Tag: Bloom

Recap: Feltmakers Ireland at Bloom 2025

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Collage by Loli Cox.

On Sunday, the 1st, and Monday, the 2nd of June, 17 volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland generously shared their love of the magic of feltmaking with the public at Bord Bia Bloom, an enormous, five-day festival in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, which focuses on gardening and sustainability.

Our booth at the DCCI’s Irish Craft Village.

This year, we were in a new-to-us location within the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s (DCCI) Irish Craft Village – in the special Demonstration Area – just like the Irish Woodturners’ Guild. This meant we were in a three-sided booth with more area to display and demonstrate.

After seeing helpful photos of how the Irish Patchwork Society inspiringly shared their craft on Friday, we slightly pivoted and emphasised more hands-on felting opportunities with the public. This proved immensely popular!

Young Hands Busy at Work

Several volunteers patiently guided our visitors in creating their own wet felting snakes, balls, flowers, and pictures! We probably should have counted ALL the young people who got to experience feltmaking. (Next time we will). There were a lot.

The last image of hands shows a charming Sheep Purse that one of our young visitors had made!

What Wool Can Do

Loli showed how needlefelting can be two or three-dimensional. In the foreground are fibre samples from sheep raised in Ireland from our Wool Book – ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. We had several visitors who either grew up on farms or currently raise sheep, look for their breeds of sheep in our book! The orange-coloured wool was dyed with onion skins, while the blue and green samples were dyed with ‘acid’ dyes.

Our Volunteers

Our members donated time from their Bank Holiday Weekend to share their love of felting with the visitors at Bloom. Along with displaying their felted work, many wore felted items: earrings, brooches, necklaces, headwear, and even a jacket!

Irina and Evija
Marian showed children how to make felted snakes.
Siobhan instructing
Clodagh and Siobhan chatting with visitors
Karen wet felting a flower.
Fiona managing the wind from removing her fibres.
Denise walked amongst the crowd and talked about the Guild and Feltmaking. In the foreground is Margaret’s suitcase of fibre.
Jane demonstrated wet felting and Alison demonstrated needle felting
Ramona instructing a young person.
Margaret separating roving.
Elaine and her ‘flower factory’ of students.
Lorna demonstrated how felt can be used to create flowers and Sandra needlefelted a city landscape using a Foxford blanket. as a base.

Many thanks to our volunteers who made our event an inspiring and interactive destination to visit at Bloom: Evija, Irina, Marian, Siobhan, Clodagh, Karen, Fiona, Denise, Jane, Alison, Ramona, Margaret, Elaine, Sandra, and Lorna. Special thanks to Loli and Juliane for organising.

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: Feltmakers Ireland will be at Bord Bia Bloom – DCCI’s Irish Craft Village – Area 26

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

On Sunday, the 1st of June and Monday, the 2nd of June, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate wet and needlefelting at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s Irish Craft Village, at Bord Bia Bloom in Phoenix Park. We will be in the central pavilion within Area 26, near the Conservation Area. Our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, will also be for sale, along with some of our members’ works. Come by and say, ‘Hello’!

Here is a link that shows the schedule of all the guilds that are demonstrating – https://www.dcci.ie/events/dcci-irish-craft-village-demonstrations

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Caoimhe Tuthill (Boann Irish Felt) will display her felted work at the MeathMade booth, Grand Pavilion stand G117.

This June bank holiday weekend (Thursday, May 29th– Monday, June 2nd, 2025), Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s most unique gardening, food, and sustainable living festival,
returns for its 19th year.

Filled with colour and creativity, the event heralds the start of summer with a dazzling display of glorious gardens, fabulous food, and enthralling entertainment to entice visitors of all ages.

Spanning a 70-acre site in Dublin’s leafy Phoenix Park, Bord Bia Bloom is one of the country’s largest outdoor experiences, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. This year, visitors can soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of summer over five buzzing days packed with live entertainment, talks, interactive workshops, dining, shopping, and so much more.

