To mark 25 years of supporting creative Irish businesses, The Leitrim Design House has launched the National Design, Craft & Art Awards to celebrate excellence in craftsmanship. The award stems from the organisation’s resilience and sustainability as a business over the past two decades.
As a reflection of this longevity, The Leitrim Design House invites makers, artists, and designers from across the country to respond to the theme ofReused Sustainability.
The overall winner will receive €2,500 and a solo exhibition at The Leitrim Design House in 2026. A Special Commendation Prize of €1,000 will also be awarded to a runner-up.
Deadline for submission of applications: Friday, the 27th of June, 2025.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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On Sunday, April 13th, long-time Feltmakers Ireland guild member Clodagh Mac Donagh shared her Textile Journey. Her colourful adventures in three locations—London, Paris, and Skerries, IRELAND —where she has lived, been educated, worked, and raised her family, enchanted us.
Like many guild members, Clodagh trained in fine art (in Ireland) and textiles (Goldsmiths in the UK). She worked in education. She taught textiles in multiple settings: to young people via schools, large-scale community projects funded by her local Fingal County Council, and even a textile education centre she opened in Balbriggan. Most recently, she taught a ten-week course on Wet Felting to adults at Castleknock College. Although now retired, she continues to teach Shibori Dyeing and other textile-related classes through Mel Bradley Silks Studio in Drogheda.
Teaching Felting
Besides working as an educator, Clodagh also worked as a dyer for high-end textile designer Sabina Fay Braxton.
She has also traveled extensively and shared some of her Japanese textile collection, which she collected during her visit there six years ago. When she was there, she visited Aramatsu – the town that creates famous Shibori!
Some Photographs of Felted and Shibori Dyed Textiles
On Shibori
Clodagh explained that the term ‘Shibori ‘ means in Japanese “to wring out or compress so that the dye does not reach”. The technique dates back to the 8th century in Japan. Traditionally, it was done on silk or hemp fabrics and was worn by the samurai and aristocracy.
Clodagh generously shared six Shibori-dyeing resist techniques with the guild. She explained that what we do now is not traditional.
Kamoko – a pattern with all-over circles or bullseyes on it.
Arashi, which means ‘Driving Rain’ in Japanese, is an accordion fold (like a fan) tied around a pole or pipe. It looks sophisticated, but not difficult to produce.
Itajame – an accordion fold with resists.
Nui Shibori – stitched with pleats.
Kumo – repeat in the fabric with a series of ties concentrically arranged.
Muira—The example she showed was a long robe made of panels. It was created using a special stand with a hook that catches fabric and stitched with a continuous thread.
Example of Arashi
Video from Sunday
A huge thank you to Clodagh for sharing your Textile Journey with us! We appreciate all the work she put in to share with us.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
If you’re passing through Cork Airport this month, don’t miss ‘As Without So Within’, a solo exhibition by textile artist Rebecca Powell. Known for her intricate stitched pieces, Powell draws inspiration from the wild and untamed landscapes of Ireland. She creates her work with hand-stitching, using silk, wool, and linen.
Powell is also the founder of the newly formed West Cork Collective in Ballinspittle, Co Cork. The group’s motto is, “Alone we can, however, together feels better”
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
This Sunday, the 13th of April, longtime Feltmakers Ireland member, artist and educator, Clodagh Mac Donagh will share her travel and textile experiences with feltmaking and indigo dyeing for our Sunday Session. She has traveled to Japan to study dyeing and will bring her fantastic collection of textiles. Additionally, she will demonstrate various techniques of achieving patterns through Shibori methods.
Due to health and safety, our Sunday Session will ~not~ be a hands-on Indigo Dyeing demonstration or workshop, but Clodagh will demonstrate shibori techniques.
Please bring the following items:
10 baby wipes
10 A4 sheets of paper, preferably white/plain (These will be used for demonstration purposes)
some small rubber bands
a few short lengths of strings (different thicknesses)
a few beads or glass pebbles
a ruler
pen or pencil, and a small bag to bring items home.
Note: These items are for demonstrating purposes only, not for dyeing.
Complimentary tea and coffee will be served at this Sunday’s Session. Home-baked goods to share are always welcome! If you can, please bring a travel mug to replace disposable paper cups.
As a member perk for 2025, we no longer charge 5 euros per session. (If you still need to renew your Annual Membership for 2025, you can now pay online here – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/ )
This Sunday’s Session will ~not~ have a Zoom link. We apologise for this, but we will use a projector to share some of Clodagh’s photographs of her projects and travels. There is only so much technology we can juggle during a single session.
As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, we prefer you not to share these. Please do not attend if you may be unwell.We will have a photo-filled recap on the blog in the coming week!
