Sinead joined the committee last year and took up the position of secretary. Our guild is run by volunteers like Sinead, committed to the craft but also spreading the word, promoting felt, teaching and helping to run an organisation. We asked her the same three questions about her submissions to the “Endangered” Exhibition, which is currently running the Pheonix Park visitor centre.

The Exhibition title- Endangered?- how does your piece respond to the title? your inspiration and methods etcMy piece of art depicts the effect social distancing has had on our mental health. Physically connecting is essential for a healthy mental state, however this is the one thing we cannot do for a healthy physical state. The inspiration came early in the lockdown when virtual hangouts were the only way to socialize with friends. The noisy voices chatting and laughing in a room only I was in really played on my mind. I hope to have captured how we have all been feeling. Alone together.I used prefelt to create this popart poster, cutting out each element and piecing it together like a jigsaw before wetfelting it. I then needlefelted in the details and embellished it with some stencilling using fabric paint. Finally I embroidered the lettering.

Crafting through the current crisis, with the pandemic have you found more or less time to craft, has it inspired you or have you found it more difficult- discuss
 I actually really enjoyed being hunkered down with my little family. Being unable to leave the house was strangely liberating. On the downside, it became increasing difficult to find some creative time for myself. The only way I could carve out some time to create was to involve my children, that didn’t always go as planned but I found I was relaxed and happy to play and explore feltmaking, and other crafts, with them. It’s important to create without an agenda and a child’s eye is always a great reminder of that.
Felt- how you discovered it, what it means to you
I honestly can’t remember how I discovered feltmaking. I did teach myself wetfelting first about 9 years ago through the university of youtube. Then I moved into needlefelting, which I gravitated towards for a long time. It’s only in the last few years my wetfelting passion has been reignited, and this is totally thanks to the wonderful community Feltmakers Ireland has created. I took their basic and beyond course and started attending every Sunday session. I couldn’t believe the wealth of knowledge everyone was willing to share with me. I have been so focused and creative since joining and I’m inspired every day by all the amazing women I have met through Feltmakers Ireland.

Here is another piece of Sineads wonderful work- the Green man. A needle felted piece.

Thanks to Sinead both for her submissions and for her continued voluntary work as part of Feltmakers Ireland