By Loli Cox, with additional reporting from Deirdre Carroll
On Saturday, the 18th of October 2025, Feltmakers Ireland took part in the Dublin Fibre Festival at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in Dublin.
Opening at 10 AM, a queue formed at the door as excited visitors waited to enter the hall. Throughout the day, a steady stream of attendees arrived eager to view the various crafts, textile materials, and fibre artists on display. According to the festival’s organiser, Mira Isan, over 750 people attended the event.
The hall at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham at IMMA provided a stunning and inspiring backdrop, brought to life by the festival’s vibrant creativity and the presence of Feltmakers Ireland at its centre. Our two tables welcomed visitors to discover the captivating art of felting.
Felting Demonstrated
At our first table, skilled volunteers wove magic with their hands, demonstrating the arts of wet and needle felting. Using wool blended with other natural fibres, they transformed fluffy tufts into sturdy, vibrant fabric through rhythmic kneading and precise needlework. The gentle splash of water and the earthy aroma of wool filled the air, drawing onlookers into the tactile alchemy that binds fibre to form.
Irish Wool Displayed
Our second table was a tribute to Ireland’s pastoral legacy, showcasing ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, the guild’s cherished book born from a 2021–2023 community research and wool sampling endeavour, which was led by our former treasurer Annika Berglund.
This lovingly crafted volume explores forty of the island’s sheep breeds, from the silken Cladóir to the hardy Galway, and details the wool’s textures and felting potential. It offers practical wisdom on sourcing, cleaning, and dyeing wool, alongside heartfelt stories of the shepherds who tend these flocks.
A large panel, adorned with felted wool samples, invited touch, revealing each breed’s distinct character—coarse, fine, or delightfully springy.
The festival buzzed with curious visitors, their eyes wide as they watched wool transform and their fingers itching to explore the tactile samples. Many lingered, asking about our guild’s mission to champion sustainable felting and the diverse sheep breeds grazing Ireland’s green hills. The wool samples were a revelation, turning abstract knowledge into a sensory journey as hands traced the difference between a Donegal Horn’s rugged locks and a Wicklow Cheviot’s delicate strands. Conversations flowed, stitching connections between craft, culture, and land.
Artwork Displayed
Nearby, Feltmakers Ireland members’ artwork sparkled: elegant scarves, cosy gloves, soft slippers, and intricate jewellery like necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings. Whimsical creations also abounded—lush landscapes evoking misty hills, and three-dimensional treasures like cheeky gnomes, plump pumpkins, playful puppets, pea pods, embellished vessels, and mischievous seasonal figures of ghosts, witches, and black cats.
In Summary
The day was a triumph: Several copies of ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ found new homes, and a handful of inspired guests joined Feltmakers Ireland as members, eager to dive into this woolly world.
Members Exhibiting
In addition to the guild’s display at the Dublin Fibre Festival, four of our members were vendors at the event: Fiona Leech of @feltathome, Juliane Gorman of @felthappiness, Sandra Reynolds of @sandystitchedup, and Christine Jordan of @roughcirclestudio
Fiona 
Juliane 
Sandy 
Christine’s display
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the Dublin Fibre Festival for including us in this year’s event. We greatly appreciate their efforts in making a fibre festival in Ireland a reality, as well as the help offered by their volunteers throughout the day.
Lastly, a heartfelt thanks to our volunteers—Eva, Kelly, and Siobhan —for their warm enthusiasm and skilful hands, and to committee members Adrienne, Deirdre, Irina, Loli, and Lorna, for their tireless work in sharing the beauty of felting. Together, they spun a day of learning and inspiration, celebrating the timeless craft born from Ireland’s woolly heart.
Join us next time at the Dublin Fibre Festival to explore felting’s endless possibilities!
Visit our website for –
- Membership details – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/
- Our Blog for past (and future) events and activities – https://feltmakersireland.com/blog/
Feltmakers Ireland 