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
‘Weaving the Threads of Heritage’ is a contemporary art exhibition inspired by Fingal’s textile heritage and manufacturing legacy. Presented by Petra Skyvova, with the support of Creative Fingal, this exhibition showcases original artefacts and memorabilia from the once world-famous local textile and hosiery manufacturing factories alongside contemporary artworks.
The artworks created for this project draw inspiration from these objects, the area’s historical industry, and the lives of the workers. They capture the essence of a bygone era while infusing it with contemporary artistic vision. Each piece reflects the past’s textures, patterns, and stories, brought to life through the diverse artistic expressions.
Opening on Saturday 12th April 2025 at 2 PM, followed by a talk: Balbriggan Stockings on the Global Stage, by historian Dr Cora McDonagh
This exhibition runs until Sunday, 11th May, 2025.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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The exhibition opens this Thursday, April 10th, from 5 to 7 PM in @thedunmored6, a restaurant that is a new Dublin Artform venue. Susan Connolly selected the work, Big Look Art curated it, and Richard Coghlan installed it.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Editor’s Note: Feltmakers Ireland member Juliane Gorman co-founded and organised the Dublin branch of the World Hat Walk. At last year’s event, she was the only person to wear a hand-felted hat. For 2025, let’s add our FELTED HATS to the 2nd Annual World Hat Walk!
Do You Make Hats?
Many feltmakers create hats – are you one of them? If so, are you ready to flaunt your headgear in style? Come and join the Dublin Hat Walk, a delightful event that’s part of the larger World Hat Walk, happening on Sunday, the 27th of April, 2025.
It’s a Global Phenomenon:
Our event is part of the second annual World Hat Walk Day, which was started by London Hat Week (LHW). In 2024, the LHW founders coordinated the first-ever World Hat Walk with over 2,000 hat wearers participating in 21 cities, in 17 countries, in a show of strength of the hat community around the globe. This year, Hat Walks are scheduled for 48 cities on 6 continents!
Origins
Dublin’s event is part of the larger World Hat Walk, organised by London Hat Week, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. Of course, the grandmomma of all Hat Walks is the Passejada amb Barret – Barcelona Hat Stroll, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on the same day! (Do check out their photos – such wild hats!)
When:
Get ready to strut your stuff starting promptly at 12:30 PM. However, let’s gather slightly beforehand, at noon, to admire the unique hat styles and capture some memorable photographs!
Where:
We will meet near the Fusiliers’ Arch, at the entrance of St Stephen’s Green, opposite Grafton Street. The Green Line LUAS stops nearby, making it convenient for everyone to join in the fun!
Dress Code:
Let your creativity shine! Wear whatever attire you fancy, but PLEASE remember to wear a hat! Whether it’s hand felted or not, let your headgear shine!
All Are Welcome:
The Dublin Hat Walk is an inclusive event, open to everyone who loves hats and wants to participate in this vibrant celebration. Bring your friends, family, and furry companions along for an afternoon filled with fun and fashion! Last year we were on page 3 of the Irish Times!
Stay Updated:
For any last-minute updates or exciting announcements, make sure to follow our Social Media pages.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
The second year of the Dublin Fibre Festival will be held on the 18th of October, 2025 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).
Applications for vendors, exhibitors and workshop instructors are open until the 30th of April for vendors and exhibitors.
Vendors and Exhibitors
All fibre artists are welcome to vend or exhibit in the following categories:
Wool, knitting and crocheting, felting, embroidery, macrame, textiles and fabrics, weaving, and wool-related technology.
Workshop Tutors
For workshop instructors, eligible categories include the following:
Teaching fibre-related techniques, crafts, products, technology, software, small businesses, and entrepreneurship subjects.
Talking about a technique, craft, product, history, culture, technology, small businesses, entrepreneurship or anything related to the fibre industry and having a small business in the fibre/craft industries.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Colour Field is a newly developed garden at the Workhouse Union, in Callan, Co Kilkenny. It is dedicated to cultivating colour-giving plants. The project hosts workshops, talks, artists’ residencies, and a community celebration.
Different plants and the colours they create will be studied in the upcoming months.
The workshop programme begins with GREEN on Thursday, the 10th of April, 10:45 – 16:00. A full day working with fresh spring Nettle tops, this workshop will introduce natural dyeing, botanical drawing and embroidery.
Residencies
The Making Colour Studio Residency Programme invites artists to explore their practice through the creation of natural colour from plants. Selected through invitation and open call, participating artists will engage in a shared residency at Workhouse Union in the summer of 2025.
Artists will have access to the Colour Field dye garden, PrintBlock Callan print studio, outdoor dye kitchen, and the Workhouse Union library, which offer resources for research and experimentation.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Guild member Hélène Dooley is among the tutors for the International Feltmakers Association’s five online felting courses, which start on May 1st and end on June 30th.
If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and offer workshops, please get in touch with us at feltmakersIE@gmail.com
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
