In September, Lena Archbold travelled to Ireland to teach a masterclass to ten Feltmakers Ireland members on creating an ambitious wet-felting project: a reversible tunic.
Lena has written a wonderful post about her experience, with lots of photos, including ones of the students modelling their tunics!
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Group photo of Annika and many of the students at the end of the day.
On Sunday, the 11th of October, 18 students gathered around longtime guild member and artist, Annika Berglund, to explore how to make fine felt. We learned about the importance of using “gentle hands” and how to create “compact versus scrunchy felt”.
The workshop was divided into two parts, with Annika demonstrating each step along the way. In the morning, we created a flat square of black, white and grey felt, learning how careful handling of the wool fibres influences the finished material.
Editor’s favourite takeaway: Feltmaking transforms loose wool fibres into a new material, much like baking transforms butter, flour, sugar and eggs into a cake. Once these transformations have taken place, the original ingredients cannot simply be separated out and returned to their former state.
In the afternoon, students learned how to create a three-dimensional felt piece using a resist. Annika encouraged anyone new to the technique to “have faith” in the process, which is a reassuring reminder that sometimes you need to trust the felting.
The group included longtime members, newer members and even non-members. This mix sparked interesting conversations as students shared their textile interests and experiences.
Annika Demonstrating
Some photos of Annika demonstrating to the students.
The Busy Hall
The room was full of tables arranged in a chevron pattern, and students gathered in twos and threes.
Hands Working
Always nice to have photos of hands working!
Appreciation Time
Many thanks to Annika Berglund for taking the time to share her knowledge and lead the workshop! Additional thanks to the volunteers, Siobhán, Lorna, Irina, Fiona, Helena, Loli, Sam, and Juliane, who helped to set up the room and assist the students. Thank you to everyone who brought yummy treats to share, too!
Lastly, we were delighted that the filmmaking happening simultaneously in the adjacent room had limited impact on our workshop. (We were told there would be a rave scene with loud music!) Thanks again for everyone’s patience as we wove through the maze of interesting rooms to get to the big hall at the back of the CIE Sports Hall.
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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We are again offering this popular technique improvement workshop, ‘Fine Felt’ for beginner and intermediate wet felters. It taught by guild member, artist, and tutor, Annika Berglund, and is recommended before taking our more advanced ‘Basic and Beyond Workshop’.
The course examines “Fine Felting,” which is traditionally desired in the craft of felting.
The class is a repeat of previous years’ Fine Felt Technical Workshops, but students are welcome to retake the workshop if they wish. Non-members are also welcome to register.
The Schedule
The class is composed of two parts: a Square 2D Sample and a Small 3D Vessel.
In the morning, beginner wet feltmakers will learn how to lay out wool using a flat 10-inch template and how to felt, full, and shrink. We will look at colour graduation and shrinkage rates.
During the morning session, more experienced feltmakers can focus on creating a very light, even layout using 10 grams of wool for a 10-inch square. We will look at how to get the densest, finest felt possible while working on creating a perfect square sample with a shrinkage of 30%, 40%, 50% or possibly 60%, depending on our speed of felting.
This may not be how we would do felting on an everyday basis. But this session spent truly concentrating on careful felting should improve our overall felting work.
Note:We will break for lunch. Please bring something to eat as we will only have 30 minutes. Tea and coffee will be provided. Bring a ‘travel mug’ to cut down on paper cup waste, and a baked good to share is always nice.
In the afternoon, we will apply what we learned in the morning to make the finest little vessel possible. We will use a different layout (spokes and wheel), laying out 10 grams of black and white wool around a 20 cm circular resist. The goal will be to create a very thin, fine vessel that is well-felted and sturdy.
Supplies
We will supply ALL wool and materials needed for the workshop.
Please bring TWO towels.
We will have spares, but if you have the following items, please bring them with you:
A bowl
A water sprinkling brauser or similar (optional as we will have spares)
Small sharp scissors
Ruler with inches AND centimetres
When: 10 AM to 4 PM. We will start at 10:00 on the dot as we have much to cover. Please arrive a few minutes early to get settled in.
Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be sharing felting during the festival, and several of our members will be vendors.
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 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.
Via Feltmakers Ireland guild member Hélène Dooley, who is part of the Education Team of the International Feltmakers Association (IFA) and helps to administer their ‘Discovering Feltmaking’ courses.
Registration is now open for the International Feltmakers Association‘s five online felting courses.
