Tag: Breda Fay

Recap: Knit + Stitch 2025

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Editor’s Note: Earlier in the autumn, the Knit + Stitch organisers donated three pairs of Giveaway tickets to our followers. The recipients did not need to write a blog post, but we genuinely appreciate that longtime member Breda Fay has written one for us!

By Breda Fay

Thank you, Feltmakers Ireland, for the prize of two tickets to Knit & Stitch. I combined the visit with a two-night stay in Moira, County Down.

I was barely in the door of the Eikon Exhibition Centre when I met two of our guild members, Helene and Annika – it was lovely to share a coffee and a chat to catch up on our busy lives. Coincidentally, we had chosen the same workshop.

Breda’s Samples from her Workshops

Textured Embroidery Workshop
Singleton Buttons Workshop
Stumpwork Leaf Embroidery Workshop

I attended three very interesting workshops:

  • Introduction to Textured Embroidery with Ruth Hughes – https://wildfloss.co.uk/
  • The craft of making Singleton Buttons with Kat Moleswort (and hearing their interesting history)
  • Stumpwork Leaf Embroidery with Alice Cummins – https://www.bealice.ie/

It was surprising that there was so little about feltmaking. Sandra Coote from Crafts of Ireland seemed to be the only one flying the flag for felt with her lovely display of needlefelting. Feltmakers Ireland always had a stand when Knit + Stitch was at the RDS in Dublin*.

However, it was still very easy to spend money, and I came away with ribbons, threads, fabric, and some books on quilts and the gallery artists.

Quilt Displays

Craftivism for Palestine Quilt
SEFF Memorial Quilts

I found the two quilt displays very emotive- The Craftivism for Palestine Quilt project, a 32-country project to raise awareness of the death of children in Gaza, and the SEFF Memorial Quilts display commemorating death in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Textile Galleries

There were only three textile art galleries this year:

Each one was inspiring, and each artist was available to discuss her works and inspiration.

The Live Stage provided demos and talks throughout the days. I just needed a sit-down and was lucky enough to hear Anouk O’Connell of Ollanmor speak about Landscape Weaving.

I enjoyed my two days away, spent more money than I intended, but had the opportunity to try some new crafts.

From the editor: Thank you, Breda, for sharing your experiences at the Knit + Stitch Show in Lisburn, United Kingdom. It is wonderful to experience a taste of the show!

* Editor’s Note: Last year, when the event took place in Belfast, Feltmakers Ireland, Feltmakers North, and the International Feltmakers Association staffed a booth generously provided by Knit + Stitch. Because coordinating the staffing was a significant undertaking for our organiser, Jane Fox—who is a member of all three guilds—we decided not to take on a similar commitment for the 2025 show. But we can certainly think about participating next year.

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.

Exhibition: Symbols of Ireland Opens this Sunday – Plus 2 Sneak Peeks

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Poster for Feltmakers Ireland's group exhibition 'Symbols of Ireland' - Artwork a green felted Brigid's Cross by member Jane Fox.

Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition opens this Sunday! We are thrilled to announce that Sabina Higgins will officially launch the event at 3 PM.

For this year’s exhibition theme, ‘Symbols of Ireland’, we invited members to explore and interpret it in their own unique way. The exhibition showcases a diverse and inspiring collection of wall art, sculptures, and wearable pieces—all crafted from sheep’s wool. The works feature a variety of felting techniques, including wet felting, needle felting, and even combinations of both, highlighting the creativity and skill of our members.

We are especially delighted to see a growing use of Irish wool, a cause close to our hearts. In fact, our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, was born from our passion for this remarkable sustainable material.

To whet your appetite for the exhibition, we continue on sharing some Sneak Peeks!

Sneak Peeks

A close-up of Anne Heavey‘s piece – ‘Fadó Fadó’

Anne was inspired by the following:

“A look back into Ireland’s past through the eyes of the Dolmen. Ancient structures that date back to the Neolithic period, 4000 BC to 2500 BC. This ancient symbol represents the history of the Irish people emerging from hunter-gatherers to a more permanent settled life. Agriculture and the domestication of animals emerged, along with the construction of these dolmens, mostly used as burial tombs, while others were part of a territorial marker.
Under 200 dolmens remain dotted around Ireland, and were immersed into Irish mythological stories and folklore, such as Diarmuid and Grainne’s bed, whereas others are associated with graves of famous giants or warriors such as the Finna and Fionn Mac Cunhall.