Bord Bia Bloom offers abundant opportunities to grow, taste, and learn. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster, and two children can go free with each adult ticket purchased.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.bordbiabloom.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.

Recap: Feltmakers Ireland at Bloom 2024

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

By Bloom co-coordinator, Maria Mc Garry

Over the June Bank holiday, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland spent two days at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Irish Craft Village within Bord Bia’s Bloom 2024 in Phonix Park. Our volunteers shared the wonders of transforming fluff into felt.

Irish Craft Village Sign – Photo by Sam Fagan

Most of all, Feltmakers Ireland wants to thank the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) for giving us such an excellent marquee and display opportunity in the Craft’s Demonstration Booth at Bloom. We especially want to thank Geraldine Gray (of the DCCI ) and her sister Catherine for their support, helpfulness, and friendship on-site over the two days.

The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Irish Craft Village – Photo by Sam Fagan

Our Booth

The public enjoyed watching volunteers show how to wet felt and needle-felt.

The photo on the left is early in the day – Photo by Loli Cox. The one on the right shows how popular our booth was – Photo by Sam Fagan.

Day 1

Annika Berglund showcased her project on the felting properties of wool from the various breeds of sheep in Ireland as part of Feltmakers Ireland’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking‘. You can purchase this book via our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/exploring-irish-wool-for-feltmaking/

  • Annika with samples of Irish Wool Breeds – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
  • Irish Wool Breed Felted Samples – Photo by Sam Fagan

Annika’s 3D fish and butterflies attracted much interest, as did other artworks on display.

  • Fishes and Butterfhly – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
  • 3D Butterflies by Annika Berglund – Photo by Sam Fagan
  • Hélène Dooley’s spiral in the foregraound.
  • A busy booth – Photo by Hélène Dooley

Tamzen Lundy demonstrated wet feltmaking by creating a Mr Fantastic Fox. Her cute, wee-felted animals on display are terrific. You can find her work at Tamzen Lundy Designs.

Tamzen promoting wet feltmaking. (See below)

  • Tamzen demonstrating
  • Tamzen chatting with the public – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Marian Fagan demonstrated needle felting and how she makes puppets of the various characters in children’s books for her granddaughter as they share the joy of reading. (See photo below).

Marian demonstrating feltmaking – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Loli Cox, Marian, and Annika were busy demonstrating.

Loli, Marian, and Annika talking with the public – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

In the afternoon, Joanne Foley (in the yellow dress) demonstrated the process of creating her animal portraits. (See photograph below).

More sharing of feltmaking at Bloom – Joanne Foley, Lorna Cady, Margaret Ryan Collings, and Annika Berglund – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Guild member Caoimhe Tuthill of Boann Irish Felt exhibited her beautiful work in the main pavilion with MeathMade. (See below).

Caoimhe Tuthill at the MeathMade Booth – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Day 2

Saturday was busy, and Hélène Dooley started us off by demonstrating wet felting flowers and displaying her felted vessels. The red-coloured, hanging felted spiral is from an online class she teaches at the Felting and Fiber Studio. (See photo below).

Helene demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Hélène demonstrated and answered curious questions.

Hélène, Lory Cotti Cottini, and Annika demonstrating, below. Annika promoted Feltmakers Ireland and encouraged the interested public to become members of the guild.

Helene, Lory, and Annika sharing the wonders of feltmaking – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Siobhan Ryan, Sam Fagan, Elaine Peden, and Annika at Bloom.

Siobhan, Sam, Elaine, and Annika demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Elaine Peden demonstrating felted flowers. (Below)

Elain Peden demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Elaine and Annika share feltmaking with the public. (Below).

Elaine and Annika – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Siobhan demonstrates her unique artwork.

Siobhan demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry

Valerie Nowak O’Ceallaigh shared her needle-felted horse portrait.

