Deirdre Crofts – Feltmakers Ireland

Sunday Session: Preparing for the ‘Water and Flow’ Exhibition with Mind Mapping & Photographing Artwork with your Phone

Published on Jan 5, 2026Jan 5, 2026 by Feltmakers Ireland

On Sunday, the 11th of January, we will host our first Feltmakers Ireland Sunday Session of 2026.

This month’s session is designed to inspire members as they begin creating felted artwork for our upcoming Annual Exhibition. The 2026 exhibition theme is “Water & Flow”, and the month-long show will take place in April at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre.

More information about the exhibition, including how to apply, can be found HERE on our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/exhibition-application-2026-water-and-flow/

The session will be divided into two parts:

Mind Mapping for Creative Inspiration

Guild member Deirdre Crofts will guide participants through a mind-mapping exercise to help generate ideas and develop concepts related to the exhibition theme.

Photographing Felted Art with Your Phone

Member and photographer Ramona Farrelly will share practical tips for photographing felted artwork effectively with a mobile phone.

The Details:

When: Sunday, the 11th of January, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Additional Information:

If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).

And, as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from coming if you feel unwell. We do have the benefit of technology – there will be access via Zoom, although it is not quite as lovely as being with us in person.

We look forward to welcoming members for a creative and inspiring start to the year.

If you want to join or renew your membership, please do so via our Membership Page – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

We will email a Zoom link to all members who wish to attend virtually. Please check your email on Friday afternoon.

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.

Exhibition: Ceramics Ireland Show – National Botanic Gardens – Dublin

Published on Jul 21, 2025Jul 21, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Long-time Feltmakers Ireland member, Deirdre Crofts, has two ceramic pieces in the Ceramics Ireland group show Clay/Works 2025 at the National Botanic Gardens. The exhibition showcases the work of over 80 makers from across the country. A diverse range of ceramic pieces is displayed, including functional, decorative, wall panels, and sculptural forms.

The show runs through Sunday, the 27th of July.

Where: The gallery above the cafe at the Education Visitors Centre, National Botanic Gardens, Botanic Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, D09 W0Y0

For more information, visit the National Botanic Garden’s website – https://www.botanicgardens.ie/event/exhibition-clay-works-2025/

The Instagram for Ceramics Ireland @ceramicsireland

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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.

Recap: Dee Crofts’ Sunday Session

Published on Feb 12, 2025Feb 13, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Deirdre Crofts shared her work at our recent Sunday Session

Written by Committee Member Loli Cox

Feltmakers Ireland was honoured to host Deirdre “Dee” Crofts on Sunday, the 9th of February. Dee shared her Felting and Art journey with 30 visitors and members of Feltmakers Ireland.

Dee, with some of her sculptures

Dee, a long-time member of Feltmakers and until recently on the Feltmakers Ireland Committee, is a woman with many talents. In addition to feltmaking, Dee works in ceramics, weaving, metalwork, printmaking, plaster castings, knitting and horticulture. Her focus now is on automata – creating sculptures that can move.

So Much to See

Dee brought many art pieces along with her to display and explained the process of creating each piece with passion and precision. A few ‘stand out’ pieces included a ceramic likeness of St. Brigid, which she exhibited with the Liberties Weavers; Dee incorporated felting and weaving into the work. Another was her automata piece of ‘The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly’; here, she created a wind-up toy with gears, causing the old woman to swallow the various characters named in the well-known poem. Finally, her wet felted seagulls illustrated ‘the magic’ of wool; Dee said, “It’s an amazing thing to use sheep fur to create felted art”.

Feltmakers Ireland can’t wait to see what Dee will do next!

“Try out everything because it’s fun … and you have something in the end” – one of the many encouraging words from Dee.

More Work

Ceramic Tiles made by casting from plants.

Some of Dee’s sculptures can be found at the Kildare Gallery – https://thekildaregallery.ie/product-category/sculpture/deirdre-crofts/

Additionally, she exhibits each year at the sculpture installation at Bloom in Phoenix Park- https://www.bordbiabloom.com/sculpture-in-the-park/

In previous years, she exhibited at Sculpture in Context at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin. (It is currently on hiatus but will hopefully return this year). https://sculptureincontext.ie/

Video of Dee’s Talk

Lastly, an unedited video of Deirdre Crofts’ talk with us is on our YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@feltmakersireland

Sincere apologies in advance for the dodgy camerawork and sound. https://youtu.be/N0S3FjGK2Io

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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.

Sunday Session: Deirdre Crofts Creative Journey this Sunday

Published on Feb 7, 2025Feb 7, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Deirdre Crofts - Sunday Session, the 9th of February — *Photo of Deirdre Crofts at the January Sunday Session- Leiko Uchiyama’s Pine Needle Felt Workshop. (Apologies to Jane Fox and Fiona Leech, who have been cropped out of the picture).*

On Sunday, the 9th of February, Feltmakers Ireland guild member Deirdre Crofts will share her creative journey with us during our Sunday Session. In addition to feltmaking, Dee works in ceramics, weaving, and horticulture. She is particularly interested in automata – creating sculptures that can move!

On the left is *Deirdre’s piece from the ‘Building Bridges’ exhibition, 2022*, and on the right, the artist and her piece from the ‘Bountiful’ exhibition in 2023

Where: CIE Sports Hall and Social Club, Inchicore.
When: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

There is a ‘Meet the Maker’ interview with Deirdre from 2020 – https://feltmakersireland.com/2020/08/30/meet-the-maker-deirdre-crofts/

Deirdre Crofts piece from the Endangered Exhibition — Deirdre’s piece from the ‘Endangered’ exhibition in 2020

Additional Details

Complimentary tea and coffee will be served at this Sunday’s Session. Home-baked goods to share are always welcome! If you can, please bring a travel mug to replace the use of disposable paper cups.