The most famous and photographed is the Poulnabrone, Burren Co Clare; the largest is Brownshill, Co Carlow. These structures were usually erected with tall portal stones in the front and two at the back, with a large capstone resting at an angle on the portal stones. In ancient times, cairns would have been erected in front of the entrance, but now have been scattered over time. A picture at the Burren with my mom inspired me to use this symbol.”

Find Anne on Instagram: @ainenanknits

A close-up of the piece by Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Round Tower’


Helena was inspired by the following:

“I live in the village with the oldest Round Tower in Ireland.
A visitors centre has been built on the grounds just behind the tower.
It has a lovely garden and a house showcasing the area’s history.
It is in the village of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. It is well worth a visit.”

A link to the Clondalkin Tower Visitor’s Centre website provides additional information – https://www.dublinsoutdoors.ie/round-tower-clondalkin-village/

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.

Exhibition: Symbols of Ireland – Opens in Less than a Week

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
A sneak peek of Breda Fay’s ‘Anois Teacht an Earraigh  / It’s springtime‘

Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition will open in less than a week, and we are so excited. There are almost 50 pieces of artwork (47, to be precise) from our members.

The theme of this year’s show is ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Guild member Breda Fay has created her piece inspired by Brigid’s Crosses, which are traditionally made from rush materials.

Here is her inspiration:

“The feast of Brigid is an important date in my calendar, not just because she’s my namesake but because February 1st, her Feast Day, heralds the beginning of Springtime with lengthening brighter days. For as long as I can remember, I have made Brigid’s Crosses from rushes gathered the day before, and one has hung in a prominent place in my home”. – Breda Fay

 The exhibition opens on Sunday, the 2nd of March at 3 PM. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the show. {For those living outside of Ireland, Mrs Higgins is the spouse of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins}.

The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Currently, the Visitor Centre – and hence the Gallery – is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If Centre staff become available, we may be able to open the exhibition on these days. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for further updates. 

@feltmakers_ireland

https://www.facebook.com/feltmakersireland

*Provisional upon her schedule.

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: Knitting and Stitching Show 2023 – Part 3

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Last November, several members from Feltmakers Ireland attended The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate, UK. This is our third and final installation by long-time guild member Breda Fay. For information about this year’s event, visit the Show’s website – https://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate/

By Breda Fay

Visiting Harrowgate – Knitting and Stitching Show

My November outing to Knitting and Stitching Show 2023 in Harrogate (second year) was really enjoyable. I stayed at The Crown Hotel, very close to the exhibition centre.

A drawing of the Crown Hotel in Harrogate.

Lots of highlights – the company was great. Just like last year, it was lovely to sample life in an English town for a day or two – the retail therapy was great, especially in the Vintage shops! And well done to those who chose our restaurants – the fare was delicious and so different. I even got to Betty’s for my breakie on the last day – always a treat in Harrogate.

WW1 Memorial with poppies in Harrogate.


Exhibitions Seen

I thought the standard of the exhibitions this year was far superior to last year – or maybe they just appealed to me more – the one on Domestic Violence was particularly evocative: touching and emotive messages embroidered on everyday cleaning cloths/dusters. The ‘Women & Domesticity – What’s your Perspective?’ is a collaborative arts project, started by artist and academic Vanessa Marr in 2014. The collection is growing and is currently over 700 dusters.

More info on the Duster Project here – https://domesticdusters.wordpress.com/about-this-project/

The Embroidery Guild, as usual, had a wonderful display of both skill and creativity within their craft. The Quilt exhibition again was a display of their members’ interpretations of many current issues.

Work from the Embroidery Guild

This year I intended to be very disciplined about my spending! – I had a list of items I definitely wanted to buy – attachments for my sewing machine, some Wensleydale curly locks and fabric scraps. I certainly bought more than that but was pleased with my ability to say NO.

