The Theme for Patchiran’s 5th Exhibition was

‘Women’s Secrets’

We set 9 competition categories – Traditional bed Quilt, Art Quilt, ,Mini Quilt ,Wall Quilt, Hand Quilt, Colour and Innovation, Accessories, Waistcoat and ‘ Children’s Day’.

   

The exhibition was opened by Iran’s Deputy Minister for Arts and Cultural Affairs The minister acknowledged patchwork and quilting as a ‘textile Art’ for the first time here in Iran and this will allow us to exhibit in Cultural centers exclusive to the Arts.

Here are some pictures of the Fatmeh Zahra Organisation and the MS Association Stalls. All the work was taught by Patchiran volunteers.

   

We raised over the equivalent of $13.000 US for the Mahak Children’s Hospital with the help of all the members of Patch Iran who contributed at least three hand sewn items for the Quilt Raffles and Charity stalls and over $3000 US for other charities Patchiran’s exhibitors also sold over $10.000 US of their own work which was extremely uplifting and encouraging for all.

  

Tehran Dookht Machine

TDM is committed to supporting Patchiran and our members as well as appreciating the value of educational program, was our sponsor for this exhibition and presented the winners or our 9 competition categories with prizes.

4th Exhibition (Mahak 2008)

 

We set several goals for Patch Iran to achieve during the 2008  Exhibition.The first goal was to promote Patch Iran itself and to attract more students to see us through the year.The second was to motivate and encourage women from all stages and experience of patchwork and quilting to take part. The Middle Eastern Quilters Guild invited Patch Iran for the first time as Iranian representatives to contribute to their Quilt Festival.Iran has a wealthy heritage in Tribal, Eastern and Islamic Arts and Crafts. Now that we have the technical skills of the craft it is important for women to identify with their own culture and express themselves within it especially if they are to exhibit internationally.To prepare the women and familiarize them with competition rules and expectations, we ourselves set a competition urging women to take part, in order to drive their creativity and innovation to higher levels.We named the competition “My Land, My Country” to stimulate a cultural response. The women who had the courage to put themselves to the test have really pushed their own boundaries and have moved forward both creatively and confidence wise.They have also set the standard for their colleagues and peers and will make for an improvement in work across the board setting in motion a healthy competitiveness which we most surely endorse.In February 2010 we will be the the first Iranian contingency at the Middle Eastern Quilt Exhibition in Dubai, United Emirates.

Exhibitions 1,2,3 (2005 – 2006)

Patchiran’s first exhibition was in cooperation with Bernina of Switzerland  and a small group of women who had been taught elementary patchwork and quilting by   Martine Calonne and Michelle Gilder . The exhibition was very well received as this was the first of its kind in Iran and patchwork and quilting in its modern form was a novelty.  We opened Patchiran as an educational establishment in 2005 and the teachers we have now joined us ans students  and have progressed as superb quilters and artists in their own right. Their progress can be followed as you browse through the gallery below.