Feltmakers Ireland

This Sunday: Upcycle an Old Wool Garment, an Accessory or Jeans with Needlefelt

Published on March 6, 2026March 5, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

A workshop advertisement for 'Upcycling + Needlefelt' featuring a grey garment with flower and carrot felt designs, cookie cutters displayed on a wooden surface, and event details for Feltmakers Ireland, scheduled for 8th March.

For March’s Sunday Session, Loli Cox and Sam Fagan will lead us in Upcycling old garments with Needle-Felted decorations.

Please bring an old wool jumper, scarf, hat or pair of jeans that you can ‘renovate’ with needle felt. If you have a set of metal cookie cutters, please bring them along!

You will also need to bring your Needle Felting Kit, although we will try to have some extra felting needles on hand. We will also have our first aid kit on hand – just in case!

In addition to decorating, we will demonstrate how to mend holes using needle felting = Practical Crafting Fun!

A light grey sweater adorned with various felted designs, including a carrot, flowers, and animal shapes, alongside metal cookie cutters in the shapes of clothes and a bicycle.

A close-up view of a person's sweater featuring three colourful felt flowers and a small embroidered bee, with the person standing sideways and their hand resting on their hip.

Samples from Loli and Sam

The Details:

When: Sunday, the 8th of March, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Additional Information:

If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (to reduce our use of disposable cups).

And, as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from coming if you feel unwell. We do have the benefit of technology – there will be access via Zoom. See below.

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

We will email a Zoom link to all members for those who wish to attend virtually. Please check your email on Friday afternoon.

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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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Of Interest: Free Activities at European Wool Experience – Tralee

Published on March 5, 2026March 30, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

Promotional poster for the European Wool Experience event, detailing activities like felting, spinning, weaving, and knitting, taking place on 28 March at Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee.

Promotional poster for the European Wool Experience event, featuring a cartoon sheep and various wool crafts such as felting, spinning, and knitting. Details include date, time, and location.

The European Wool Experience, a vibrant, free, family-friendly event, will be at the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, on Saturday, 28 March 2026, from 10 AM–5 PM.

Celebrating Ireland’s hosting of ‘European Wool Day 2026’, this special public event, open to all, brings together exhibitors, makers and researchers from Ireland and more than 10 European countries, to connect and create a colourful, welcoming day of creativity, culture, and discovery.

Taking place at the start of the Easter school holidays, it’s an ideal day out for families, friends, individuals or organised groups looking for something creative and different.

Visitors can explore four rooms featuring over 35 demonstrations, exhibitions and interactive experiences, with plenty of opportunities to try wool crafts firsthand, including the following: wet felting, finger knitting, crios belt weaving, spinning, weaving, wool processing and more. Meet skilled makers, discover traditional and contemporary skills, view unique heritage displays, and enjoy a relaxed, hands-on atmosphere suitable for children and adults alike.

Throughout the day, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate feltmaking, and we will also lead interactive wet felting activities.

In addition to the guild, several members will be sharing their artwork and fibres. These include the following:

Members of Feltmakers Ireland, the Irish Guild for Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers, and the International Feltmakers Association – Region 14, will host a joint exhibition of artwork created with Irish-raised wool.

The guild is grateful to have received some funding from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. This helped us purchase Irish-raised wool from Ériu and WoolstoreIE, which members could use in their pieces.

Drop in to the European Wool Experience for an hour or stay and explore at your own pace; admission is completely free.

Where: Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, Co Kerry, V92DC83

When: Saturday, 28 March 2026, from 10 AM–5 PM

For more information, visit the Irish Grown Wool Council’s website: https://bit.ly/euwoolexp

Groups of 10 or more can book in advance via ewd@ewe.network (subject: Group Visit).

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Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Open Call: Reminder to Submit to ‘Water and Flow’ – Feltmakers Ireland Exhibition

Published on March 4, 2026March 23, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

Promotional poster for Feltmakers Ireland's exhibition submission, featuring details about the event at Phoenix Park Visitors Centre in April 2026. The theme is 'Water & Flow', inviting personal interpretations.

We wanted to remind you that Feltmakers Ireland members’ exhibition, ‘Water and Flow’, has a submission deadline of Friday, the 13th of March at MIDNIGHT.

Our annual exhibition will be displayed at the beautiful Phoenix Park Visitors Centre gallery from Friday, the 3rd, through Sunday, the 26th of April. The show launches on Saturday, the 4th, at 3 PM.