I was not as happy this year with the range of the workshops and certainly planned to limit the number – last year I ran from one to the next with little time to catch my breath. So I chose 2 workshops.

Classes Attended

Machine embroidery – with Tyvek: It was the machine embroidery aspect that attracted me to this workshop. Unfortunately the emphasis was on tyvek – an iron on fabric which reacts to heat. It was interesting, but the limited availability of irons meant long times queueing. I’m not sure I’ll ever use it. I did get to try out machine embroidery; but actually learned more from a fellow student than from the facilitator.

Someone else’s Tyvek leaf as Breda’s got crushed in her luggage on the return journey.


Embroidery Techniques: A recently graduated embroidery student delivered this workshop – embroidering a Luna Moth using four basic stitches. The tutor was very well prepared this time, but I don’t think she factored in the different skill sets of the group. About halfway through the workshop she admitted that we would not complete the project, but she would show us the stitches – stem stitch and backstitch which I already knew. But it was great to see how finely she worked; goldwork and Turkish Rug Knot, which I’d never heard of. Luckily, we were given a wonderful little manual with which I was able to complete my Moth at home.

Butterfly from Breda’s embroidery class.


I think we in Feltmakers Ireland do very well in choosing well-prepared tutors with teaching skills.

Thank you, Breda for sharing your experiences at The Knitting and Stitching Show 2023 in Harrogate.

If you are a Feltmakers Ireland Guild member and have recently attended an interesting textile-related event or exhibition that may be of interest to our readers, please contact the blog – feltmakersie@gmail.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.

Of Interest: Breda Fay Learns with Members of Feltmakers North

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Recently, former Feltmakers Ireland chairperson Breda Fay got together with some people in the felting community of Feltmakers North, a feltmaking organisation based in Hillsborough with around 40 members from Northern Ireland. Note: This meeting wasn’t an official Feltmakers North session.

By Breda Fay

Great day felting in Donaghadee, in Co Down, with a few members of of the Northern Ireland felting community and Mandy Nash (former chair of the International Feltmakers Association), Dympna Curran from Feltmakers North, Jane McCann, who gave us her kitchen and dining room, and three new but enthusiastic felters from Ards Peninsula.

It was my first time doing “inside out” nuno felting…. so it was a new skill and wonderful company. The weather was very changeable, but still clear enough to look over at Scotland!

Apologies: An earlier edition of this article incorrectly included Jane Fox instead of Jane McCann.

Editor’s Note: If you are a member and have taken a felting class or have other news of interest, please email feltmakersie@gmail.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.

Exhibition: Inspiration Behind More Artworks

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland7 Comments

Feltmakers Ireland’s art exhibition at the Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre is curated around the ‘Opposites Attract’ theme this year. In the gallery, you can read about each piece’s inspiration. For those who cannot make it to the show, here are the inspiration and photographs of some more of our members’ artwork.

The Series

The complete series of posts on our Members’ Inspiration can be found here:

  1. Includes: Sandra Reynolds, Sandra Coote, Patricia Conroy, Hélène Dooley, Maria Mc Garry, and Audry Murray.
  2. Includes: Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann, Breda Fay, Lory Cotti Cottini, Neasa Ryan, Ramona Farrelly, and Ursula Heiting-Wiese.
  3. Includes: Heather Byrne, Tamzen Lundy, Bernie Hennessy, Adrienne Dempsey, and Joanne Turner.
  4. Includes: Claire Merry, Caitríona Nolan, Margaret Ryan Collins, Caoimhe Tuthill, and Fiona Leech.
  5. Includes: Jane Fox, Elizabeth Redding, Joanne Foley, Sandra Chase, and Loli Cox.
  6. Includes: Valerie Nowak-O’Ceallaigh, Helena Mc Guinness, Eithne O’Dea, Eva Salamon, and Juliane Gorman.
  7. Includes: Irina Lampadova, Karena Ryan, Annika Berglund, Marie Dunne, Elaine Peden, and Marika Miklosi Manning.

Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann

Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann – ‘Roulette’

The inspiration for the vessel ‘Roulette’ comes from the overthrow of nature with its diversity.

