Tag: Annual General Meeting

News: Feltmakers Ireland AGM – THIS Sunday

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
A family seated on grass, gently interacting with a lamb. The mother and daughter are smiling and petting the animal, while a man sits beside them. They are dressed in light knitwear, with a scenic landscape in the background.

Feltmakers Ireland will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) THIS Sunday, the 10th of May, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the CIE Sports and Social Hall in Inchicore, Dublin, D08 PA07

We’re delighted to welcome Zoë Daly of Èriu Farm for a special talk on sustainability, heritage, and the future of wool.

Zoë’s journey began with a gift from her grandmother Kitsy: a hand-knitted Merino baby blanket made for Zoë’s newborn daughter. She was struck by its softness, breathability, and comfort, and began asking why a country so rich in sheep farming was not producing beautiful Irish wool products of its own. That question led her to research the decline of Ireland’s wool industry and ultimately to found Èriu.

Today, through Èriu Farm, Zoë and her husband Lionel Mackey champion natural fibres, biodiversity, fair value for farmers, and a fully traceable “Farm to Yarn” approach that reconnects land, craft, and community. Her talk will offer inspiring insights into how wool can play a key role in a more sustainable future.

Agenda

1 .    We will start promptly at 10:45 AM to facilitate our Guest Speaker Zoē Daly of Èriu Farm. 

2 .    Address by the Chair – Deirdre Carroll

3.     Address by the Secretary – Lorna Cady

4.     Treasurer’s Report – Samantha (Sam) Fagan

5.     Motions for AGM- No motions were put forward.

6.     Election of Chair and Committee 2026/2027. Election of other Officers will be held at the June Committee meeting

7.      A Bursary Draw for 250 euros, open to all paid-up members, will take place at the AGM. To be used to partake in a Felting Course, and afterwards, a short recap article with photographs would be much appreciated.

8.      Members will have an opportunity to sell their work at the AGM. Methods of receiving payment, whether cash, credit card, Revolt, or PayPal transactions, will be the seller’s responsibility.

9.      Members will have an opportunity to display and discuss their work with other members. Members will need to bring props to display their items. We will provide 2 table coverings.

10.    Time for refreshments and chat.


Yums

Refreshments will follow. If you could bring a little something, home-baked or not, we’d be delighted.

We always appreciate goodies with our cuppa.

Share Your Work

Members are welcome to bring along a few pieces of their own work to display during the AGM. If you wish to sell or display your work, we will have two tables set up from 10 AM to facilitate the display of artwork and creations. (Please label your work clearly and securely, and please bring it home with you.)

Methods of receiving payment, whether cash, credit card, Revolt, or PayPal transactions, will be the seller’s responsibility.

Zoom Link

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed beforehand on Friday, the 8th. This session will not be recorded.

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.

News: Bursary Awarded to Hilary Delaney – Botanical Printing with Gabrielle Bishop at Mulranny Arts

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

At our 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), guild member Hilary Delaney‘s name was pulled from the hat for the annual bursary to study a textile course of her choice.

As part of the award, bursary recipients share their experiences with the guild via our blog. In the past, those who have shared articles about their educational experiences include: Adrienne Dempsey in 2024, Ramona Farrelly in 2023, and Doris Reinisch in 2021. Editor’s Note: There wasn’t a bursary award in 2022.

Below, Hilary shares her wonderful experience with the three-Day botanical printing workshop, ‘Nature’s Palette’ with Gabrielle Bishop at Mulranny Arts in County Mayo.

Poster for 'Nature's Palette' Contact/Eco Print Workshop with Gabrielle Bishop, May 1st, 2nd & 3rd 2026, featuring images of eco-printed fabric and various plant materials.
Poster advertising the workshop

By Hilary Delaney

I chose the botanical printing course because I was captivated by the colours, textures, and creation of possibilities that leaves and seaweed can bring to cloth and paper. Plants contain their own pigments and structures, and the process of transferring their colours and shapes using mordants and natural dyes really interests me.

Various green leaves arranged on a piece of paper for printing purposes.

As a horticulturist and hobby felter, I find this feels like a natural extension of my practice. Both felting and botanical printing rely on water, pressure, and time to transform raw material. I’m excited by the opportunities to combine them: printing onto silks and fine wools before nuno felting, embedding seaweed silhouettes into vessel forms, or using the subtle leaf shapes on bowls.

The course has opened up new ways for me to capture a sense of place and season in my work — not just through form, but through the actual pigments and patterns of the landscape.

Artistic print created using seaweed collected from local beaches, featuring abstract designs and natural textures.

Tutor Gabrielle Bishop’s ability to facilitate learning was excellent; she created a space where curiosity was encouraged. Her deep knowledge of plants, process, and colour was always present; she gave room for each student to find their own dialogue with the materials.

What stood out most was how she encouraged us to slow down and really see — the vein of a leaf, the way seaweed releases pigment, the shift in tone from steam to cloth. Her guidance was practical, with stories about foraging and folklore, which added interest to the learning process. 

A close-up of printed paper displaying various leaf patterns in natural earthy tones.

This weekend has given me the confidence to carry these techniques into my felting, with a sense of play, exploring different textures and colours.

Future projects I hope to explore based on what I learned in this course. This will include seaweed prints on silk and botanical printing at various times of the year, paired with Nunofelting.

Thank you to Feltmakers Ireland for the bursary.

Close-up of printed fabrics showing botanical patterns in earthy tones.

Hilary studied at Mulranny Arts, The Old Convent, Mallaranny, Co. Mayo, F28 F8N8

For information on Botanical Printing and other creative arts classes on offer, visit the Mulranny Arts website – https://www.mulrannyarts.com/classesworkshops

Their Instagram: @mulrannyarts @gabriellemarybishop

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.