This Sunday, the 7th of December, Feltmakers Ireland is hosting a special De-Stash Sale for two of our longtime members: our founder, Elizabeth Bonnar and former secretary, Clare Brophy.
There will be bagged Merino fibre, Tussah silk fibre, Silk fabrics, and more available for purchase.
Throughout the Session, Elizabeth will demonstrate feltmaking using the various fibres and fabrics available. Long-time member Clare Brophy will assist with the sales.
The sale is open to ALL. One does not need to be a member of the guild.
Please spread the word amongst your textile-loving friends!
If coming by car, turn off Grattan Crescent onto South Terrace, then right onto West Terrace, and arrive at the Square outside the Hall. It is the large building facing Library Square.
If taking public transit from the centre of Dublin, the G1, G2 and number 60 buses stop on Sarsfield Road. The stop on the route from town is 2643. Facing the stone wall, turn left and walk back approximately 16 strides from the bus stop to go through a ‘hole’ in the stone wall. Walk along Inchicore Terrace North past the houses, and you will see the CIE Hall as you come around the corner.(Do not walk forward from the bus stop towards the train underpass).
Note: The Guild will also be having our monthly Sunday Session during this time. So, please do bring your in-progress crafting projects for a fun session together!
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.
On Friday, the 21st of November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, for their annual Symposium to hear from growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.
Speakers
● Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard of @appleoakfibreworks ● Katarina Hruskova of @woolstoreireland(Katarina is a member of Feltmakers Ireland!) ● @kathykirwan_theartofnature of the Flax 405 project ● Mary Ann Williams, editor of the book @textilesofireland ● Michelle McCabe, researcher exploring the connections between textile craft and wellbeing with ATU Sligo ● @ryankoenigstudio — 16th-century experimental textile archaeology about the knitted Ballybunion wool cap ● Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World
Textile Market
Saturday will be an Open Day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop requires a ticket.
Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate felting with Irish-raised wool!
Local fibres and textiles from a selection of Fibreshed Ireland members will be available: Included are two Feltmakers Ireland members –
Juliane Gorman of FeltHappiness will vend her Cyanotype-printed, Irish wool hats
Katarina Hruskova of WoolStore Ireland will vend locally raised wool that she has processed.
Workshops
● Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Weaving Circle with Lucy Hyland (@ourselfcarerevolution), from 1 to 3 PM ● Movement session for crafters with @aideen.macken, from 3:30 – 4:10 (FREE, with optional donations to support Fibreshed Ireland’s work)
Where: Dublin (different venues each day)
Optional social dinner in @fidelitydublin on Friday, the 22nd of November (book at checkout)
Discounts for students and Fibreshed Ireland members!
On Friday, 21st November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM to hear from a diverse range of growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.
Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World
On Saturday, there will be an open day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop will be ticketed.
Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Nine of the Sow’s Ear Collective will have their work exhibited at the dlr Mill Theatre in Dundrum, South Dublin. Included in the show are Feltmakers Ireland members Fiona Leech and Sandra Reynolds. The collective’s work encompasses a range of media, including art, ceramics, felt, embroidery, and more.
When: The show runs from the 2nd of November to the 10th of January, 2026.
The opening is this Sunday, the 2nd, from 4 to 6 PM. All are welcome to attend.
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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland and 40 other local textile exhibitors will be at the Dublin Fibre Festival THIS Saturday, the 18th of October. This is THE opportunity to touch yarn and fibres in person, attend textile workshops, and watch spinning, felting, and other fibre arts demonstrations! To see a taste of last year’s event, there’s this blog post – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/10/29/recap-fantastic-day-at-the-dublin-fibre-festival/
The Map and Vendor List
We will be there!
Have you wanted to purchase a copy of Feltmakers Ireland’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’but have not had the opportunity? Come to the Dublin fibre event of the year: The Dublin Fibre Festival. In addition, we will have several guild members demonstrating needle and wet felting. These include felting artists such as Eva Salamon @feltedvision and Irina Lampadova @irinalampadova1
Several of Feltmakers Ireland members are participating in this year’s Culture Night – Friday, the 19th of September.
