We don’t eat much traditional Irish food, but do occasionally have corned beef, cabbage and parsley sauce….one of my husband David’s favourites. I make traditional brown bread every few days.
Describe your style of quilting in 10 words or less?
Quick, identifiable, free, fun, and I love mucky greens.
Who’s your quilting hero?
I recently taught my granddaughters, Anna aged 8 and Kate age 7, to sew and they made a small quilt top each. Tey sewed straight, blended their colours and they loved working with the fabrics. Tey are my heroines. Tey can make brown bread too. My grandson Sean, when he was 8, made a lectern hanging for the church for his First Holy Communion (with my help), so he is a hero too.
How long have you been quilting?
I suppose about 15 years. But I have always been sewing, knitting and crocheting, macraméing and making Carrickmacross Lace...
What’s your guilty quilting pleasure?
Buying fabric and threads
What is your junk food fix? I love crisps.
Emma’s Tree My daughter Emma died almost 6 years ago. When she was very ill, I made a little Christmas tree for her. I had seen a tree while away on holiday (that one was very ornate with velvets, lace and embellishments). I made a very much simpler one with Christmas fabrics. Emma died before Christmas. I made trees for my other children and family members. I passed the pattern onto friends around the world and now Emma’s Trees are being made all over the world, UK, USA, Canada, all over Europe, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and each one is called Emma’s Tree. Perhaps, some of you might like to make one? Contact me at miriamgogarty@eircom.net and I will send you the pattern.
What do you remember as your first sewing project?
I learnt to sew on an old Singer treadle sewing machine when I was about 6. My neighbour taught me and her daughter to make dolls clothes.
What are you most proud of in your quilting life?
What is your favourite sewing gadget?
I love my Pfaff sewing machine. I am a bit of a gadget addict. I have them all. I also love to buy new feet for my machine. I love to play with the Flower Stitcher.
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
We recently visited Kotor in Montenegro in the Adriatic as part of a cruise and it is beautiful. Stunning landscape….breathcatching.
What is your favourite season of the year and why?
I like summertime best, though our Irish weather is very unpredictable.
Who was/is your favourite teacher?
Helen McAllister was my teacher for two years when I attended night classes in the National College of Art and Design. She is a wonderful embroiderer and great fun.
What quilt technique wouldn’t you do, even if someone paid you?
Up to last week I would have said paperpiecing...I dreaded it. But last week I started to make a quilt for my granddaughter Jane. I am using a book called Build It Up by Billie Lauder and I am loving it. I cannot stop adding rooms and it is in danger of becoming a mansion instead of a house.