Tag: DCCI

Open Call: Homo Faber Fellowship – Opportunity for Duos of Recent Graduates and Masters

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
These artisans are under the category of ‘Felt maker’.

The Homo Faber Fellowship is an educational initiative created by the Michelangelo Foundation to support recent craft graduates and master artisans. This seven-month programme pairs young talents with master artisans, fostering skill transmission and helping graduates embark on careers in the craft sector.

With the backing of Jaeger-LeCoultre, which aligns with Homo Faber’s vision for the future of craftsmanship, the programme runs annually from September to March. It is conducted in collaboration with local members of the Foundation’s network.

The application deadline is the 20th of February, 2025.

For more information and to view past pairings, visit their website – https://nextgen.homofaber.com/fellowship

Here is a link to the listings for the artisans under the ‘felt maker’ category pictured in this post. Note: There are none (yet) from Ireland. https://www.homofaber.com/en/searchresult?crafter=Felt%20maker&craftername=Felt%20maker

The category of ‘textile’ has fascinating listings – https://www.homofaber.com/en/searchresult?craft1=a0Y7Q000002CDqlUAG&objectval=Textile

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.

News: Made Local Holiday Campaign starts Wednesday the 27th

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland will launch its holiday Made Local campaign tomorrow, Wednesday, the 27th of November. Many of our Feltmakers Ireland members also belong to the DCCI. Please share your Made Local contribution to raise the profile of our craft.

(Information about joining the DCCI can be found on their website – https://www.dcci.ie/members/join-dcci/as-a-designer-maker/ )

To participate, you can share behind the scenes of your business, tell what inspired you, or even give a shout-out to other makers!
 
Ideas from the DCCI:

“This can be anything: it could be you arriving at your workshop, speaking to customers, packaging those all-important Christmas gifts for customers or it could be telling us who or what inspires you. It could be all of these things as Made Local Day runs all day long and we would love to be able to like and share as many posts as we can and highlight why buying Made Local should be forefront of people’s minds this Christmas.”

Please share on Instagram by tagging @DCCIreland and using the hashtags #MadeLocal #MadetoLast #MadeLocalDay2024

Several templates are available to create social media posts:

For Instagram Posts –

  • For Instagram Posts

For Instagram Stories –

  • For Instagram Stories

For Facebook:

For more information about the DCCI’s Made Local campaign, visit their website – https://www.dcci.ie/about/what-we-do/our-initiatives/made-local/

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.

News: Feltmakers Ireland’s Open Day – National Heritage Week Awards – County Winner, Dublin City

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland


On the 15th of November, Feltmakers Ireland was awarded the County Winner in the National Heritage Week Awards for the Dublin City Council local authority area.

Every year, the Heritage Council celebrates the work of communities and organisations that hosted National Heritage Week events, which kick off on the third weekend of August and run until the end of the following weekend. Feltmakers Ireland hosted two Open Days, where we shared the magic of wet felting with the public. One event was in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, and the other was in Inchicore, County Dublin, at the CIE Sports Hall and Social Club, where we typically hold our monthly Sunday Sessions. In addition to sharing how wool fibres transform into felt, we displayed felted wearables and artwork created by members. A second display area had information on Irish wool, how it can be used for feltmaking, and copies of our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’.

To see a photo-filled recap of our event in Dublin, visit here on our blog – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/08/22/recap-august-craft-open-day-felted-vessels-inchicore/

A video of our Open Day can be found on our social media:

The video is also on our YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/edUGtYr94_g

Thank you to the Heritage Council for recognising feltmaking as a cultural heritage. Additionally, we want to thank the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) for supporting our guild throughout the years.

We don’t know who kindly nominated our event for the County Dublin Award, but we are ever so appreciative! Go raibh míle maith agaibh, (which is ‘Thank you very much’ in Irish).

The Awards

In addition to County Awards, there are eight other categories:

  • There is a category that relates to the theme of the year. The theme of 2024 was ‘Connections, Routes and Networks’
  • Wild Child Event Award
  • Water Heritage Award
  • Inclusive Heritage Award
  • Irish Language Award
  • Sustainability and Climate Heritage Award
  • Intangible Cultural Heritage Award
  • Heritage Hero Award

To learn more about award categories, visit the Heritage Week website- https://www.heritageweek.ie/awards

The guild appears at 1 minute 35 seconds in this five-minute video clip.