To learn more and to submit your application, visit our Exhibition page – https://feltmakersireland.com/exhibition-application-2026-water-and-flow/

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Questions: For content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Exhibition: Dressing Dublin – Made in Blackrock – Irish Textile History

Published on March 3, 2026March 4, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

A black and white historical photograph of a smiling young woman working at a sewing machine in a factory setting, with the text 'Dressing Outline' and 'Made in Blackrock' overlayed.

The exhibition ‘Dressing Dublin: Made in Blackrock‘ explores the former local textile industry, the people who worked in it and how it was influenced by national and international economic forces. The project showcases the small area around Brookfield Terrace and Carysfort Avenue in Blackrock, County Dublin, which produced, until the 1980s, locally made textiles, hosiery, shirts, workwear, and much more.

Where: Blackrock Library, Main St, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 YF76

The exhibition runs through Monday, the 9th of March.

If you cannot make it to the exhibition, you can learn more through Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@DLRofficial

There is a 30-minute film, an audio tour and an extended interview hosted by fashion historian, Laura Fitzachary.

The 22-minute film has interviews with former employees, Liam Dodd and Christine Fitzachary, which captures this history before this part of our local heritage disappears. Through these conversations, we can also review the current state of the clothing industry in Ireland today.

Watch the film here, on the DLRCC’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-AfWyqs_F8

There is an 18-minute audio guide of the exhibition – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUHd3TAgfYc&t=3s

A longer audio interview with Laura Fitzachary and former employee Christine Fitzachary discusses the local textile history – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ppls5FP9lc&t=1101s

For more information about the show, visit the library website – https://libraries.dlrcoco.ie/events-and-news/event-calendar/dressing-dublin-made-blackrock

Laura Fitzachary’s Instagram: @seekthehistoric

DLR Instagram: @dlrheritage

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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.

Of Interest: Sharon Wells – Ireland AM – this Sunday – 10 AM

Published on February 27, 2026February 27, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

A woman with curly hair is seated at a table displaying various wool items, surrounded by colourful wool and a small decorative bird. The backdrop features a scenic landscape, promoting European Wool Day in Ireland.

Guild member Sharon Wells will be on the television programme Ireland: AM on the 1st of March, Sunday at 10 AM. She will talk about European Wool Day 2026, which Ireland is hosting on the 28th of March in Tralee, Co Kerry.

She will also share her artwork and demonstrate needlefelting.

Sharon is one of the organisers of the European Wool Day conference, which will also have a joint exhibition of work from members of Feltmakers Ireland, the International Feltmakers Association, and the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers. All of the artwork will incorporate Irish raised wool. There will also be a room with Interactive Wool Crafts.

Both the exhibition and the crafts are free to enter, and all ages are welcome.

If one is registered for Virgin Media, one can watch Sharon’s interview online – https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/shows/irelandam

European Wool Day – https://ewe.network/ewd2026/

Sharon’s website – https://www.sharonwellsart.com/

Instagram: @sharonwellsart @ewe_foundation__ @irelandamvmtv

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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.

Education: Wool Workshops before European Wool Day – Fibreshed Ireland

Published on February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

Promotional image for European Wool Day featuring wool workshops, showcases of wool products, and event details for Tralee, Ireland on 28 March 2026.

To get ready for European Wool Day, which will take place on the 28th of March in Tralee, Co Kerry, Fibreshed Ireland has organised a series of subsidised wool-related workshops around the island.

Workshops include the following:

From Farm to Fibre: the cycle of sheep’s wool production from birth to yarn, taught by Feltmakers Ireland member Christine Jordan of @roughcirclestudio, 7th of March, Co Carlow

Not just a Granny Square, 7th of March, Co Kerry

Aran Knitting Workshop, 8th of March, Co Galway

From Fleece to Fibre, 14th of March, Co Laois

Mindful Weaving Workshop, 14th of March, Co Dublin

Adapting Knitting Patterns for a Better Fit and Creative Changes, 14th of March, Co Dublin

Wool Spinning Workshop, 22nd of March, Co Antrim

Threads of Belonging: A day of Weaving, Connection and Care, 22nd of March, Co Waterford

The workshops have been made possible with support from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

For more information and to register, visit the Fibreshed Ireland website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/get-ready-for-european-wool-day-2026/

Their Instagram: @fibreshed_ireland

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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.

Exhibition: Wearable Art by Claire Garvey – Made in Wicklow Invited Guest 2026 – Powerscourt House

Published on February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

Promotional poster for Claire Garvey's exhibition 'From Canvas to Cloth', showcasing 15 paintings and 15 wearable art sculptures. The event runs from 21 February to 1 March at Powerscourt House, Enniskerry, with free admission.

