We are coming towards the last week of our exhibition. It would be lovely if everyone could please contact the local press to arrange articles about our exhibition so that more visitors can visit the show!
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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 questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland West‘s next Sunday Session is THIS SUNDAY, on the 19th April 2026.
The topic of this meeting will be a talk/Q&A byย Karen Bowden fromย Fabulous Fibresย about technology and navigatingย it!ย
Editor’s Note: We hope to have Karen bring this topic to a future Dublin Sunday Session, as we all could use a little more information on this confusing subject.
For more information about Feltmakers Ireland West, a vibrant addition to our Guild, visit the website – https://feltmakersireland-west.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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
On Sunday, the 12th April, a small but dedicated group of Feltmakers Ireland members came together for a truly enjoyable session of wet and needle felting. The day was filled with creativity, shared techniques, lively conversation, and plenty of inspiration. It was also especially lovely to welcome two new members into the group.
The morning unfolded in a vibrant display of colour and texture, with members working on a variety of beautiful pieces. Creations included felted hearts, bowls, bags, jewellery, and intricate 3D needle-felted animals. There was also great interest in embellished work using Angelina fibres, which added a distinctive sparkle to many projects.
A sincere thank you goes to Margaret Ryan Collins, Christine Bond, and Sandra Chase for demonstrating wet felting techniques and sharing their expertise with the group. Adrienne Dempsey and Sam Fagan also demonstrated printing and embossing with fusible Angelina fibres, showing how these can be used to add decorative, eye-catching elements to felted pieces.
Throughout the session, members collaborated and supported one another. Highlights included beautifully crafted wet-felted bowls and hearts, embellished brooches, works-in-progress such as felted bags, and charming needle-felted creations like a delicate bunny. It was wonderful to see both finished pieces and projects still evolving.
We rounded off the session in the best possible wayโwith tea, coffee, great conversation, and delicious hot cross buns. A special thanks to Lorna for providing this lovely treat. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, skills, and enthusiasm. It was a warm, inspiring, and thoroughly enjoyable creative morning shared among friends.
Here are photographs from our session:
Sam Fagan (left) and Adrienne Dempsey (right) demonstrate working with Angelina Fibres.
Christine Bond (left) and Mary Lee (right) wet felting together.
Mary completed a wet-felted heart and embellished it with Angelina Fibres.
Christine completed a wet-felted bowl, front and back.
ย Adrienne Dempsey shared her needle-felted, embellished Angelina Fibre brooches.
Hilary Osman is working on her unfinished projects, adding a button closure to her felted bag.
Sandra Chase shared her wet-felted bag; it is a work in progress.
Lauren Kirwan completed a wet-felted heart and shared a beautiful display of needle-felted pieces.
Mairรฉad de Burca shared a lovely needle-felted bunny.
Margaret Ryan Collins (left) and Pat Duggan (right) wet-felting together.
Pat completed a colourful wet-felted bowl.
Sandra (left) and Laura (right) wet-felting together.
Great book shared at the session, “The Complete Photo Guide to Felting” by Ruth Lane.
Lorna Cady’s ongoing series: Buns (or biscuits or cakes) with History!
May Session
Our May Session will be our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, the 10th of May, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. There will be the usual business of the AGM, plus a special guest speaker, Zoรซ Daly of the Wicklow County-based company รriu. There will be the annual drawing for a Bursary of 250 euros for a member to use for a textile-related workshop. Of course, we will enjoy tea and coffee, and member-supplied tasty treats.
We hope to see you there!
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:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
The European Crafts Alliance (ECA) is holding its annual conference on Thursday, the 30th of April. In addition to being an in-person event in Florence, Italy, access to the conference is also available online.
Across Europe, craft is expanding beyond the workshop and into public health and community care. Co-organised byย Artexย and presented in collaboration withย Firenze Fiera, during the 90th anniversary of the MIDA International Handicraft Exhibition in Florence, Italy, this year, the conference will explore how making actually works in clinical rehabilitation, mental health, and social inclusion. For the craft sector, these arenโt just social goals; they represent new professional pathways and a way to connect the workshop with the public health sector.
A central highlight of the programme is the premiere of the ECAโs foundational study on Crafting Health and Wellbeing. Alongside this vital data, attendees will hear from practitioners who are successfully integrating traditional crafts into professional recovery programmes, creating new pathways for makers.
Participation isย free and open to the public.
Time: 9:30 AM (in person in Italy) & 9 AM IST (online)
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:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
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.
National College of Art and Design’s StaffResearch Exhibition, curated by Anne Kelly, includes weaving with naturally dyed Irish wool.
This showcase positions weaving as a form of research through a process-driven, materially led collaboration between weavers, Kathy Mooney, Rachel Tuffy, and รine Byrne. The work approaches weaving as a site for tacit investigation and โthinking through making,โ where knowledge emerges through material engagement and the embodied actions of the loom.
Situated within the historic context of the Liberties, an area with a rich legacy of industrial textile production and domestic weaving studios, the action-based weaving process reflects on both the material and cultural histories of weaving practice.
Kathy Mooney has prepared a Galway wool warp, partially naturally dyed using weld foraged in the NCAD field and the local River Dodder. The warp will be tied on and gradually woven throughout the exhibition by รine Byrne and Rachel Tuffy.
Weaving Tour
The completed textile will be unveiled on Friday, the 17 th of April. This event will be accompanied by a โresearch weavingโ tour of weaving-related sites on campus and within the Liberties area, concluding with a demonstration of the digital TC2 Loom in the NCAD weaving department.
