By Committee Member Loli Cox
Feltmakers Ireland’s 2025 Season Opener: Name Tag Wet Felting Workshop
What an incredible start to the 2025 season for Feltmakers Ireland! Our recent wet felting workshop, led by the wonderfully talented Jane Fox, was a resounding success, bringing together over 30 enthusiastic participants for a day of creativity, connection, and craft. On behalf of Feltmakers Ireland, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to Jane for making this event truly unforgettable.
The Name Tag Making Workshop was a perfect blend of skill-building and community spirit, with participants ranging from seasoned felters to those just dipping their toes into the craft. Jane’s expertise, patience, and warm, relatable approach created an inviting atmosphere that resonated with everyone. Her ability to guide each participant, regardless of experience level, ensured that everyone left the session not only with newfound skills but also with a sense of accomplishment and joy.
One of the highlights of the day was the creation of personal name tags, each a unique piece of artwork crafted by the participants themselves.
In the workshop, Jane began by explaining and demonstrating how the name tags would be made using two pieces of prefelt. Each student started with a rectangular piece of white prefelt to act as the base. They then chose from colourful pre-felted wool that Jane had kindly prepared beforehand using her drum carder. On top of this, students could add embellishments such as silk, viscose, or even tiny chopped pieces of prefelt to create a confetti-like effect.
Once the decorative layers were arranged, the pieces were wetted down and lightly felted so the fibres began to intermingle and bond.
Cutting Out Letters
After this stage, the colourful prefelt was gently patted dry, ready for the next step. Students then cut out the letters of their names and arranged them either on the white prefelt or on the coloured felt. These layers were felted together and patted dry once more. Jane brought cut-out paper letters for the students to use, while Elizabeth brought silver-coloured, metal ones from a Meccano set.
The Stained Glass Felting Method
To make the letters stand out more clearly, students used the “stained glass felting” technique developed by Niki Collier during COVID-19, which culminated in an international exhibition that was shown at the Pearse Museum in Dublin and Gallery Kabllo, Vienna, in Austria – https://making.ie/stories/felt-stained-glass.
The stained glass method involved needle-felting a narrow black border of Merino roving around each coloured field or letter, which gave the shapes a crisp outline and improved legibility. By the end of the process, each participant had created a unique felted name tag, decorated with colour, texture, and clear lettering.
Jane Shows How to Make Narrow Lines with Wool
Members Using the Stained Glass Technique
These beautiful creations will be used at future Feltmakers Ireland events, serving as both a practical tool and a meaningful memento.
Some of the Almost Done Name Tags
A Couple of Longer Names
Jane had a clever solution to those members who had longer names: On a colourful felted ground, one could ‘write’ one’s name using a needle felting tool and black Merino wool. No cutting out of letters is needed!
A Nifty Needle Felting Kit
A couple of members brought along portable needle felting kits that we admired! A rainbow of wool, tools and even finger guards were included.
Biscuits with History
Each Sunday Session, Lorna creates interesting baked goods that have been eaten in the past. This month, she brought Aberffaw Biscuits. We wonder what she will bake next month?
The early feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising Jane’s ability to make the workshop both educational and fun. Her passion for wet felting shone through, inspiring everyone to explore their creativity and connect with one another in a warm, supportive environment.
Felting Away
We couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off our Autumn 2025 season!
Our Gratitude
Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped our Sunday Session run so smoothly: Lorna for opening the hall and taking care of all of our caffeine needs, Adrienne for greeting the members, Sam for making sure that the hall was left in excellent condition, and the rest of the committee for ensuring that the day ran so well. Stay tuned for more exciting workshops and events with Feltmakers Ireland, as we continue to celebrate the art of felting and the connections it fosters.
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