Irish themed fabrics connecting irish people to home
An Irish themed fabrics business is helping people with roots in Ireland to connect with their homeland.
Based in New Zealand, Fraser St Fabrics was established by Ballintubber native Lorraine Jones. Producing an extensive range of fabrics for use in quilting and crafting, it is a first on the international market.
From Irish dancers to shamrocks, the GAA, St. Bridget’s crosses and musical instruments, the fabrics have been turned into everything from place mats to dancing shoe bags to passport holders, quilts and soft furnishings right across the globe.
Living away from home, Lorraine (nee Horan) understands the desire for Irish people and their descendants to have a connection back to Ireland.
Lorraine is daughter of Sean and Helen Horan. Her father's family business is Sean Horan Limited, mechanical and electrical engineering contractors. Lorraine isn’t the only member of the family to have settled abroad and while she has siblings in Mayo and Galway, one of her brothers is living in Canada.
Educated in Davitt College in Castlebar before going on to study chemistry at Limerick IT, Lorraine has been living in New Zealand for 10 years now. She is married to New Zealand native, Dale, who she met while he was living in Castlebar, and the couple have two ‘Kiwi kids’, Sean (aged six) and Phoebe (four).
The idea for the business came about when her husband's aunt visited Ireland in June 2011. “As she is a keen quilter,” Lorraine explains, “she wanted to buy some Irish fabrics so she could make a quilt that would represent her travels. We looked all over Ireland and the internet to find some appropriate fabrics but couldn't find any.
“That's how I got the idea to create my own. I am a quilter myself and I liked the idea of creating something that connected me back to Ireland.”
She confirms her business is fairly unique. “There is nobody else creating Irish themed fabrics at the moment. It's a fairly specific area to be in.
“Most quilting and crafting fabrics are generalised, so as to appeal to a wide range of customers. So the special thing about my fabrics is that people will be specifically looking for an Irish themed fabric, for a special project, such as a family heirloom quilt.”
Lorraine set up the business in September 2012. It's an e-commerce business, so people all over the world can buy her fabrics and she ships worldwide via her website, www.fraserstfabrics.com.
Her customer base is a mixture of Irish people and people with Irish ancestry and, in general, the reaction from people is very positive. “They are thrilled when they receive their fabrics and usually need it for a specific project,” she said.
Lorraine added: “Worldwide there are millions of people with Irish ancestry. I thought creating these fabrics would give people a different medium of expressing their heritage and help them also connect back to Ireland.
“My collection of fabrics can assist ex-pat parents to help their children identify with specific traditions unique to the Irish, be that the GAA, traditional Irish music, Irish dancing, colours or numbers as Gaeilge.”
Most customers use the fabrics for quilting, patchwork and crafting. Lorraine created the fabrics for quilters so it's 100 per cent cotton with a tight weave to prevent fraying.
The majority of customers to date have been from the USA, although she has had customers in Ireland, Australia, the UK, Northern Ireland and one in Norway - a mix of Irish people living abroad and people with Irish ancestry.
Check out Lorraine’s range at www.fraserstfabrics.com or on Facebook.