Longford quilters celebrate 25 years of friendship and resilience

This year the local quilting group marks a monumental milestone: a quarter-century of keeping a traditional craft alive in Longford.

It all began in 2001 when a passionate crafter Elsie Moxham had a vision. Recognising a need for a creative space in Longford where women could come together, share skills and learn about quilting Elsie along with a number of other ladies set about setting up a quilting group.

Having started with a handful of local people, Willow Quilters now meet on the second Saturday of every month in the ICA Headquarters in The Barracks in Longford where they have members coming from Leitrim, Westmeath, Roscommon and Longford. Beginners learn from experienced quilters passing on different techniques like applique, paper-piercing and quilting.

Treasurer of Willow Quilters, Marie English says it all came about when Elsie was attending a quilting group in Elphin and questioned why they didn’t have something similar in Longford. Herself and Ursula Burke decided to set up Willow Quilters in Longford and the group has gone from strength to strength since.

“We are not at the stage where we need a waiting list, but our numbers have certainly grown,” Marie explained.

While they consistently have large numbers attending, Marie said they would like to see new members joining, as this brings a renewed energy to the group.

Marie says quilting isn’t a cheap hobby, but it is a very rewarding one. “I think people are going back to crafting for mental health reasons. When you are crafting you are in another world,” she explained. She said it is a great way of leaving any worries behind and also an opportunity to socialise and meet new people.

When the group started out in Longford a quarter of a century ago, they operated from the Women’s Link premises, but later outgrew there due to the need for space for participants taking part with their own sewing machines and cutting boards.

Over the last two and a half decades, Willow Quilters have made and donated countless quilts to different organisations and charities. Their most recent project has been making Incubator Baby Quilts for the Neonatal unit at Coombe hospital. Marie said this a particularly rewarding undertaking, and as someone who has experience of having a sick child in the past, she says it is a very worthwhile endeavour. “People just want to give something back,” Marie explained.

“When you are in a neo-natal ward, it can be a very tense environment. Parents are frightened and the quilts can bring a little bit of softness. It can be very comforting,” Marie explained.

While numbers are high for the group, there is always a little room for some more crafting enthusiasts to join. “We would like to see a few more people joining. The more, the merrier,” Marie said.