The show runs from 20 March to 17 April 2026, Mon-Fri, 11 AM-6 PM.
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:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Due to the Fuel Situation, we will reschedule the Image Transfer Workshop to a later date so that members affected by fuel rationing can attend. Details to be provided later.
Felt Along Session
HOWEVER, members are VERY welcome to come this Sunday for an informal felt-along session.
If you have any WIP (works in progress), incomplete textile projects or wish to Felt Alongside Friends, this Sunday’s Session is the opportunity to do so.
Please bring your wet and/or needle felting kits to this session, along with your fibre.
The usual tea and coffee will be provided.
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 12th of April, 2026, 10:30 AM โ 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).
And, as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from coming if you feel unwell.
NO Zoom Access to this Sunday Session:
Unfortunately, we will NOT be able to provide Zoom access for this Sunday’s session, as our tech support (Juliane) cannot attend. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
This Sunday, we will learn how to transfer designs onto felt fabrics using soluble fabric and heat-transfer techniques with committee member Adrienne Dempsey.
In this workshop, weโll explore different methods for transferring designs and bring them to life through needle felting.
Youโll create a motif that you can use in your own artwork or transform into a decorative piece, such as a brooch.
Materials we will use:
โขLinen and silk canvas fabric โขHeat transfer materials, fabric pens โขSoluble fabric โขVilene, cotton batting, calico, and Pellon โขParchment paper โขNeedle felting wool (black & white and a selection of colours) โขFelting needles โขIron โขEmbroidery threads & beads (optional)
What to bring:
Bring both your Needle and Wet Felting Kits
Felting wool and felting needles
Felting pad
Towel
Bowl for water
Soap
Bubble wrap
Small scissors
Embroidery hoop (6 inch, optional)
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 12th of April, 2026, 10:30 AM โ 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).
And, as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from coming if you feel unwell.
NO Zoom Access to this Sunday Session:
Unfortunately, we will NOT be able to provide Zoom access for this Sunday’s session, as our tech support (Juliane) cannot attend. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
Feltmakers Irelandโs ‘Water and Flow’ exhibition was officially launched on Saturday, 4th April at 3 PM in the beautiful gallery of the OPWโs Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. The event was opened by knitwear designer Conor OโBrien, who shared insights into his creative journey, from studying at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) to discovering Aran knitting through a college assignment, with guidance from his grandmother. He also spoke about his strong support for using Irish-raised wool in his work, highlighting the importance of local materials and heritage in contemporary design. Learn more about Conor from his website- https://conorobrienstudio.com/
The exhibition features 67 striking pieces of felted artwork, showcasing the breadth and creativity of contemporary feltmaking. The opening was very well attended, with approximately 140 people present to celebrate the occasion. Since the launch, several works have been purchased by visitors.
‘Water and Flow‘ will continue to run until Sunday, 26th April, offering further opportunities to experience this vibrant and engaging exhibition.
Some Photos of the Launch
Photos courtesy of Tom Macagno, Loli Cox, and members’ contributions.
Conor O’Brien and some of the committee saying, ‘Wool’Loli Cox introducing Conor O’BrienConor and Loli CoxFounder Elizabeth Bonnar and Juliane GormanSiobhรกn Healy Ryan and Elizabeth Redding setting up the refreshmentsClaire Merry and her husband PhilThe gallery was full of visitorsConor O’Brien speakingPeople chattingVisitors listeningMore people at the launchThe only photo of Sam Fagan, our Treasurer, wearing her Foxford Blanket Jacket
The Gallery
Artists with their Artwork
Last year, in the blog post about our ‘Common Threads’ exhibition at the National Design and Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, we included a section featuring members alongside their pieces. As this is an engaging feature, we hope to get a photo of each member in the show.
If we overlooked you at the opening, or you have yet to visit, can you please take a photo of yourself next to your piece and email it to the following address: feltmakerIE@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone who helped make this exhibition such a success.
Many thanks to Conor OโBrien for launching the exhibition with his interesting talk, to our members for contributing their fantastic artwork, and to Annika Berglund and Fiona Leech for displaying everything so beautifully. Additionally, we would like to thank Loli Cox for introducing our guest speaker. Weโre also very grateful to the committee members for organising and setting up the lovely refreshments. Finally, we want to thank the OPW Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for again inviting us to use their stunning gallery for our annual exhibition.
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 the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
For our April Sunday Session, we will learn how to transfer designs onto felt fabrics using soluble fabric and heat-transfer techniques with committee member Adrienne Dempsey.
In this workshop, weโll explore different methods for transferring designs and bring them to life through needle felting.
Youโll create a motif that you can use in your own artwork or transform into a decorative piece, such as a brooch.
Materials we will use:
โขLinen and silk canvas fabric โขHeat transfer materials, fabric pens โขSoluble fabric โขVilene, cotton batting, calico, and Pellon โขParchment paper โขNeedle felting wool (black & white and a selection of colours) โขFelting needles โขIron โขEmbroidery threads & beads (optional)
What to bring:
Bring both your Needle and Wet Felting Kits
Felting wool and felting needles
Felting pad
Towel
Bowl for water
Soap
Bubble wrap
Small scissors
Embroidery hoop (6 inch, optional)
The Details:
When: Sunday, theย 12th of April, 2026, 10:30 AM โ 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).
And, as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from coming if you feel unwell.
NO Zoom Access to this Sunday Session:
Unfortunately, we willย NOT be able to provide Zoomย access for this Sunday’s session, as our tech support (Juliane) cannot attend. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