Display of artistic garments created by Claire Garvey, featuring mannequins dressed in vibrant, textured outfits against a rustic stone wall, with signage reading 'Claire Garvey Canvas to Cloth'.

As part of Made in Wicklow’s ‘For the Love of Creativity’ series, Claire Garvey presents ‘From Canvas to Cloth’, an exhibition featuring 15 bespoke, hand-crafted, and hand-beaded pieces of wearable art. Each garment is inspired by one of Claire’s ten favourite paintings, with influences ranging from the bold strokes of Van Gogh and Miro to the intricate worlds of Botticelli and HR Giger.

Claire Garvey is a bespoke designer with a couture shop in the heart of Temple Bar, on Cow’s Lane, Dublin. She has designed for the Oscars, the Emmys, the X-Factor, and the Cannes Film Festival. She specialises in one-off outfits for musicians and celebrities and is a celebrated advocate for ‘slow fashion’ and sustainability, hand-making every piece in her workshop with a focus on recycled trims and exquisite craftsmanship.

When: The show runs through Sunday, 1st March, 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Free entry.

Where: The Garden Room, Powerscourt House, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow

For more information about the exhibition, visit the Made in Wicklow website – https://madeinwicklow.com/powerscourt-2026/

To see more of her work, visit her website – https://www.clairegarvey.com/

Her Instagram – @clairegarveydesigner_

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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.

Of Interest: Wool in School – Climate Education for Children

Published on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

A smiling girl wearing a blue dress stands next to educational activity worksheets. The text promotes a free kids' workbook related to climate plans, highlighting that it is downloadable, printable, and shareable.

Wool in School has a licensing opportunity: a Climate-Resource Information Pack that artists, educators, or businesses can share online.

The pack is free to download, print, and share with customers, clients, staff, families, schools, and community partners. Included is a workbook and ten activity sheets.

Why this matters for fashion and textiles:

Materials and product lifecycles sit at the heart of fashion’s climate impact on Sustainable Development Goals. These include the following: fibre choices, durability, repair, reuse, waste, land and biodiversity.

Climate strategies succeed when people understand these links. Giving children (and the adults around them) practical tools is one of the most credible “beyond the value chain” actions a fashion or textile business can take.

From fibre production to product lifespan and end-of-life, textiles connect to:

carbon impacts,
circularity and waste reduction,
biodiversity and land stewardship,
consumer behaviour and repair culture.
Supporting education in this space is a credible way to strengthen one’s climate narrative.

For more information about the Climate-Resource Information Pack, visit the Wool in School website – https://woolinschool.com/businesses

Their Instagram: @woolinschool

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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.

Of Interest: Textile Workshops at the 50 Plus Show – RDS Dublin

Published on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

Promotional poster for The 50 Plus Show, a lifestyle event for older people, featuring smiling adults and event details including dates, location, and activities.

There are several textile workshops on offer at the Senior Times’ 50 Plus Show, taking place in March at the RDS in Dublin. There are more 50 Plus Shows scheduled in other cities later in the year: Limerick, Sligo, Cork, and Galway.

Textile and Art Related Workshops

10:30 AM – Water Marbling (Arts & Crafts Stand). Turn your work on paper into a silk scarf with Asta Jackobson (Asta will also be holding further workshops on the Asta Fashions Stand)
10:30 AM – Weaving Workshop with Seamus Kirwan (Wool Experience Stand)
11:30 AM – Weaving Workshop with Seamus Kirwan (Wool Experience Stand)
12 PM – “Joyful Stitching” with Tamara Fiabane (Arts & Crafts Stand) A mixture of needle felting and embroidery to create a flat piece of art, which can be a sheep, a bee or something of your imagination.
1 PM – Painting Workshop with Dublin Art Classes (Arts & Crafts Stand). Take home a small original painting
2 PM- Wool Spinning Workshop with Seamus Kirwan (Wool Experience Stand)
2:30 PM – Painting Workshop with Dublin Art Classes (Arts & Crafts Stand). Take home a small original painting

When: Thursday, the 12th – Friday, the 13th of March, 2026

Where: RDS Dublin, Merrion Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

For more information and to register, visit their website – https://seniortimes.ie/50-plus-expo/

Editor’s Note: The Registration is via a calendar app that isn’t as obvious as it could be. To find it, click on the Blue Circle Button (The Pink Arrow is for emphasis). See the images below to find where to click and what the registration form looks like.

Or you can contact the organisers by email to register: brian@slp.ie

Image gallery image — Where to find the Blue Button to register

Event booking form with fields for name, email, phone number, date and time, quantity, comment, and a send button. — Where to find the Blue Button to register

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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.