Awards Ceremony

To watch a full video of the National Heritage Week 2024 Awards Ceremony, visit RTE’s YouTube page here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IziFzpG3ltM

To see a photo-filled recap of our event in Kilbeggan, visit here on our blog – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/09/04/recap-feltmakers-ireland-open-day-in-kilbeggan-co-westmeath-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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

News: Feltmakers Ireland – Instagram Over 500 Followers

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Our Instagram account

Perhaps not the biggest news of the day, but Feltmakers Ireland’s Instagram account, which we ‘renamed’ in January, now has over 500 Followers. This is exciting news!

Our former Instagram was @feltmakersireland, and we had over 1,000 followers. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we did not have proper access to the backend, so we could not share Members News on our Stories or access any direct messages (DMs) sent to the account.

Consequently, we set up a new account on the 24th of January, 2024. Our ‘new’ account is @feltmakers_ireland ! Please add us to the artists and organisations that you follow. We aim to post daily, from Monday through Friday. {Editor’s Note: Our Facebook account was and still is FeltmakersIreland – https://www.facebook.com/feltmakersireland/

Feltmakers Ireland is a voluntary craft guild with members throughout Ireland and a few in Northern Ireland and beyond!

We try to cater to ALL types of felt-making: wet felters, needle felters, professional feltmakers, hobbyists, and ANYONE with interest in wool, fleece, or felt.

We have our Sunday Sessions on the second Sunday of the month at the CIE Sports Hall in Inchicore. Our upcoming session will be THIS Sunday, the 17th, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the CIE Sports Hall in Inchicore, Dublin 8. We will be wet-felting a Christmas Star with guild member Annika Berglund. There is a blog post about it here – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/11/04/sunday-session-felting-a-holiday-star-with-annika-berglund/

Feltmakers Ireland is a Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) GANS community member.

If you have news or events that you think would be of interest to our community, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com

If you are a Guild Member with an Instagram account and we have not followed you, please let us know so we can do so.

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.

Event: Fibershed Ireland’s 3rd Annual Symposium – in Tullamore

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

As part of Irish Design Week, Fibreshed Ireland is hosting its third annual symposium, inviting participants to imagine how Soil-to-Soil textiles could help improve the future—not only of the textile industry, but beyond.

It will be a day of interactive presentations, craft demonstrations, breakout sessions, and engaging networking opportunities, open to both Fibreshed Ireland members and non-members.

When: Saturday, the 16th of November, 9:30 AM to 5 PM.

Where: The Bridge House Hotel, Bridge St, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

For more information and to book your ticket, visit Fibreshed Ireland’s website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/symposium-2024/

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.

Event: DCCI’s Irish Design Week – in November

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

This year’s Irish Design Week programme is available on the DCCI website. The event runs from the 11th through the 15th of November.

“From panel discussions and talks with some of the most influential global leaders in design, to workshops and exhibitions that will inspire and create, there is something for everyone in this year’s exciting programme.”

For more information or to book events, visit the website – https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week-2024/irish-design-week-programme-of-events-2024/

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: Feltmakers Ireland Open Day in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath – August Craft Month

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland2 Comments
Happy feedback and a felted vessel from one of the participants.

Sunday, the 25th of August, saw the second of our open days for August Craft Month/Heritage Week. (Our previous event was in Dublin on the 18th.)

Some photos of hands at work

Behind-the-scenes photos by member Denise Egan.

Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland started at 11 AM with a large group of participants. Our students showed great interest in the felting process and were delighted to bring home a new felted creation.

Additionally, our visitors were very impressed with our display of felted artworks and our interactive display on the Irish Wool project. In the afternoon, we taught a second group of participants.

The Irish Wool Project

As part of our Open Day, guild member Annika Berglund carded and spun Irish-raised wool fibres. If you want to learn more about felting with wool from local sheep, check out our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ – https://feltmakersireland.com/exploring-irish-wool-for-feltmaking/

During the event, a photographer from a local newspaper came to take photos, and the Westmeath Heritage Officer also popped in to say hello. An exciting video of Westmeath Heritage events is on the OPW’s Facebook page. Feltmakers Ireland appears at approximately the 8-second mark – https://fb.watch/uloKvaesCY/

More photos of the day

Elizabeth with students.
Deirdre with students.
Annika demonstrating Irish wool.
Maria teaching students.

Happy Feedback

We were delighted to receive such warm feedback from our students!