Art Exhibition – Sutton, Co Dublin
Guild members Sandra Reynolds and Fiona Leech are amongst the artists who are exhibiting as part of Sow’s Ear Collective at the Bayside Community Centre. “Taking Shape” is the second group exhibition from the Sow’s Ear Collective, a gathering of multidisciplinary artists working across painting, sculpture, textiles, and more.
When: 7 PM – 10 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
Tamzen Lundy and her colleagues at GATHER Kildare will be hosting an open night. Watch live demonstrations of traditional and contemporary skills, including feltmaking, wood carving, and glassmaking.
When: 4:30 PM – 6 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
If you are a guild member who is participating in a Culture Night event, please let us know – 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.
Pam de Groot demonstrating fibre weight layout during the workshop.
This past weekend, a dozen passionate felters gathered for an unforgettable three-day workshop led by internationally renowned artist Pam de Groot, who travelled from Australia to share her expertise. Hosted by Feltmakers Ireland, the workshop welcomed participants primarily from Ireland, with one dedicated felter joining us from Germany. The event, held at the Bayside Community Centre, was a vibrant exploration of felting techniques, creativity, and community, leaving everyone inspired and equipped with new skills to craft unique, wearable art.
Necklaces, earrings, and brooches created by Pam to show the various techniques the students would learn.
Pam de Groot is an Australian textile artist celebrated for her innovative approach to three-dimensional felting. With a deep passion for transforming raw fibres into intricate, wearable sculptures, Pam’s work blends traditional techniques with contemporary flair. Her creations often feature bold textures, vibrant colours, and unexpected materials, pushing the boundaries of what felt can achieve. During the workshop, her warm and engaging teaching style shone through, making complex techniques accessible and exciting for all skill levels.
Pam demonstrating. In the foreground are sample pieces of felted jewellery that she has created.
Over the three days, Pam guided participants through a variety of felting techniques, each opening new possibilities for artistic expression.
Techniques included –
Shaping with Resists: Creating diverse forms, from small round resists to complex structures, using simple tools.
Crafting Pea Pods: Using plastic moulds to shape delicate, nature-inspired, pea pod designs.
Dyeing Flower Stamens: In an imaginative twist, special fishing line became a medium for vibrant, lifelike stamens to enhance floral designs.
Designing Closures: Participants explored decorative and functional options, experimenting with various ways to finish their pieces with intention and flair.
Pam’s teaching approach was a perfect balance of demonstration and individualised support. She began with group instruction, clearly explaining each technique, then devoted one-on-one time to help participants bring their unique visions to life. Her patience and encouragement fostered a collaborative, creative atmosphere where everyone felt empowered to experiment.
From Technique to Creation: Wearable Art Emerges
After mastering the techniques, participants delved into designing their own wearable pieces, incorporating a rich array of materials, including soft Merino wool, shimmering silk fibres, textured silk cloth, hearty Irish wool, delicate silk pods, stones, and other textiles. The diversity of materials sparked endless creativity, resulting in an inspiring collection of necklaces, brooches, and other adornments, each piece as unique as its creator.
Samples of some of the pieces created by the students during the workshop.
The workshop was a testament to the versatility of felting as an art form. From bold, sculptural designs to delicate, intricate pieces, every participant left with a creation that reflected their personal style and newfound skills.
More Samples of Students’ Work
Here are some photos of some of the students’ pieces from the workshop. If we missed your work, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com so we can add it to the display.
The workshop wasn’t just about learning techniques—it was about connection. The group of felters, including members of Feltmakers Ireland and our international guest from Germany, bonded over their shared passion for textiles. The collaborative spirit, combined with Pam’s inspiring guidance, made the experience truly transformative.
A huge thank you to Pam de Groot for sharing her expertise and inspiring us to push the boundaries of felting. Her ability to connect with each participant and guide them through their creative journey was truly remarkable. We’re also deeply grateful to Sam Fagan for coordinating the workshop and to helpers Juliane Gorman, Hélène Dooley, and Annika Berglund for each volunteering their invaluable assistance for a day.
