Patchwork Quilts
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum has one of the largest collections of patchwork and quilted bedcovers in the British Isles, with over 600 examples, dating from 1790 to the mid-1990s. This definitive collection of Irish quilts includes examples of all the main patchwork techniques and styles,...

Lace
Lace has been made in Ireland for several hundred years but most notably since the eighteenth century.  The patronage of the Royal Dublin Society and of wealthy philanthropists ensured the survival of the craft, and helped to maintain high standards in design and craftsmanship which carried ...

Embroidery
Although most often associated with fine white embroidery on linen, the North of Ireland has a long tradition of stitching on fine cotton, dating from the eighteenth century. The introduction of power looms in the mid–nineteenth century revolutionised the weaving of linen and the resul...

Linen
Linen has had many uses - from the most delicate handkerchiefs, to wing coverings on early 1900s aircraft.  These, and many more applications, are reflected in the  Ulster Folk and Transport Museum’s collection.   Power loom production reached its peak in the late nineteenth...

Exhibitions, events & classes
Since 1980 textiles from the UFTM have been included in over 25 exhibitions, at Cultra, nationally and internationally.  For example – Irish bedcovers. 1981  (Patchwork, crochet, knitted and embroidered bedcovers). Tying the Knot    1991 (Wedding dresses a...

Learn more
The following textile –related publications are available to order from the museum’s publications department. Fabrics and Fabrication. 2001 Exhibition catalogue. Context Gallery, Derry. Illustrated, colour. Ulster Needlework – A Continuing Tradition.  1990. Exhibi...

Clothing
The costume collection includes 1,000 principal garments, two thirds of which represent dress for women, the remainder evenly split between costume for men and children. The majority of the collection dates from the period 1840 to 1910, with good examples from each decade.  In many cases th...
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