Each course commences on 1st October, and they are all fully supported within the virtual classroom by experienced mentors who check in daily to answer questions and provide their support over the two-month duration. Course material is available indefinitely to students who, in addition to their spot in the virtual classroom, also have access to a private group within Facebook.
Students can also purchase fibre packs which are relevant to the course they are taking.
Below is a brief description of each course, with a link to videos and additional information:
Discovering Feltmaking 1 | Basics: Students make a series of samples from different breeds that guide them towards a clear understanding of how feltmaking works. Through sampling and slow felting, they learn about the variety of wool breeds and the different results that can be achieved from felting each one. (link: https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-1/ )
Discovering Feltmaking 2 |Colour: This course gives students the skills to blend their own hues, tints, and shades of wool. It covers essential colour theory, how to card using carding brushes, and students make felt shade swatches for future reference. After this, students explore soft and firm prefelt effects by creating inlay and mosaic design samples. (link: https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-2-2/ )
Discovering Feltmaking 3 | Surfaces and Edges: This course focuses on creating surface texture using non-felting fibres and also making decorative edges in the felt. Students are encouraged throughout to experiment and expand their skills in this important area.(link: https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-3/ )
Discovering Feltmaking 4 | 3D Forms: Answers the questions about how to make felt in 3 dimensions. Students learn how to make seamless felt using a resist. It also covers cutting into felt and shaping the hollow form. And finally, how to adapt a resist to make the felt functional. (link: https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-4/ )
Discovering Feltmaking 5 | Nuno: There’s lots of practical information on the Nuno course, including how to select suitable Nuno felting fabrics, make an effective soapy solution, calculate shrinkage, ‘repair’ non-felting areas, and work with a prefelt recipe. Students also learn three different nuno felting techniques. (link: https://www.feltmakers.com/df5-nuno/ )
Excellence in Feltmaking Award
Students can choose, if they wish, to work towards the Excellence in Feltmaking Award, and each course supports their submission pieces. The following link provides further information on the Award. https://www.feltmakers.com/the-award-excellence-in-feltmaking/
If anyone would like to find out more, they are very welcome to send Hélène an email at dfcoordinator@feltmakers.com
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.
Vanda F Sousa is a member of Feltmakers Ireland and a talented tutor who offers a range of online wet felting courses.
Her upcoming class is ‘Wet Felting Connections – Cords and Chains’, and it focuses on connecting basic felt forms to create more complex shapes.
In the class, students will explore the following:
Rings and chains
Two types of horizontal connections
Vertical connections
The aim of the class is to help felt makers who are still building their foundations, as well as those who have been felting for a while but feel gaps in their foundational knowledge that they don’t know how to fill.
The class is online, with lifetime access.
Vanda is currently offering an Early Bird price of €49 until August 31st. (The regular price is €59).
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 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.
Vivienne Morpeth‘s book, “Nuno Feltmaking: Design, Techniques and Projects for the Creative Maker”, is now available for preordering.
Morpeth is an acclaimed nuno feltmaking tutor and designer with extensive teaching experience. She co-hosted Felt Matters: The Podcast and was a long-standing member of the International Feltmakers Association’s education team.
Preordering books is a way to support authors. Strong preorder numbers prove market demand to publishers, convince bookshops to stock the title on their shelves, and can propel a book onto thebestsellers list.
Note: We have linked to the Amazon Ireland site below, but the book is also available for preorder on the UK site, as well as on the US Amazon and other sites.
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 year, the Textile Culture Haslach‘s summer symposium is centred around the theme “Rethinking Textile Waste.” It explores current issues surrounding overproduction and recycling, questions our approach to fast fashion and production waste, and highlights ideas that view waste as a valuable resource. Several exhibitions and evening events will shed light on different aspects of this broad topic.
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.
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The Colour Field Open Studio Workshop is an opportunity for practising artists to gain new skills in natural dyeing and working with plants and natural colours. Now in its second year, the four-day workshop is a collaborative learning event.
Six artists will be selected to participate in the Open Studio Workshop, which will take place in the context of developing the colour garden and outdoor dye kitchen at Workhouse Union.
The workshop is led by curator and natural dyer Hollie Kearns, with guest tutor Ashleigh Ellis, and is supported by Michelle McMahon and Fiona May.
Deadline for applying: 17th of July, 2026
When: Workshop dates: 20, 21, 22, 23 of August 2026
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.
