Islay Quilters

Welcome to the  Islay Quilters website!

Who Are We?

The Islay Quilters are a charitable organisation run by volunteers. The group makes a quilt to raffle every year and donates the money to local charities in Islay and Jura. This year the local causes we are supporting are the Islay and Jura Nurseries.

We have also been involved in making quilts and other projects with local Primary schools and have made the magnificent wall hanging that hangs in the Columba Centre. We are also planning several pieces in conjunction with the island’s WW100 commemorations in 2018.

We have a workshop in Islay House Square where we also have a shop which sells haberdashery, materials, craft equipment and, of course, quilts and hand-made, items made by our team of quilters.  All this is run by volunteer members and the profits are channelled back into the “Islay Quilters”.

Activities now include card making, knitting club and beginners’ patchwork.  Our charity quilt keeps us busy – look out for the latest!  Among our recent projects is a hanging for the “Finlaggan Visitor Centre” which is well worth a visit.

For any queries,  please use our Contact page.

“In chosen ground on Islay’s shore those gallant men are laid, and by the kindly Highland folk their lonely graves were made. When tales are told of other days and sorrows that have been, May we then tell theirs and keep their memory green”                                                                                                                           (Anon)

It has been a privilege as quilters to help in the remembrance of the  this event – we were  asked to make flags representing each of the states that lost a soldier from the troops ships SS Tuscania and HMS Otranto, these ships went down off the coast of Islay 1918.

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thanks to the people of Islay and many others both in the UK and else where in the world, our flags  arrive and were ready for the 4th May where they were seen at an exhibition in Port Ellen and later in the year carried for the service at Kilchoman cemetery in October 2018.

Continue reading “WW100”

Every year, the Quilters create a quilt for charity to be raffled at the Islay Show in August. To date we have raised over £14,000 for local causes!

In the run up to the show each year, tickets are available for just £1 from The Shop in Islay House Square, from members, or on Show Day itself. It’s a fantastic opportunity to own a piece of Islay history, as well as raise money for local causes!

The Idea

When the Islay Quilters were formed, one of the ideas that seemed to be in everyone’s mind, apart from learning new techniques and having fun, was to make a quilt each year to raffle for a local charity.  This is now something that we have done every year (except 1997), raising very welcome and useful sums of money to help local Islay and Jura charities.

The pattern for the charity quilt is chosen by all the members of the group and is always a majority decision.  Group members bring along a pattern they like and they are laid on the table for discussion.  Over the years we have tried many different types of patterns, ranging from hand-pieced tradition to machine-pieced contemporary.  We all have our own personal favourites!

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Below shows the list of recipients of money we have raised for Islay and Jura causes

1993 IDEAs £350

1994 Comman Nam Parent £100 & Resusci Annie £100

1995 Islay Hospital Radio £20, Marie Curie Nurses – Islay/Jura £200

1996 Islay Hospital Radio £100, Arts Association £100, Marie Curie Nurses – Islay/Jura £50, Gortanvogie £50, Islay Museum £50

1998 MacMillan Nurses – Islay/Jura £150 & Marie Curie Nurses – Islay/Jura £150

1999 Islay Hospital Infusion Pump £500

2000 Isle of Jura Residential Care Home £400

2001 Rhinns Playgroup Association £400

2002 Islay High School Trip – Costa Rica £500

2003 Bowmore Boys Club £400 & Port Ellen Cyber Café £400

2004 Islay High School Trip – Ecuador £400 & Islay And Jura Advice Centre £400

2005 Rhinns Youth Group £400 & Swimming Pool Association £400

2006 Islay & Jura Sick Children’s Fund £350, Islay High School Overseas Project £350

2007 Isle of Jura Residential Care Home £100, Islay and Jura Primary Schools £500

2008 Scottish Ambulance Service – Islay £500

2009 Gortanvogie £500

2010 Islay & Jura Sick Children’s Fund £500

2011 Swimming Pool £400

2012 Islay Junior Gaelic Choirs £600

2013 Gortanvogie £400

2014 Girlguiding Islay and Jura £400

2015 Islay Boys Football Club £400

2016 Sandpiper Trust £1200

2017 Islay Scouts and the Ella Edgar Dancers

2018 Community Bus fund. £1500

2019 Pre 5 units on Islay and Jura: Keills, Bowmore, Bhoga Frois, Port Ellen, Port Charlotte and Small Isles. £150 each, total of £900.00

To find out how to enter this year’s competition, and see the challanges, head to our blog post 2020 Competition Details

Please contact us about our charity quilts, commissions, our shop, or anything else. We look forward to hearing from you.