It has been compared with the Ploughing of the craft world, so a group of children from Co Kildare is still celebrating having been named among the main prize winners at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.

Students from Aideen Cross’s Creative Sewing classes in Rathangan took both second and third prize in the primary school section of Europe’s leading patchwork and quilting festival, as well as a ‘highly commended’ badge of honour.

Speaking to Irish Country Living, Aideen – who is a bridal designer by profession, but also teaches sewing classes for adults and children aged seven to 16 – explains the significance of the event.

“As for competitions, this is probably the elite of it,” she says. “They come from all over Europe to enter.”

A group of 22 girls worked together to create the Let’s Celebrate Life quilt, which took third prize at the festival.

“We actually came up with the idea of dividing it into bunting, so each child did a triangle of something and finished it like their own little quilt,” says Aideen of the logistics involved. “So they had complete freedom to do what they wanted with that.”

Meanwhile, a smaller group of eight girls created a quilt called Free To Dream, each designing their own section, which was then stitched together to form a parasol.

“There are rainbows, there are fairies, monkeys, sunrises and sunsets,” Aideen lists the designs incorporated into the quilt.

Finally, Aideen’s own son, Ciaran (11), decided that he also wanted to get involved and received a ‘highly commended’ accolade for his Boy’s Life quilt, which featured everything from panels representing his love for GAA and rugby to his two dogs.

“It turned out to be a real masterpiece,” says Aideen.

Following on from the group’s success at the festival, the prize-winning quilts are set to be exhibited locally as part of the Culture Night celebrations on 22 September, while Aideen will also be hosting a free sewing workshop that weekend to encourage more people to start sewing.

“It is a great skill and everybody will have to pick up a needle and thread at some stage,” she says. “It’s not daunting and they all love it.” CL

For further information, call 086-8325- 694 or find Creative Sewing Aideen Cross on Facebook.