Appreciation

We thank Elizabeth Redding for organising the Kilbeggan Open Day on behalf of the guild. It was vital for us to share feltmaking with an audience beyond Dublin.

Additional thanks to all the members who so kindly donated their Sunday to help share the love of feltmaking: Annika, Deirdre, Denise, Fiona, Loli, Lorna, Maria, and Marie. Their contribution to felting is deeply appreciated! We could not have taught over forty students without their help!

Wearing a red-orange t-shirt, Loli is surrounded by some students.

It was a successful day all around.

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.

News: August Craft Month and Guild Member Juliane Gorman Featured on Dublin South Radio 93.9 FM

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

On the 1st of August, Feltmakers Ireland guild member Juliane Gorman was interviewed by her local radio station, Dublin South FM by the talented Maeve Halpin of ‘Wellbeing for Everyday Life’. Also on the program was Eimear Harding, the Communications Mangager with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

Juliane spoke about the sorry state of Irish wool, Feltmakers Ireland’s two Open Days*, and how to make a felted hat. Eimar spoke about how there are over 400 craft-related events all over Ireland: Events include Maker Talks, Workshops, Exhibitions, Markets, and Festivals. There are events in every county and a wide range of crafts, including felting!

Here are the results on the interactive August Craft Month map of what’s on for Sunday, the 25th.

*The Feltmakers Ireland Open Day in Kilbeggan is fully booked. We need more volunteers! If you are a guild member and and can help, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com

To find August Craft Month events near you, visit – https://augustcraftmonth.org/

Listen to the rebroadcast of the radio program on Dublin South FM 93.9 – https://www.mixcloud.com/DublinSouthFMCommunityRadio/wellbeing-for-everyday-life-juliane-gorman-eimear-harding-010824/

For more information about Juliane’s Open Studio, visit – https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/visit-the-felting-forge-open-studio-of-juliane-gorman-felthappiness-hats/

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: August Craft Open Day Felted Vessels – Inchicore

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland2 Comments
Photograph by Guild Member Evija Mezaka

On Sunday, the 18th of August, Feltmakers Ireland hosted its first of two open days in the CIE Sports Club for August Craft Month 2024. Our second event will be this Sunday, the 25th of August, at the St James Hall in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath. This upcoming event promises to be busy – visitors who have not pre-booked may need wait for an available tutor.

Hands on Learning

Curious students gathered around guild members and learned how to create a wet felted vessel using fine Merino wool, soapy water, a flexible resist, and their hands.

Finished Vessels

Visitors were able to work with wool and take home their completed vessels.

A Lovely Day

Photographs by Guild Member Evija Mezaka

Irish Wool

In addition to learning feltmaking, there was a carding demonstration and display of raw fibre and finished pieces made from Irish wool. Volunteers Annika Berglund and Margaret Ryan Collins chaired this table. Copies of our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, were also available.

Artwork Display

A display of wet and needle felted artworks, which included wall art, sculptures, vessels, jewellery, hats, scarves, dresses, and even an octopus, was available for viewers to admire.

With Appreciation

Many thanks to the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) for setting up August Craft Month and helping to fund our event. With appreciation to Heritage Ireland for listing our event on their website and helping us connect with our community. Also, thanks to guild member Leiko Uchiyama for dyeing such beautifully coloured wool roving.

A huge thank you to Deirdre Crofts and Loli Cox for helping to organise the Inchicore August Craft Month open day. Lastly, the Guild appreciates all the volunteers who ensured the day ran smoothly: Adrienne, Annika, Clare, Deirdre, Elizabeth, Eva, Hilary, Juliane, Lorna, Margaret, Marie, and Sam.

A video of our Open Day can be found on Instagram and/or on Facebook.

Note: We have received some questions about the green-coloured sprinkler devices that go onto plastic drinking bottles. This item was found on AmazonUK and is often used for gardening. Not all brands of bottles fit the devices – a good opportunity to do a selective clean-up near a local school. 🙂

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.

Open Call: Applications for Irish Design Week 2024 – DCCI

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) is delighted to announce that applications are now open for Irish Design Week 2024.

From workshops to panel discussions, your event can play a key role in making this year’s Irish Design Week truly aspirational. This year’s theme is ‘Imagination for Opportunity’.

Funding is available for selected events that are looking to be part of the story.

Application deadline: 1st of September, 2024.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week/about-dcci-design-week/

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.