Tag: Felted Hats

Of Interest: World Hat Walk – THIS Sunday in Dublin

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Poster for the World Hat Walk event in Dublin, with details including the date (10th of May), time (2 PM), and location (Stephen's Green), featuring a bowler hat graphic.
Map illustrating the World Hat Walk event on 10 May 2026, featuring 100 cities across over 30 countries, marked with red icons.

On Sunday, the 10th of May, Dublin will once again tip its hat to one of the most charming international gatherings of the year.

The World Hat Walk returns for its third annual celebration, and this will be Dublin’s third year joining cities around the globe in taking part. What began as an idea in London has grown into a worldwide event, with more than 100 cities across over 30 countries preparing to step out in style.

The only requirement is simple: wear a hat.

It can be hand felted, sewn, inherited, borrowed, handmade, or bought that very morning. Grand or understated, dramatic or whimsical: every hat is welcome. The spirit of the day is simply to celebrate creativity, individuality, and the quiet delight of seeing a park full of people who decided that ‘naked heads’ would not do.

This year’s Dublin Hat Walk will also include a few friendly hat competitions, kindly judged by artist and illustrator Louise Boughton.

Categories:

  • Most Fun Hat
  • Most Elegant Hat
  • Most Irish Hat
  • Largest Hat
  • Smallest Hat
  • And perhaps a few surprise categories!

When: Sunday, the 10th of May

Where: Meet at Fusiliers’ Arch, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, D02 HX65 at 2 PM. At around 2:15, we will proceed to the centre of the park. Afterwards, if there is interest, we may gather at Peaches, located on the northeast corner of the park.

There is something wonderfully old-fashioned and unexpectedly joyful about a Hat Walk. It asks very little, but a stroll transforms an ordinary Sunday afternoon into something memorable. A hat becomes an invitation to conversation, to laughter, and to the kind of happy shared spectacle that we all could use a little bit more of in our lives.

For anyone curious about the global scale of the event, an interactive map of the participating cities can be found on the Hat Community website – https://www.hatcommunity.com/world-hat-walk-directory

The logistics of these various city walks have been gracefully organised by milliner Tatiana Ashakova of Beretkah – https://beretkah.co.uk/world-hat-walk

Some of the Instagrams associated with the event: @dublin_hat_walk_ie @worldhatwalk @hatcommunity.official @louiseboughton_


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.

Of Interest: This Sunday Dublin Hat Walk – World Hat Walk scheduled for 58 Cities

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
World Hat Walk this Sunday, in 58 Cities, including Dublin. Meet at Fusiliers' Arch at noon.

Editor’s Note: Feltmakers Ireland member Juliane Gorman co-founded and organised the Dublin branch of the World Hat Walk. At last year’s event, she was the only person to wear a hand-felted hat made of felted sheep wool. For 2025, let’s add our FELTED HATS to the 2nd Annual World Hat Walk! They need not be pink-coloured, and can be wet or needle felted or a combination of textile techniques.

Do You Make Hats?

Many feltmakers create hats – are you one of them? If so, are you ready to flaunt your headgear in style? Come and join the Dublin Hat Walk, a delightful event that’s part of the larger World Hat Walk, happening this Sunday, the 27th of April, 2025.

Origins

Our event in Dublin is part of the larger World Hat Walk, organised by London Hat Week, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. Of course, the grandmomma of all Hat Walks is the Passejada amb Barret – Barcelona Hat Stroll, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on the same day! (Do check out their photos – such wild hats!)

It’s a Global Phenomenon: 

Our event is part of the second annual World Hat Walk Day, which was started by London Hat Week (LHW). In 2024, the LHW founders coordinated the first-ever World Hat Walk, with over 2,000 hat wearers participating in 21 cities across 17 countries, showcasing the strength of the hat-loving community worldwide.

This year, Hat Walks are scheduled for 58 cities on 6 continents! There is a nifty interactive map on the World Hat Walk website. Impressively, there are EIGHT hat walks scheduled in Nigeria – https://www.londonhatweek.com/world-hat-walk/?_country_hat_walk=nigeria

When:

In Dublin, get ready to strut your stuff starting promptly at 12:30 PM. However, let’s gather slightly beforehand, at noon, to admire the unique hat styles and capture some memorable photographs!

Where:

We will meet near the Fusiliers’ Arch, at the entrance of St Stephen’s Green, opposite Grafton Street. The Green Line LUAS stops nearby, making it convenient for everyone to join in the fun!

Dress Code:

Let your creativity shine! Wear whatever attire you fancy, but PLEASE remember to wear a hat! Whether it’s hand-felted or not, let your headgear shine!

All Are Welcome:

The Dublin Hat Walk is an inclusive event, open to everyone who loves hats and wants to participate in this vibrant celebration of headwear. Bring your friends, family, and furry companions along for an afternoon filled with fun and fashion! 

Last year, we were on page 3 of the Irish Times!

Photograph by Tom Honan featured on page 3 of the Irish Times for the Dublin Hat Walk in 2024
Photograph by Tom Honan for the Irish Times.

Stay Updated:

For any last-minute updates or exciting announcements, make sure to follow our social media pages.

Dublin Hat Walk’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DublinHatWalkIE

Instagram @dublin_hat_walk_ie


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.

