Women of Tipperary asked to help out on St Brigid embroidery project
Drawing from the St Brigid story of her expanding cloak, women of the Slievenamon and south Tipperary area are invited to stitch, paint, draw, crochet, appliqué, embroider one or several patches of fabric as part of a large patchwork cloak construction.
The cloak, approximately 32m2, aims to celebrate women’s resilience, bravery and regenerative powers through the ages.
The cloak, made from previously loved materials, will aim to represent Tipperary women’s desire to contribute to and nurture collectively a meaningful shared future where earth, nature and people can cohabit holistically and sustainably.
With this in mind, the cloak will draw inspiration from the natural world, the seasons according to the Celtic calendar, Celtic designs and the textured stained-glass art of Harry Clarke.
Women of all backgrounds, ages and traditions may take part by contributing individual “field-patches” which will be assembled together during the month of January.
Collaborative multidisciplinary textile artist Theresia Guschlbauer is inviting women in the south Tipperary area to join her to complete the large St Brigid’s cloak which will be unveiled on St Brigid’s Eve with a formal candlelit street procession on Wednesday, February 1.
Theresia, who has been based on the foothills of Slievenamon for the past 30 years, wants to use the occasion of St Brigid’s day becoming a national holiday to celebrate the power and resilience of women around the world, especially those women who are in less visible positions, the carers, minders, mothers and daughters, sisters who forms the scaffold of all societies around the world and without whom, society as we know it would collapse.
Using the mountain of the women as a thematic backdrop for the project, Theresia wants to use the powerful symbol of the Celtic Goddess and Irish saint to highlight the importance of the natural world whose sustaining resources we humans exploit relentlessly and which require our care and gratitude.
“Covid has taught us how crucial nature is for our mental and physical health, we should remember and cherish this always, not just in times of crisis,” said Theresia.
REGISTER
Individual women and women’s groups can take part by registering with Theresia via email at theresiatslievenamon@
gmail.com and get more information and details about how to get involved.
There will be two public sessions at the SouthTipp Arts Centre on Tuesday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 22 and one session at the Tipperary Museum on Thursday, November 17 morning.
The Arts Centre will also act as a pick up and drop-off point for field-patches and materials. This project is kindly funded by a Creative Ireland grant.
Follow Theresia on social media under bigbadbraid