Photo by Valerie

Conclusion

Many thanks to Maria Mc Garry and Annika Berglund for coordinating this year’s Feltmakers Ireland booth at Bloom! Also, thanks to all the members, who also volunteered their time during the busy bank holiday weekend.

Elaine, Annika, and Maria pictured – Photo by Sam Fagan


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.

Event: Feltmakers Ireland will be at Bloom 2024

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be demonstrating wet and needlefelting at Bloom 2024. Stop by and say ‘hello’, see the magic of feltmaking, learn about our Wool Project, and purchase our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’.

Where: We will be in the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s ‘Irish Craft Village’ in the YELLOW section, area 26, in the GANS Crafts Demonstration booth.

When: The Guild will be in the booth on Friday, the 31st of May, and Saturday, the 1st of June, from 11 AM to 5 PM. (Bloom runs from the 30th of May to the 3rd of June).

Note: we will be closer to the Red Car Park.

There will be free shuttle buses from Heuston Station.

For more information, visit Bloom’s website – https://www.bordbiabloom.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.

Opportunity: Irish Craft Village at Bloom

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Applications are now open for the Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Irish Craft Village at the Bord Bia Bloom 2024. Each year, exhibitors are selected to illustrate Ireland’s wide variety of craft and design.

Bord Bia Bloom will take place from the 30th of May through the 3rd of June. The event celebrates its 18th birthday in 2024 and is Ireland’s largest garden festival. It runs for five days during the June bank holiday weekend each year in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

The deadline for applications is Friday, the 12th April.

For more information, visit the DCCI’s website – https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/bord-bia-bloom/

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.

Recap: Second Day at Bloom

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

We had a perfect day at BLOOM yesterday!

As usual, we parked miles away from our stand in the DCCI’s Irish Craft Village, which was right in the middle of the festival. But thanks to Marian for lending a special, large-wheel cart, we only had one journey from the car.

The ladies who did the morning session finished in time for us to set up for our stint from 2-5 PM. Feltmakers Ireland committee head, Deirdre Carroll, is an amazing helper! She put up my many poster samples of Nuno Felting on the walls – that was the topic for my demonstration!

Nunofelting Samples

I chose to create a beret as I had a few of them to show off, and besides, our table layout area was small. I brought a few wraps to show as there were two mannikins. In addition, Juliane’s hats, our book sales section, and the number of us there occupied much of the allotted area.

Clare Brophy demonstrating.

Seeing some visitors purchase our book – ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ was gratifying, and there was huge interest in what Adrienne and I were making.

Annika Berglund discussing Irish Wool for Feltmaking.

Adrienne made small flowers— perfect for the space. She was a genius at luring in the children, when their mums or dads were interested in what I was doing. She had an amazing quiet way of getting the kids to join in by inviting them to add their favourite colours and manipulate the fibres into felt. They loved it! Future Feltmakers in the making!

Adrienne Dempsey demonstrated feltmaking with some children.

Somewhere along the way, I realised I had left my lovely cut-out Margilan silk beret circles at home on my kitchen table, so Nuno was not to be, but a wool-only beret! I gradually laid out the fibre, chatting away to the visitors, slowly wet it down, still chatting! Added Tussah silk for embellishment, while answering questions and explaining the process, each time to new groups. I turned it over and slowly laid the reverse side, explaining all about resists.

The very interested visitors came from everywhere! At least three or four groups were from Newry, Antrim, and Belfast. Another group from Tralee made it a two-day trip to Dublin. Many were from Louth, Kildare, and the Midlands. I was quite surprised and delighted to find younger people, often couples, with the gentleman just as interested in the process as the lady.

I spoke to many about our research project —our book— but personally didn’t manage any sales!

After a solid three hours in the heat and the crowds, I was tired but very happy with how the day went.

While dismantling the stand from Feltmakers in preparation for the next Guild tomorrow (The Irish Patchwork Society), I had a great chat with Catherine Gray, the DCCI’s coordinator at BLOOM. She and I share the same love for our Roscommon/Leitrim haven and even share some friends and acquaintances. Her textile landscapes are displayed at the Leitrim Design House in Carrick-On-Shannon, which I regularly visit. She is a most supportive DCCI person!