As a member perk for 2025, we will no longer charge 5 euros per session. (If you still need to renew your Annual Membership for 2025, you can now pay online here – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/ )

This Sunday’s Session will have a Zoom link, and we hope to record Deirdre’s presentation. The Zoom link will be mailed to members today, Friday, the 7th of February.

As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, we would prefer if you do not share these. Please do not attend if you may be unwell.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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.

Sunday Session: Creative Journey of Deirdre Crofts – the 9th of February

Published on Feb 1, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Photo of Deirdre Crofts at the January Sunday Session- Leiko Uchiyama’s Pine Needle Felt Workshop. (Apologies to Jane Fox and Fiona Leech, who have been cropped out of the picture).

Her piece from the 2020 exhibition, ‘Endangered’

Where: CIE Sports Hall and Social Club, Inchicore.

When: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

There is a ‘Meet the Maker’ interview with Deirdre from 2020 – https://feltmakersireland.com/2020/08/30/meet-the-maker-deirdre-crofts/

Additional Details

This Sunday’s Session will have a Zoom link, and we hope to record Deirdre’s presentation. The Zoom link will be mailed to members on the Friday preceding the event.

As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, we would prefer if you do not share these. Please do not attend if you may be unwell.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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: Deirdre Crofts – Awards and Exhibition

Published on Sep 2, 2024Sep 2, 2024 by Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmakers Ireland committee member Deirdre Crofts, who tirelessly organises our Sunday Sessions, has been awarded an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland to further her multi-faceted practice. Besides feltmaking and weaving, she works with clay and automata. In addition, she has won an EU workshop and the opportunity for an international exhibition in Italy or Spain.

Moreover, she has a vessel displayed in the juried Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition, which is at Rathfarnham Castle and runs until the 8th of September.

For more information about the exhibition, visit the Rathfarnham Castle website – https://www.rathfarnhamcastle.ie/exhibitions/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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.

Exhibition: CLAY/WORKS Ceramics Ireland Annual Exhibition – Deirdre Crofts included

Published on Jun 19, 2024Jun 18, 2024 by Feltmakers Ireland

Images: Kathleen Moroney, Tatiana Dobos, Paul Griffin – Ceramics Ireland Professional Practice Award 2023 winners.

Clay/Works Ceramics Ireland features the work of over 80 makers from all over the country. It encompasses a diverse range of ceramic pieces, including functional, decorative, wall panels, and sculptural forms. Feltmakers Ireland member Deirdre Crofts has two pieces in the show.

Ceramic Piece by Deirdre Crofts – Photograph by Lorna Cady

The exhibition is open seven days a week, through the 30th of June.

For more information, visit the OWP Farmleigh website – https://www.farmleigh.ie/events/clay-works-ceramics-ireland-annual-exhibition/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

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: November Sunday Session – Felted Elf Boots

Published on Nov 15, 2023Nov 15, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

On Sunday, the 12th of November, committee member Deirdre Crofts led guild members in creating wet felted Elf Booties. Under her excellent tutelage, we enjoyed seeing how quickly these tiny Christmas decorations came together. And she had thought of everything – even bringing in tiny jingle bells and ribbons for us to sew onto our boots!

To watch the recording of the November Sunday Session, visit our YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/_0ROAU8ZjFg?si=UrCv9UmlB2258Lq3

There is also an informative video recording from a couple of years ago of Deirdre explaining how she created her wet and needle-felted, bee-inspired piece for the Guild’s ‘Endangered’ exhibition at Phoenix Park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K17qpwX0osQ&t=14s

Tiny Boots

Look at all the samples that she brought in to inspire us!

Tools

There were several questions about a couple of helpful wet felting tools.

The above tool is called a ball brause, which is a sprinkler for moistening wool fibre. It can be found at DHG, Wolknoll or sometimes at garden supply shops, as it is used for watering bonsai plants.

Similarly, there were questions about the above sprinkler tops, which the guild purchased for workshops. You can find similar ones HERE. Note: they do not fit all bottles.

Also, one can always go down the DIY route and pierce holes into the lid of a plastic water bottle or use a plant mister.

Culinary Inspiration

Homemade Custard Cream Biscuits made by member Lorna Cady.

Lastly, as always, there was a yummy spread of home bakes. A shout out to Neasa Ryan for bringing her beautiful Pavlova and to Lorna Cady for her ‘Great British Bake Off’ inspired Custard Cream Biscuits!

Reminder: Earlier Start – Sunday Session

Published on Nov 9, 2023Nov 8, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

November Session

Our November Sunday Session will start earlier due to circumstances beyond our control – 10 AM.

Guild member Deirdre Crofts will show us how to make these cute elf booties. So, you have the rest of the month to make multiples of them for family and friends before the 🎄trees go up!

The guild will provide the wool roving and various sparkly bits. All you need to bring is your felting kit = a towel, bubble wrap, your chosen soap, and a basis for water.

When: Due to circumstances beyond our control, we must start a half hour earlier than usual and finish up earlier – 10 AM until 11:30. Additionally, we will enjoy our coffee break on the go – while felting.

Where: CIE Sports and Social Club
Library Square
Inchicore
Dublin 8, D08 PA07

Also, please bring a home-baked treat to share. There is the usual member contribution of 5 euros to cover the coffee/tea/hall rental.

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link that will be emailed out on Friday or Saturday. If the tech elves cooperate, the session will be recorded and will later be uploaded to our YouTube Channel.