Light, Movement, Smells and Sounds play a major role in the development and implementation of my ideas!

There is so much to see and explore; you just have to look out for it. Enjoy discovering my vessels!

Breda Fay

Breda Fay – ‘Attraction isn’t always black and white’

I liked the balance of black and white. The magnetism was added after playing a game with my grandson. Does it attract/repel?

Lory Cotti Cottini

Lory Cotti Cottini – ‘Shades of Light Dark’

Separation/Union, Fragments/Whole form, in between Emotions and Shades, create my artistic works.

Neasa Ryan

Neasa Ryan -‘Moondance’

For ‘Moondance’, dark alien-like figures/faces sprung to mind, however as the piece evolved, with the addition of curved stems slightly revealing the dark colour underneath, I felt it provided a slightly softer feel to the piece, and it reminded me of gaunt alien type flowers or emaciated alien forms. Either way, with the cloudy white background, the Van Morrison song ‘Moondance’ sprung to mind, and I felt it was an apt name for the piece. In such an inhospitable environment, devoid of life as we know it, what could be more opposite (yet attractive) than flowers on the moon or flowers /alien forms dancing harmoniously on the moonscape for that matter?

Ramona Farrelly

Ramona Farrelly – ‘Ebb and flow’

‘Ebb and flow’ is a childhood memory of climbing in and around the rock pools at various beaches I spent my summers with my cousins on the east coast shores of Dublin and Wicklow. The creatures living on these rocks and in these pools fascinated me. Half in water, half out, the water changes their environment and how they look. The limpets clinging tightly to the rocks, as well as the sea urchins, took up lots of my childhood curiosity.

Ursula Heiting-Wiese

Ursula Heiting-Wiese – ‘Salt and Pepper Scarf’

The combination of soft silk and (considerably) rough wool that transforms into something completely new with Nuno felting is the perfect interpretation of the theme for me. To emphasise the opposites further, I chose black and white and open and closed parts with a ‘holey’ scarf.

We hope that you enjoyed learning about what inspires these artists. This series on the exhibition will continue over the coming weeks. ‘Opposites Attract’ is at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre until the 26th of May.

The gallery is open from 10 AM until 4 PM daily.

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.

Exhibition: Photos from ‘Opposites Attract’

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

On Saturday, the 4th of May, Feltmakers Ireland opened their group art exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract,’ at the Phonix Park Visitors’ Centre. Friends, family, and other supporters kindly came to cheer us on!

A Few Photos from the Gallery

Above photos by Fiona Leech

Tom Watts from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (the DCCI) inaugurated our opening by speaking about the importance of wool as a sustainable material and how craft and design are interwoven. He added that he was impressed with the qualities, techniques, and ideas of the exhibited pieces.

Tom Watts spoke at the opening.

Interestingly, he wore a pair of vintage Nike Air Footscape Woven Trainers that contained felt!

Members Alongside Their Work

Our trusty photographer was busy chatting with other members, so she only managed to snap some of our members alongside their work.

  • Annika Berglund
  • Breda Fay
  • Elizabeth Redding
  • Eva Salamon
  • Caitriona Nolan
  • Juliane Gorman
  • Lory Cotti Cottini
  • Sandra Chase
  • Marie Dunne
  • Tamzen Lundy
  • Loli Cox
  • Neasa Ryan
  • Eithne O’Dea
  • Maria McGarry
  • Ramona Farrelly
  • Valerie Nowak-O’ceallaigh
  • Adrienne Dempsey
  • Helena Mc Guinness

Videos of the Work

A short video of the opening is on the Guild’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels.

A longer video of each artist’s work is here on YouTube.

Members’ Inspiration

There is a series of seven blog posts about each artist’s inspiration.