Thank you, Feltmakers Ireland, for accepting the invitation and giving us this great exposure to the broader public. Hopefully, we may get more members out of it.

Particular thanks to Deirdre Carroll, Adrienne Dempsey, Juliane Gorman, Annika Berglund, and Deirdre Crofts, who made this a special day

Clare Brophy
June2023

Editor’s note: Thank you also to the following Feltmakers Ireland members who volunteered at other shifts on our rota: Elaine Peden, Lorna Cady, Marian Fagen, Tamzen Lundy, Claire Merry, Marie Dunne, and Fiona Leech.

A Gallery of photographs of almost all of the members who volunteered during our two days at Bloom.

Annika, Claire, and Tamzen
Fiona
Juliane
Marie and Fiona
Tamzen and the booth
Another angle
Claire’s Dress and Juliane’s Hats
Annika and Claire’s work
Adrienne demonstrating
Annika speaking about the book
Annika and Elaine
Annika, Elaine, and Lorna
Claire and Deirdre
Back view of the booth
A full booth
Marian helping out
Nuno felt examples
Nuno felt examples
Nuno felt examples

Photographs by Juliane Gorman

News: Feltmakers Ireland will be at Bloom

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

This Friday and Saturday (the 2nd and 3rd of June, 2023), Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate various feltmaking techniques. We will be sharing at Bloom from 11 AM to 5 PM on these two days. (The event runs from the 1st through the 5th of June).

Photo from a previous Bloom

Find us in the Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCI) Irish Craft Village. We will be in

the YELLOW section, area 26. See below.

Map of Bord Bia Bloom 2023

Note: we will be closer to the Red Car Park.

There will be free shuttle buses from Heuston Station.

Need to learn more about Bloom, visit their website – https://www.bordbiabloom.com/

Opportunity: Volunteering at Bloom

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Current members of Feltmakers Ireland are invited to volunteer at our booth at Bloom as part of the DCCI’s GANS demonstration area.

We are scheduled for TWO days: Friday the 2nd of June and Saturday the 3rd.

Members will represent Feltmakers Ireland, our book, Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking. and our 20th anniversary.

  • Please be ready to sell the book and hand out business cards for potential guild members.
  • Please be ready to talk about feltmaking. Demonstrations are welcome!
  • You are welcome to display your own felted works on the walls.
  • If desired, you can sell your felted works.
  • If you have hands-on activities, you can charge for kits.

Volunteer shifts will be for three-hour blocks: from 11 AM to 2 PM and 2 PM to 5 PM.

We will need two demonstrators and one helper per shift.

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your shift in order to have time to set up.

Note: We will not be able to drive to our spot at Bloom. People must transport their work and equipment by foot from the car park. Cars are only allowed during the first and last day of the event. Along with the usual public transport, there will be a free shuttle from Heuston Station to Bloom.

There will be a small stipend to cover costs.

Please only volunteer if you are available.

Contact Juliane at helpingfeltmakersireland@gmail.com

A couple of opportunities (very short time left to apply) Bloom 2022 Craft Village & Timpeallacht.

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Hi Felters,

This is very short notice, but we only received this information today. We are sharing it anyway in case you can take advantage despite the short notice.

Bloom 2022 – Applications Now Open for the Irish Craft Village

 

Applications are now open for Bloom 2022 which takes place in the Pheonix Park, Dublin, from 2nd to 6th June, 2022. The event represents opportunities for craft makers to promote and sell their products to over 100,000 people over 5 days.

Applications close 11th April.

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/bloom-2022-applications-now-open-for-the-irish-craft-village

Applications are invited from artists and practitioners based in Ireland working with locally sourced natural materials to participate in forthcoming exhibition Timpeallacht.

Deadline is 15th April 2022.

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/open-call-for-forthcoming-exhibition-timpeallacht

Good Luck!