Applications will open for the RDS Craft Awards on the 5th of May, 2025. It is a competition open to all craft makers living on the island of Ireland and Irish-born craft makers working overseas. The work of emerging and established makers is judged separately, with specific prizes to support emerging craftspeople. The Awards will be made from a total prize fund of €60,000.
The Emerging Maker category is open to individuals who aren’t necessarily recent graduates, and there is no age limit. Instead, there are these requirements:
Focus on heritage, skills, and sustainable practices.
Practice commenced within the past 10 years, with the determination to grow their craft at home and abroad.
Work must be made and sourced in Ireland.
The deadline for applying is the 23rd of June. There is no fee to enter.
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.
Loose Ends is a volunteer-driven organisation that completes unfinished textile projects left behind by those who can no longer finish them. Whether due to illness, disability, or passing, Loose Ends ensures these projects find closure while bringing comfort to families and friends. It connects crafters from around the world with incomplete projects, helping turn these into meaningful keepsakes for loved ones.
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.
DCCI members who are 50+ are invited to apply for the David Shaw Legacy Award, which has a value of €5,000.
David Shaw-Smith, an Irish filmmaker, who, with his wife Sally, produced and directed the acclaimed documentary series Hands, made over 138 television documentaries during his career.
The award is to support and recognise our masterclass craftspeople’s achievements in their craft’s creative development.
The deadline for receipt of applications is the 30th of August, 2023.
Community Arts Facilitator Beth Murphy from Willow Wonder came up with an idea to celebrate Brigid 1500 by facilitating a number of community arts workshops. The project began in Feb 2023 and was called “A New Dress for Brigid”.
Feltmakers Ireland member Liadain Butler represented the craft of Feltmaking.
A wire form of Brigid was constructed around which there will be tiers of different materials. Designed to be displayed outdoors, these tiers will be made of durable weather-resistant materials or materials that can be replaced periodically. The tiers will be made of copper, felt, crochet and embroidered fabrics; the clay face using model Skye, Liadain’s daughter, felted hair, bark ‘growing baskets’, grass, and rush woven belts will all be included.
Based in Kildare town, the project brought together a number of craftspeople to explore traditional crafts and share knowledge. Each workshop was led by a different practitioner, allowing the whole group to experience each other’s practices and skills – skills passed down through generations but now in danger of being lost.
These ancient skills and crafts include crochet, embroidery, weaving, felting, sketching, clay, and braiding using natural materials such as wool from the Curragh sheep, grasses, willow, and copper. Many of the skills would have been practised in the time of Brigid using these same locally available materials.
The project will continue into 2024, but Heritage Week has provided an opportunity to view the journey so far. The beautiful setting of the Kildare Cathedral provided a wonderful exhibition space.
The completed piece will be exhibited in the square in Kildare on February 2024 as part of the closing ceremony for Brigid 1500.
On the 19th and 20th of August, The Wicklow Craft Foundation (WCF) has an inaugural event which includes an exhibition comprised of multiple craft disciplines. It is taking place at The Schoolhouse for Art in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.
In addition, craftspeople will be on-site to demonstrate their skills and share their expertise.
Feltmakers Ireland member Sharon Wells will demonstrate landscape felting, spinning, and dyeing. She will have samples of many types of Irish wool fibre from sheep farms all over Ireland. You can see Galway, Cheviot, Wensleydale, Jacobs, Welsh mule, Kerry Hill, Charollais, Shetland, Zwartbles or Valais samples. She will discuss their uses in felting and/or spinning. Some are for sale on the day.
Demonstrations will be live-streamed via the WCF website for those who cannot attend in person. For further information and access to the live-stream, please visit http://www.wicklowcraftfoundation.ie
FORMDesignmade in Carlow will be presenting a viewing of their documentary film ‘Tension’ at the DCCIconference room, Castle Yard, Kilkenny, on Tuesday 15th at 1.30 and 5.30. The approximate duration of the film is 30 minutes.
This project was initiated during lockdown and is a collaboration between members, showcasing different skills, materials and approaches to craft making. Please join us if you can.
The LOEWE FOUNDATION launches the seventh edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize, an international award celebrating excellence in craftsmanship.
The Foundation seeks to recognize uniquely talented artisans whose artistic vision and will to innovate set new standards for the future of craft.
The prize for the winning entry is 50,000 euros. The shortlisted and winning works will feature in the exhibition and accompanying catalogue in Paris in spring 2024.
Sunday Session November 6th 2022 in the CIE Social Club Inchicore!
On Sunday 6th November Feltmakers Ireland Committee and 25 members took part in a `hands-on` practical Feltmaking session. There was great excitement, as a Nationwide film team was coming to film our efforts and interview some key members of our Feltmakers Ireland community.
The session was led by Tamzen Lundy, a former Committee member. She had designed a really charming Christmas project for us, a felted Nordic style Santa Claus in 3D. You can use the Santa Claus as a tree decoration, as a bottle topper, or as a stand alone ornament.
Feltmaking is a craft that allows you to easily produce items in 3D without any sewing at all. The committee had prepared a kit bag for each participant, containing all we required for this session.
Tamzen then took us all very clearly through the process, which involved laying merino wool in 3 alternate layers on a triangular shaped resist.
For Santa’s face, Tamzen showed us 2 ways of making and attaching a felt nose,(a felt bead, cut in two) by fluffing it up with a wire (or pet) brush, then had an ingenious method of using a small piece of prefelt (sometimes called Needlepunch) to create the face, and then cutting a teeny hole in the prefelt to reveal the nose. Later we would use needle felting to add eyes and beard.
The main learning points I took from Tamzen`s were:
To use no soap in your wetting down process, (and generally very little soap overall) a bit controversial for me as soap tends to be my `comfort blanket`.
No rolling, (not a roller in sight! ), use bubblewrap as a rubbing tool , and generally keep on rubbing, and massaging with your bare hands, or bubblewrap, on the surface of your piece until any sign of `cellulite` is gone! (Of course that meant that a big discussion on what cellulite was, ensued!)
At the end of the very happy and enjoyable session, it was really interesting how all the Santas looked very individual, taking on their own personalities!
While we participants were concentrating on our project, RTE`S Nationwide crew were filming a wonderful and varied display of members’ work at the end of the room. They interviewed Deirdre Crofts from our Committee, who spoke of the different pieces on display and explained the different felting skills.
Founding member of Feltmakers Ireland, Elizabeth Bonnar was interviewed about our Guild’s history in Ireland. Also interviewed was Astrid Tomrop-Hofman another important person who helped bring felt making to Ireland.
Our current research project on Irish breeds of sheep and their fleeces, was explained to Nationwide interviewer Zainab, by the leader of the research group, our Treasurer, Annika Berglund. The group hopes to publish a book in the near future with their findings.
Fiona Leech and Deirdre Croft told of our monthly Sunday Sessions, and of our Annual Art Felt Exhibition.
Zainab, interviewer, had her first go at Feltmaking!
For me, a member for many years, and formerly on committee, it was lovely to see old felting friends, like Helene Dooley, who has been working with the IFA , (the International Feltmakers Association, with which we are affiliated .)
Session leader, Tamzen, was interviewed, as she has turned her feltimaking into a successful business, and has an Etsy shop, Tamzenlundydesigns.
A very big thank you to Breda Fay, our Guild Chairperson, who was the person RTE contacted, and who made the film crew so welcome. Thanks to Lorna Cady, Committee member, who secured our venue, and to all our Committee members who baked tasty goodies, and made tea and coffee for us all, and made us all so welcome.
Clodagh Mac Donagh.
EXHIBITIONS
Our Feltmakers Ireland Annual Exhibition will open on Dec3rd in the Ashtown visitor Centre, in the Phoenix Park and will run for the whole of December
From 12th November until 23rd of December, Tamzen Lundy has an exhibition of her work at the Newbridge Arts Theatre Centre, Riverbank, Co. Kildare.
NEXT SUNDAY SESSION
venue: CIE sports hall, Inchicore
time : 10.15-12.30
Leader: Carmen Draghici, coming specially from Constanza in southern Romania for the weekend. Her work can be viewed online at FELT JOY and on Facebook & You Tube. She has an ETSY shop and she will bring some of her work to show us.
She will demonstrate some of her unique skills, making a small Christmas Cushion (as time is so limited )
It will be practical session. Some kits may be available to purchase (€4) for those who have materials (old towel, soap, bubble wrap etc) needed to felt with Carmen.
Materials needed: (exactly as last session)
Old towel, bubble wrap, resist, soap, and water bottle, needed.
70 grams red roving, embellishments (including, if you have any, old lace or finest crochet)
DCCI is delighted to announce that the Made Local campaign will be running for the third year in a row, and we want you to get involved.
Over the last two years the Made Local campaign called on consumers to become more aware of the breadth of Irish-crafted, high-quality products available and to look for these when shopping instore or online.
It is a call to action that has been met with huge positivity among makers, retailers and consumers alike. The consumer landscape continues to change and we want to make sure that Made Local remains front of mind and relevant.
With that in mind, DCCI has reimagined the Made Local campaign. It will encourage consumers to be mindful when they buy and to spend on Irish items where possible.
We want this new campaign to remind consumers that well-crafted Irish products have unique, enduring quality and are the things you will fall in love with.
Be part of Made Local 2022
We are inviting you to join in and take an active part in this Made Local community. Joining Made Local 2022 is FREE and simple – click here to apply.
Benefits of being part of Made Local 2022:
You will receive point of sale material (if you wish) and digital assets to promote your business
You can take part in the social media burst to coincide with the high profile advertising and PR campaigns
August Craft Month 2022 – submit your events DCCI is delighted to be working with Craft NI and Cork Craft & Design to present August Craft Month – an all-island celebration of craft.
As many of you know, August Craft Month is a wonderful opportunity for makers to showcase craft by hosting: · exhibitions · workshops · demonstrations · any craft event that engages the public. These events enable audiences to come together to celebrate and enjoy a range of craft experiences.
We are currently inviting makers and organisations to register events HERE. If you register your event by Monday 4th July, it could be promoted through our national PR campaign, and feature in the social media campaign – a reach of over 45k people!
Get involved in this exciting initiative to help promote craft on the Island of Ireland! If you have any questions, please get in touch with Mary Whelan at maryw@dcci.ie. August Craft Month is a unique celebration of craft with events taking place across the island of Ireland. We welcome the submission of events that provide the chance for audiences to come together to celebrate Ireland’s craft sector whether in-person, online, or both. Submit events by Monday 4th July.
Benchspace Designer in Residence 2022 Benchspace invites applications from established creative professionals for the 2022 Designer in Residence. Applications are also welcomed from academic staff of creative programs in any discipline seeking a period of return to a professional workshop environment. The closing date for applications is 14th July 2022. https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/benchspace-designer-in-residence-2022
Future Makers 2022 Future Makers is a DCCI initiative which recognises talent, potential and creativity. Its aim is to support the next generation of makers, designers and craftspeople to take the step from training into enterprise. Future Makers is one of Europe’s largest prize-funded awards programmes, with a total prize-fund of €25,000 and 26 awards and supports available. The closing date for applications is Friday 29th July. https://www.futuremakers.ie/https://www.futuremakers.ie/
Feltmakers Ireland 