  1. Includes: Sandra Reynolds, Sandra Coote, Patricia Conroy, Hélène Dooley, Maria Mc Garry, and Audry Murray.
  2. Includes: Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann, Breda Fay, Lory Cotti Cottini, Neasa Ryan, Ramona Farrelly, and Ursula Heiting-Wiese.
  3. Includes: Heather Byrne, Tamzen Lundy, Bernie Hennessy, Adrienne Dempsey, and Joanne Turner.
  4. Includes: Claire Merry, Caitríona Nolan, Margaret Ryan Collins, Caoimhe Tuthill, and Fiona Leech.
  5. Includes: Jane Fox, Elizabeth Redding, Joanne Foley, Sandra Chase, and Loli Cox.
  6. Includes: Valerie Nowak-O’Ceallaigh, Helena Mc Guinness, Eithne O’Dea, Eva Salamon, and Juliane Gorman.
  7. Includes: Irina Lampadova, Karena Ryan, Annika Berglund, Marie Dunne, Elaine Peden, and Marika Miklosi Manning.

The Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre Gallery was open seven days a week, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Each day, a member volunteered her time to share the wonder of feltmaking and chat with the visitors. Over a thousand people visited our show!

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.

Exhibition: ‘Opposites Attract’ Update and Countdown with Sneak Peeks

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Update:

Feltmakers Ireland has recently learned that the Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre is not open on Mondays or Tuesdays. However, visitors can visit the guild’s exhibition the rest of the week, from Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 AM until 4 PM.

Our opening ceremony will be at 3 PM on Saturday, the 4th of May. Tom Watts of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) will officially open our exhibition with a brief speech.

Feltmakers Ireland’s annual exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract,’ features 38 pieces from our members. The artworks range from naturalistic landscapes to abstract pieces, from wearables to wall art. Here are seven ‘sneak peeks’ from our members to whet your appetite!

Sneak Peeks:

  • Irina Lampadova
  • Ursula Heiting-Wiese
  • Neasa Ryan
  • Breda Fay
  • Bernie Hennessy
  • Audrey Murray
  • Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann

We will share glimpses of other members’ artworks tomorrow! Only four more days until Saturday!

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 - Sunday Session

Recap: Mind Mapping from the Sunday Session

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

Guild member Breda Fay kindly stepped in to help his past Sunday when our scheduled speaker became ill. Breda spoke to the audience about how we could generate ideas and inspiration to create artwork, whether for our upcoming exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract’ or other shows.

By Breda Fay

Great meeting you all on Sunday, and thanks for your participation. Here’s a short summary of what we did and also the bits I ran out of time to suggest. Unfortunately, I missed Deirdre Crofts’s last presentation on Mind Mapping in 2023, but I have done it with her as part of a Design Course as part of adult education for teachers.

Brainstorming = more random ideas, whereas Mind Mapping = (for me) is a way of growing ideas and relationships, giving new and broader insights, connecting surprising links, AND keeping some order in my thoughts.

It’s great to use with kids – they love the spider web effect.

Opposites Attract Mind Map


What I Do

  1. Write down the title.
    For each of the following, draw a line (I put each group in a box – it helps to keep my ideas somewhat organized!)
  2. Write down anything that the title brings to your mind.
  3. If nothing comes to mind, look up synonyms and antonyms in the dictionary.
  4. Google some categories –
    Literature. I find Emily Dickinson and Rumi to be quite good. – Google their quotes and poems – “Rumi attraction”.
  • The Bible, especially the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs.
  • Kids’ poems and stories.
  • Famous quotes can also inspire.
  • I’m a bit of a Gaeilgeoir (Irish speaker), so I might do some of this in Irish.
  • Artists
  • TV, Films
  • Songs
  • Common Phrases
  1. Some words or ideas will spark your own memory – write them down.
  2. Sometimes, a browse through IMAGES on Google or in magazines
    Cut them out and add them to my mind map – this is kind of veering into Mood Boards.

Some Rumi Quotes – https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/875661.Rumi_Jalal_ad_Din_Muhammad_ar_Rumi_

  1. “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. …”
  2. “The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. …”
  3. “Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees. …”
  4. “Grief can be the garden of compassion.”

