A UNIQUE craft project has been launched in the Clonakilty Further Education and Training Centre.
For the past four months members of the Community Participation Through Textiles class have been working on a multi-media wall-hanging depicting 10 areas of interest in the locality.
Under the mentorship of their tutor Catherine Foley, the class have produced a work of art that involves a variety of needlework and crafting skills. Techniques used include knitting, crochet, embroidery, Trapunto quilting, weaving, appliqué, wet and dry felting.
Topics depicted in the quilt include the landing of the Flying Fortress ’T ain’t a Bird in White’s Marsh in 1943, the Old Linen Hall, the Model Railway Village and Inchydoney beach.
Students in the community participation through digital technology class and their mentor Catherine Buttimer have produced a full-colour brochure to accompany the quilt.
This introduces the ladies who crafted the piece and explains the inspiration behind their choice of subject.
Gerard Butler, former Lightkeeper at Galley Head pictured beside the tapestry depicting the Galley Head Lighthouse.
The tapestry at the Cork College of FET, Clonakilty.
Bríd Murphy, who runs the FET Centre in Clonakilty (part of the Cork Education and Training Board Further Education and Training service) explains that the project has been transformative for all of those who have taken part.
‘Ranging in age, ethnicity and skill level, the groups have really formed an amazing community of learning to achieve this wonderful piece of work. Equally they have formed friendships far beyond the classroom and showed that returning to learning as an adult can be a fun and fulfilling experience. We are so proud of what they have achieved,’ she said.
There was a real sense of achievement and pride in the centre when the wall-hanging was completed and was finally unveiled.
There has been great interest and anticipation in the local community ahead of the launch and in the following months the quilt will begin its travels around the town, visiting Clonakilty library and other local venues.
It featured at the Clonakilty Agricultural Show last weekend and will be at the Clonakilty Old Time Fair in July. It will also be displayed in shop windows in the town.
The creators of the quilt, in gifting their work to the people of the town, hope that it will become part of its archival history.
