Irish Linen Workshop

There is a long history of linen production and use in Ulster, particularly in relation to clothes and domestic articles. In this fascinating, hands-on workshop, Donegal artist Deborah Stockdale will focus on embroidered Irish linen tablecloths, which were to be found in almost every home for generations. Often kept in storage and used only for ‘company’, these heritage linen pieces were passed on through the family and were used as signifiers of special events. As part of this two-hour workshop, you will look at and talk about some examples of these tablecloths; learn about the history of linen embroidery kits; and try your hand at some elementary embroidering of the flowers and motifs that would often have featured on domestic items such as tablecloths. All materials for the workshop will be supplied.

This workshop is part of a programme of events to complement Stitching for Solidarity, a Conflict Textiles exhibition at The Linen Hall. A short tour of the exhibition is included in this workshop.

There are 15 spaces available in this workshop. Age 18+

About Deborah Stockdale

Artist Deborah Stockdale lives in Convoy, in southeastern Donegal. She has many years of experience working with textiles and her work has been exhibited in many countries.

In her personal art quilts, which are often on natural topics and themes, she uses paint and pigments to create images and forms on fabrics such as silk, cotton and vintage linen and completes them with quilting and embroidery.

Deborah also paints and works in multi-media art and collage. Her artwork is characterised by flowing vibrant colours, rich textures and intricate details.

She has a long connection with Conflict Textiles as a textile technician, preparing textiles for display and maintaining the large collection for the Trust. This work has encouraged her to create her own arpilleras or story quilts on diverse topics.

She has been commissioned to create several large-scale textile artworks on historical topics for various civic organisations, such as banners for the Flight of the Earls commemorations in Donegal, The Plantation Quilt for Derry/Londonderry, and The Sheep Wars Quilt for Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny.