On Saturday, the 28th of March, European Wool Day will take place at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, Co Kerry. In conjunction with the Conference Talks, there is a full day of free interactive demos of woolcrafts from experts all over the country.
Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts Room. We will demonstrate needlefelting and host hands-on felting circles for the public. The wool that we will use is Irish-raised and was purchased from Ériu and WoolstoreIE. We are grateful to have received some funding from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.
In addition to Feltmakers Ireland, other individuals and groups will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts room. The list includes several members of Feltmakers Ireland: Karen Bowden (Fabulous Fibres), Lucia Errity, and Emily Thompson.
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From the Showcase Ireland website: Each year, over 3,350 buyers from Ireland, the UK, the USA, Mainland Europe, and Asia attend the three-day to-the-trade event, which generates sales orders exceeding €25.6 million.
In previous years, several members of Feltmakers Ireland have participated in the annual trade fair.
This year, member Emily A. Thompson will be exhibiting her needle-felted work at Showcase Ireland in the Local Enterprise Office Hall. She will be at stand number L9.
“Emily Thompson is a needle felting artist whose aim is to create unique artworks that connect people to the beauty of the world around them. Using locally sourced Irish wool, washed and dyed with natural materials, Emily meticulously layers the dyed wool to create images of the beautiful Irish landscape.”
When: Showcase Ireland runs from the 18th to the 20th of January, 2026.
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.
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The Homo Faber Fellowship is an eight-month, sponsored international craft training programme that pairs master artisans with emerging talents. Participants gain business and marketing expertise alongside design and hands-on practical skills through the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and craftsmanship.
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.
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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!
The Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) is delighted to announce the third year of the David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award.
This award was developed by DCCI to honour the legacy of David Shaw-Smith, the legendary Irish filmmaker. It has been created to recognise that Irish craft is driven by heritage and creativity. It will support and acknowledge the achievements of key master craftspeople in the creative development of their craft.
Eligibility criteria –
Be registered with DCCI for 5 years or more
Be aged 50 or older
Not have previously received a DCCI bursary·
The deadline for applying is the 29th of November, 2025.
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.
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.
The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) is now accepting registrations for this year’s Design Week, which takes place from November 17th to 21st.
The DCCI invites designers, makers, educators, and creatives across Ireland to apply for funding to run events that reflect this year’s theme: “The ties that tie, and the links that link”
Your event can be a talk, exhibition, open studio, workshop or other activity.
The deadline for applications is the 12th of September, 2025.
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 ‘Common Threads exhibition’ opened on Thursday, the 7th of August at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s (DCCI) National Design & Craft Gallery, Castle Yard, Kilkenny. The show curated by Sarah Ross features a mix of work from Feltmakers Ireland and the Quilters’ Guild of Ireland.
The turnout at the opening was great, and we all had the opportunity to see an amazing array of works by both feltmakers and quilters. Seeing the two types of crafts side by side was very illuminating; they represented very different ways of making, yet both featured intricate and fantastic work. As a feltmaker, I gained a deeper respect for the skill and patience required to create the quilted artworks on display.
Photos of the Gallery
At the opening, Feltmakers Ireland was represented by at least 14 of our members, who enjoyed the buzz and the lovely weather.
From left to right: Eithne O’Dea, Hilary Delaney, Joanne Foley, Mary O’Rourke, Claire Merry, Hélène Dooley, Sandra Reynolds, Annika Berglund, Fiona Leech, Jane Fox, Siobhan Healy Ryan, Sharon Wells, Leiko Uchiyama, and Deirdre Crofts. Editor’s Note: We apologise if we have noted anyone’s name incorrectly.
The exhibition was opened by the head of the DCCI, Mary Blanchfield, followed by a speech by Moya Gerarthy of the Quilters Guild of Ireland. After that, it was my turn. Our blog mistress, Juliane, asked me for my written notes, but since I only had keywords, the gist of it was that the two sets of works looked great together!
Annika Berglund and Mary BlanchfieldAnnika Berglund, Moya Gerarthy, Mary Blanchfield, and Sarah Ross
Then, I talked about the symbology of how wool is made, where wisps of wool combine into a strong whole through pressure and agitation, and I drew parallels to how our members come together and form a community. Finally, I extended a heartfelt thank you to the DCCI and our curator, Sarah Ross, who selected the work and worked with the gallery personnel to create a stunning exhibition. She spoke last and talked about the (massive) work involved in picking and how impressed she was with the quality of work on show.
We heartily recommend a visit to the gallery before the end of the show, which runs until the 1st of November.
~~ Annika Berglund, Dublin Ireland.
Portraits of Members
Annika BerglundDeirdre CroftsLeiko UchiyamaSiobhan Healy RyanSandra ReynoldsJoanne FoleyChristine JordanSharon WellsFiona LeechRamona FarrellyTamzen Lundy with the poster for the exhibitionLidiia NecheporenkoEithne O’DeaClaire MerryJuliane GormanNeasa RyanEmily A ThompsonHilary Delaney
Some more information about the show:
A contemporary textile exhibition exploring connection through fibre and form. This contemporary textile exhibition delves into the theme of connection—between people, materials, and traditions—through the tactile language of fibre and form. The exhibition will run from August 7 to November 1, 2025, offering visitors a rich sensory experience that celebrates both innovation and heritage in Irish textile art, showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters Guild of Ireland.
From our press release:
“This show is a testament to the creativity and technical expertise of the members of Feltmakers Ireland. Each piece tells a unique story, a vision realised in the medium of wool. It is a celebration of the diversity of feltmaking across Ireland. We are proud to showcase work that not only honours our craft but also pushes the boundaries of contemporary textile art.”
Feltmakers members included in the exhibition:
Annika Berglund
Christine Jordan
Claire Merry
Deirdre Crofts
Eithne O’Dea
Elaine Peden
Emily A Thompson
Fiona Leech
Heather Byrne
Hélène Dooley
Hilary Delaney
Jane Fox
Joanne Foley
Juliane Gorman
Karena Ryan
Leiko Uchiyama
Lidiia Necheporenko
Neasa Ryan
Ramona Farrelly
Sandra Reynolds
Sharon Wells
Siobhan Healy Ryan
Tamzen Lundy
Some Work from the Exhibition
Appreciation
Thank you to the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, curator Sarah Ross, the Quilters Guild of Ireland, and the National Design and Craft Gallery of Ireland. Also, thanks to Annika for writing up the recap for the guild.
Thank you to the Gallery for the professional photos of the space, which we ‘borrowed’ from Instagram. Lastly, thank you to the members who shared their pictures via Instagram or WhatsApp. We apologise if we missed any artists’ works.
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 Design and Crafts Council of Ireland presents ‘Common Threads’, an exhibition curated by Sarah Ross, showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters’ Guild of Ireland.
The exhibition opens at the National Design and Craft Gallery (NDCG) on Thursday, the 7th of August and runs until the 1st of November.
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 will have TWO events where we will teach wet felting as part of this year’s August Craft Month –
CIE Sports Hall, Inchicore, Dublin, on Sunday, the 17th of August
St James Hall, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, on Sunday, the 24th of August
Our events run from 11 AM to 3 PM, offering both morning and afternoon sessions for students. While our Dublin event is already fully booked, there are still spots available for our Kilbeggan event. Please note: These remaining places are reserved for non-members—we want to share the joy of felting with new faces!
At both events, we’ll need volunteers to welcome and guide students throughout the day. Members will also have the chance to exhibit (and sell) their felted creations!
New this year: We’re inviting members to use the Open Day as an opportunity to actively work on their own felting projects. It’s an excellent way for the public to see the creative process behind the finished pieces.
If you are a member and want to be part of our Open Days, please email us at feltmakersIE@gmail.com
Members’ ACM Felting Activities
Several of our members have their own August Craft Month events!
Needlefelter Emily Thompson has a month-long exhibition of her wool landscape paintings at the Carrigaline Library, Kilnaglery, Carrigaline, CoCork, P43 HA25.
On the 9th of August, Zivile Zeniauskaite will be part of the Makers of Blackwater Valley in Fermoy, Co Cork. She will demonstrate how she creates felted slippers – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/meet-the-makers/
If you are a guild member and we overlooked your event, please accept our apologies. A lot is going on during August Craft Month!
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.