Some Emily Dickenson Quotes – https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7440.Emily_Dickinson

  1. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.”
  2. “I dwell in possibility.”
  3. “Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.”
  4. “That it will never come again is what makes life sweet.”
  5. “They might not need me; but they might. I’ll let my head be just in sight; a smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity.”
  6. “To love is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”
  7. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”
  8. “The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”
  9. “To make a prairie, it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And reverie. The reverie alone will do, If bees are few.”
  10. “Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.”
  11. “A wounded deer leaps the highest.”
  12. “The brain is wider than the sky.”
  13. “Forever is composed of nows.”
  14. “Finite to fail, but infinite to venture.”

Editor’s notes: Thank you Breda for so kindly helping Feltmakers Ireland with your presentation on Mind Mapping! Keep up with Breda via her blog – https://bredafay.com/ or her Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fay.breda/

In addition to doing Mind Mapping on paper (or underflooring resist – apologies to Breda for that last-minute substrate), several free desktop and phone apps are available online. Miro.com seems to have an easy-to-use interface!

Remember, your submission for ‘Opposites Attract’ is due by the 19th of April. For more information, visit our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/annual-guild-exhibition-submission/

Recap: Pebble Shoulder Bag Course

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Breda Fay’s felted purse was created in Aniko Boro’s/Baribon.HU’s online course.

Guest Post by Feltmakers Ireland member Breda Fay.

Pebble Shoulder Bag Workshop with Anikó (Baribon.hu)

Anikó’s Boros course, creating a felted Pebble Shoulder Bag, was designed to take place on the Zoom platform over two days (five hours daily). The learning goals were to make a small bag with a flap top and a closure with an enclosed pebble, to use organza as a surface decoration, and to dye the bag to create a gradient or ombre effect. The “enclosed pebble” is almost a trademark of the Baribon experience, and in this case, it would provide the weight for the bag flap to stay closed.

A list of materials and a clear and well-illustrated step-by-step PDF of the instructions were sent to all students in advance so that they had time to be prepared. There were also suggestions on colour choice, pebble size and weight, and dyeing. While my preferred option was to work alongside Anikó during the live Zoom meeting, there was also an option to receive the recorded material and work at your own time and pace.

Having previously done three courses with Aniko, I was well aware of the teaching competencies of the Baribon Community – Anikó, who is the tutor; Andrea, her wonderful humorous hostess/translator; and her hubby and son, who are in charge of the IT.


Day 1

After a short introduction, including technical info and a general description of the process, we started cutting out the template for the bag and the pebble closure from resist material, cutting the pattern for the embellishment, and then the fabric itself. Some participants could not find the needed embellishment fabric and instead substituted other fabric. Then, we proceeded to lay out the complex arrangement of fibres and wet them down, following along with Anikó’s instructions.


DAY 2

On the second day, we finished felting the bag and proceeded to fulling and shrinking. Anikó is a believer in being thorough and having no shortcuts. So hot water and vigorous rubbing were very much reserved only for the final shrinking process. Our bag was complete, rinsed and stuffed to dry before our coffee break.

The dyeing process began after the break. I used Leiko Uchiyama’s hand-dyed merino and silk for my outer layer of fibre and consequently did not want to dye. However, the dyeing provided a better gradient of colours in a much easier way than laying out fibres.

We then created the cord. I was delighted to achieve a wrinkle-free, strong cord – but it took well over an hour of felting, fulling and shrinking.

We all showed our work at the end and had a chat about what we had learned. There was also a raffle among the participants for a Baribon piece of jewellery.

What I Liked and Learned:

  • There was a second template of a small phone bag for those who wanted to work on a smaller scale.
  • Opportunity to ask questions and present your work during the course.
  • Loved the sheen and exciting surface of the embellishment fabric; it is similar to wood bark. But it did take work to get it incorporated – I can’t wait to try it again!
  • Opportunity to ask questions throughout the presentation and chat with participants during the breaks.
  • An opportunity to join a Facebook page to see the work of all – and for any further queries.

To learn more about Anikó Boros – Baribon.hu’s workshops, please visit her website. https://baribon.hu/workshops/

Editor’s Note: We recommend signing up for the email newsletters of instructors that you are interested in. That way, you are informed of upcoming courses.

Editor: Thank you, Breda, for your interesting article about your experiences with the Pebble Bag Workshop. If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and want to share your educational experiences with our readers, please email feltmakersie@gmail.com