Last weekend my good friend (and hugely talented author and film journalist  FYI) Andrew took me for a long overdue catch-up and a...

Rather than your typical wine n’ nibbles launch party, Mela 2012 announced its imminent arrival by tapping cleverly into the current...

Over 20,000 of you are expected through the gates of Botanic Gardens for Belfast Mela 2012. Ensuring this many people are ushered in,...

This is the first in a new feature series I’m introducing – Magazine of the Month. Every month I’ll be recommending an arts/crafts...

I’m delighted to begin the week with some great news. One of my favourite arts organisations, ArtsEkta, has chosen The Patchwork Quill to...

Cushendun beach It’s halfway through July already, so Northern Ireland is well into summer holiday season.  (And certain other...

Funky bowl of badges at Boutique Souk Last Saturday, March 10th, I paid visits to two of my top three picks of the weekend’s Belfast...

As I sit down to write, it is 8pm on Sunday March 11 and I still look like this >> Today my sister Polly and I went to ArtsEkta ‘s...

With Belfast Independent Retail Week coming to a close and the Festival of Colours exploding into the city once again, there are simply...

Last Thursday, Belfast blogger Alan Meban broke the news on Slugger O’Toole that the Department of Social Development had closed the...

Last Friday, artist Jolie Dennison invited me to bring a friend and take part in the launch of her new Wine, Dine and Design evenings....

I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist the title… I’ve been a bit busy with work recently, hence the blog silence, but I’ve also been busy making...

Since I started this blog and started getting interested in making things, the number of people I’ve known for years who have ‘come out’...

Yes, yes, I know it’s been a week since the Belfast Mela lit up Botanic Gardens; I really am trying to get my act together and get...

Well, after abandoning the old girl for a while, I decided to plug in the sewing machine last night to run up a simple beach/tote type...

Well it’s been ten days (nearly eleven, actually) since my first post, so settle down with a cup of tea, ‘cos this is a long ‘un. I...

This post not only brings you the first scribblings of The Patchwork Quill, but also the beginning of August Craft Month 2011, as well as...