Conclusion
This workshop was a celebration of creativity, community, and the endless possibilities of felt. We can’t wait to see how the skills and inspiration from this experience continue to shape the work of these talented felters!
All of the students and Pam de Groot assembled on the final day. Photo by Annika Berglund.
Lastly, here’s a video of the images –
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 the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
The Fine Art of Textile in the Coach House Gallery, Dublin Castle, is an international exhibition of contemporary textiles that cross artistic genres—painting, sculpture, drawing, and sewing. It is curated by Irish artist Nuala Goodman, with the assistance of Italian journalist Maria Luisa Caffarelli.
The exhibition’s core is the Milan-based collective ‘Fringe’, founded in 2022 by four female artists from different countries. Fringe is a vibrant, creative force exploring the expressive potential of textiles. There is Sanchita Ajjampur, who re-interprets the ancient skills of raffia weave and embroidery creating sustainable handcrafted works; Lisa Farmer, whose art pieces lie somewhere in between basketry and tapestry; Nuala Goodman whose ‘Wild Tapestries’ uses preloved and precious textiles to create works of art, and Colomba Leddi whose synthetic, linear forms create spatial redefinition.
Curated by Irish artist Nuala Goodman, ‘The Wild Donegal Tweed Project’ is a collaboration between five Donegal tweed companies and art and design students from NABA(Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti) in Rome.
Through the Irish Times fashion journalist Deirdre McQuillan, the five Donegal companies (McNutt of Donegal, Magee 1866, Molloy & Sons, Triona Design and Studio Donegal) have donated their fabrics to the NABA textile workshop. The woven, natural and sustainable quality of Donegal tweed appealed to the students as an alternative to cheap synthetic materials. Tweed cushions (45 x 45 cm) were chosen as the ideal form for re-imagining techniques such as smocking, embroidery, felting, patchwork, layering and more.
– Text from the OPW.
Where: The Coach House Gallery, Dublin Castle, near the Chester Beatty. When: 6th of June, 2025 – 24th of August, 2025 Opening hours: 10 AM – 5 PM Free admission
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.
On Tuesday, the 24th of June, Laoise Carey will hold a one-day fashion and textiles pop-up exhibition and research project as part of her Masters in Circular by Design.
Drop into the gallery at National College of Art and Design (NCAD) Dublin between 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM to experience textiles with your 7 senses:
touch
taste
smell
hearing
sight
vestibular
proprioception
Interact with the exhibits and share your thoughts, responses, and inspirations to help determine whether immersive experiences of fashion and textiles promote a deeper sense of empathy between us, our textiles, and the people and places that make them.
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.
As of the 9th of July, the workshop is FULLY BOOKED. If you want to be put on the waiting list, please email Sam – see below for her details.
Workshop Description from Pam:
“In the workshop, we will learn several skills useful for fibre jewellery making. We will make one or more pieces of felted jewellery depending on the complexity of the individual design. We will look at how to design the piece for wearing, and how to construct various closures and attachments. You can also learn how to incorporate foreign objects if necessary.”
WHEN: Friday, the 18th through Sunday, the 20th of July 2025, 10 AM to 5 PM
To apply for PAM de GROOT’s workshop, please email committee member Sam Fagan at samantha.d.fagan@gmail.com
Please include Pam de Groot’s name in the ‘Subject Line’ of your email.
All participants will be notified via email and provided with a payment link for secure payment using a credit or debit card. The cost is 250 euros for members / 265 euros for non-members.
Additional Information
Supplies are not included in the workshop price. Once registered, we will email students the supply list provided by Pam.
Cancellation & Refund Policy for Workshops
If you need to cancel your place in a Feltmakers Ireland workshop, please notify the Guild by email at least 7 days before the start of the class. A €10 handling fee will be deducted from your refund.
Cancellations made less than 7 days before the workshop are not eligible for a refund. However, if you can find a replacement student to take your place AND inform the Guild within this period, you will receive a refund (minus the €10 handling fee).
Please note: In exceptional or unforeseen circumstances, the committee may consider refund requests at its discretion.
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.
Feltmakers Ireland 