de Patchworki del Pirineo [First
Exhibition of Patchwork of the Pyrenees] which certainly included our
Andorran group! Sylvia Morgan and I were deputed to find out what was involved;
we contacted Ana Maria Morera, the organizer and – laden down with examples of
our patchworks – went to see her in Puigcerdà.
Ana Maria showed us the setting - the Cerdà Museum. This fine building,
dating from 1880, was originally the convent of the Barefoot Carmelites of
Saint Teresa of Jesus, a very strict and totally enclosed order. A curtained,
metal grille in the outer door was the sole means of contact with the world,
but the nuns left their mark on many local lives and households because they
did exquisite needlework and embroidery for little money. In 1982 the nuns
moved away from Puigcerdà, and the convent building began to decay. Over recent
years it has been restored by the town council, specifically to provide a local
museum and exhibition space.
Given this history, it seemed particularly appropriate that the first
exhibition to be held in the new museum should be one of patchwork quilting – a
branch of handicraft and sewing skill which is most often (though not
exclusively) the work of women. Where the nuns’ small cells had once been was
now a single, long room, lined with windows and with a ceiling of wooden beams:
a perfect space, full of light, and ideal for displaying patchworks.
We reported back to Gill’s group, and the various members who were not
out of the country set about deciding what work they had ready to show. One of
the joys of patchwork is that it is often made to be given away: to daughters
and nieces getting married: to new grandchildren: to family and friends far
away. As soon as a patchwork quilt, or cushion cover, or cot quilt, or
Christmas wall hanging is made, it is usually carried or posted overseas. This
means that although we produce a lot of work, we rarely have much to hand. Some
glorious pieces which deserved to be exhibited in Puigcerdà were unavailably
covering beds in Australia!
Sandra Reid and I delivered the chosen works; and our patchworks, plus
those of Gill Furmston, Puk Nikolajsen and Sylvia Morgan, formed part of a
total of 74 exhibits by 22 contributors. I went with Gill, Puk and Alexa
Travers-Dade to the opening ceremony at
As foreigners living in Andorra we cherish every opportunity to
participate in local, native activities. From the speech given to launch the
patchwork show it became clear that our efforts had been really appreciated.
Apparently, the organizer had been told that ‘the English-speaking patchworkers
of Andorra would be rather stand-offish and cold to the idea of an exhibition’.
It turned out, instead, that we had done the most to help, and we were very
publicly petted and thanked for our willing involvement.
The mayor, the museum director and the cultural secretary were all so
pleased with the event that they have asked for another patchwork exhibition
next year, as well as our participation in the Puigcerdà Week of Culture in
July 2005. We shall have to start sewing at once – and not give away our
creations – if we are to have enough work to satisfy these official
invitations!
What else are we up to? Gill is keen for the group to have a patchwork
exhibition in Andorra before the end of the year – date and place still being
decided. Sylvia Morgan is in France on a course run by Dilys A. Fronks, an
expert in using patchwork to create images of beautiful vistas seen through
wrought-iron gates. The effect is as magical as it is technically demanding.
Not all husbands understand or appreciate their wives’ dedication to
patchwork – in fact it drives some men mad! Fortunately, Chris, Sylvia’s
husband, is rightly very proud of his wife’s patchwork skills, so he has gone
along to Dilys Fronks’ course as well. Chris has even got so involved that he
has decided on the view that Sylvia should create in fabric - Casamanya seen
behind wrought iron. That is togetherness.
I have managed to infect my husband, Bohdan, with my fascination for
fabric (as important for patchworkers as paint is for artists). Bohdan
discovered a Japanese fabric shop in Barcelona’s Barrio Gótico, telephoned to
tell me, and rushed in to demand samples to bring to our group. The patterns
were so beautiful that the group members ordered a total of 5 kilos of Japanese
cottons – which Bohdan hauled back to Andorra with delight and pride. Now I am
awaiting the arrival of fabrics bought by a friend for me in Sudan and Ivory
Coast. Expect to see some unusual patchwork creations emerging from the
Andorran Group as a result.
So, if anyone out there thinks the patchwork group is just an opportunity
for idle women to eat cakes, gossip and, occasionally, sew a bit – think again.
We – egged on by some of our husbands – are out in the world making quite a
stir!
Yours Valerie C.
Rymarenko 2007
Sewing is such
a peaceful pastime but the amount of work that seems to evolve from the ladies
of the Patchwork Group is amazing, nothing is too much of a challenge, from
double-bed size quilts, lap and crib quilts, wall hangings, cushions, bags,
waistcoats, faux-chenille, dolls, bears, chickens, the list is endless, not to
mention the quillows, made for friends, children and grandchildren and posted
or carried to all corners of the globe. A quillow is a cushion that opens out
to become a lap-quilt, the patternon the outside is chosen with care, to please
the recipient.
Gracias Miró II Loco
Quilts as exhibited
in Andorra
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK AND OTHER RELEVANT PICTURES
Patchwork
daytrip to Sitges 28th February 2008
NEWS NEWS! The pictures from the Puigcerda Patchwork exhibition 2005
Click on picture poster to enter 
report by Sylvia
Morgan (click to enter)
The
Blackpool Quilters exhibition September 2006
For further information please
contact:
Gill Furmston Tel:
836060
PATCHWORK GROUP REPORT 2007
The Patchwork group meets every Tuesday afternoon at Gill Furmston’s
Xalet.
The same people have remained faithful to the Group from the outset,
which,
incidentally was 28th September 1998.
Our work has great improved over the years and we are sewing some really
wonderful
and exquisite quilts.
A few of us have shown our quilts at various exhibitions, the last one being
the Art Exhibition in Escaldes and the Mostra del Art in Andorra.
Six of us went to Sitges last Thursday for the annual Festival de
Patchwork of the Association Espanola de Patchwork, whose theme this year was
“The Swinging Sixties” .
We left Andorra in a blizzard, what a great excuse to get away for a day
and enjoy lunch sitting on the sea-front in warm sunshine. This is a great
opportunity to stock up with material and see all the many quilts on display,
including quilts by Ted Storm from Holland, who is recognised as a Master
Quilter by the Association of Quilters in Houston, Texas. Needless to say her
work is exquisite.
A very good day, enjoyed by all of us.
We do have places if anyone is
interested in joining us.
Gill Furmston, Group leader.
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