Of Interest: Dublin Hat Walk – World Hat Walk scheduled for 48 Cities – Sunday, the 27th of April

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Editor’s Note: Feltmakers Ireland member Juliane Gorman co-founded and organised the Dublin branch of the World Hat Walk. At last year’s event, she was the only person to wear a hand-felted hat. For 2025, let’s add our FELTED HATS to the 2nd Annual World Hat Walk!

Do You Make Hats?

Many feltmakers create hats – are you one of them? If so, are you ready to flaunt your headgear in style? Come and join the Dublin Hat Walk, a delightful event that’s part of the larger World Hat Walk, happening on Sunday, the 27th of April, 2025.

It’s a Global Phenomenon: 

Our event is part of the second annual World Hat Walk Day, which was started by London Hat Week (LHW). In 2024, the LHW founders coordinated the first-ever World Hat Walk with over 2,000 hat wearers participating in 21 cities, in 17 countries, in a show of strength of the hat community around the globe. This year, Hat Walks are scheduled for 48 cities on 6 continents!

Origins

Dublin’s event is part of the larger World Hat Walk, organised by London Hat Week, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. Of course, the grandmomma of all Hat Walks is the Passejada amb Barret – Barcelona Hat Stroll, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on the same day! (Do check out their photos – such wild hats!)

When:

Get ready to strut your stuff starting promptly at 12:30 PM. However, let’s gather slightly beforehand, at noon, to admire the unique hat styles and capture some memorable photographs!

Where:

We will meet near the Fusiliers’ Arch, at the entrance of St Stephen’s Green, opposite Grafton Street. The Green Line LUAS stops nearby, making it convenient for everyone to join in the fun!

Dress Code:

Let your creativity shine! Wear whatever attire you fancy, but PLEASE remember to wear a hat! Whether it’s hand felted or not, let your headgear shine!

All Are Welcome:

The Dublin Hat Walk is an inclusive event, open to everyone who loves hats and wants to participate in this vibrant celebration. Bring your friends, family, and furry companions along for an afternoon filled with fun and fashion! Last year we were on page 3 of the Irish Times!

Stay Updated:

For any last-minute updates or exciting announcements, make sure to follow our Social Media pages.

Dublin Hat Walk’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DublinHatWalkIE

Instagram @dublin_hat_walk_ie

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.

Education: Felted Hat Class via Felting School Online

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

We realise we shared an education course yesterday. However, many tutors are announcing their upcoming class schedules for the new year. This class from Felting School Online focuses on creating ‘Magical Hats’. It is a prerecorded, downloadable ‘video’ with English subtitles and an English voiceover.

There is an early bird price for the class until the 16th of December.

For more information, visit their website – https://tvfelt.com/magichat


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: International Hat Art Competition –  Chazelles-sur-Lyon, France

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Hopefully, this competition will resonate with our hatmaking members and readers!

There is an open call for the 15th edition of the ‘International Hat’s Art Competition‘ biennial, organised by the Atelier-Musée du Chapeau (Hat Museum) in Chazelles-sur-Lyon, France.

Approximately one hundred hats are selected and are displayed during a summer exhibition. A celebratory weekend featuring a fashion show includes a prize-giving ceremony and a warm welcome for creators.

This year’s theme is ‘The Art and Manner,’ reflecting on the many connections between hats and the arts. The panel, led by Stephen Jones, will feature various professionals from the fashion and millinery industries.

“Participants are encouraged to submit a design inspired by a piece of art, to reinterpret an artwork, or even to invent a hat where there is none.”

For more information and to register, visit the museum’s website – https://www.ateliermuseeduchapeau.com/en/international-hats-art-competition/

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: Hats Off – IFA Online Show

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

International Feltmakers Association (IFA) members were requested to submit headwear-related felted works for the fifth annual exhibition, ‘Hats Off: Online Exhibition 2024.’

All IFA members, whether beginners or advanced in their felting journey, had the opportunity to apply to this inclusive online show. 47 members entered pieces they created using wet and/or needle felting. Two of Feltmakers Ireland’s members have pieces in this online exhibition: Juliane Gorman submitted her wet felted, Oversized Sunflower Beret, and Joanne Turner submitted her Wizard Hat inspired by Terry Prachett’s Discworld series.

On the IFA’s page, click on each hat to learn more about the artist’s inspiration, materials, and links to her social media and website. The variety of headwear is fascinating!

To see all of the felted hats, visit the IFA’s website – https://www.feltmakers.com/hats-off-online-exhibition-2024/

If you are a member of the IFA, there are four hat-related videos commissioned for this year’s AGM, which you can watch on the association’s private YouTube pages – https://www.feltmakers.com/ifa-agm-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.

Exhibition: Two Hat Shows in Luton, UK

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Hats are textiles, and they are often made from felt. There are currently two headwear exhibitions in Luton, UK.

The first exhibition is organised by the British Hat Guild. ‘Showtime for Hats‘ is the first UK exhibition of its kind, focusing solely on hats for theatre, film, TV and opera. It’s a celebration of the milliners and hatters in the Guild who create specialist headwear for this niche. This is a fantastic opportunity to see handcrafted original pieces made by the UK’s finest hat makers, many of whom have been in the business for decades!

Headwear being exhibited includes Timothy Daltonʼs topper from Licence To Kill (Lock & Co Hatters), Michele Pfeifferʼs stunning transparent lace hat from the film Cherie (Sean Barrett), Paul Kayeʼs felt trilby worn in Year of The Rabbit (Ellie Vallerini), Ian McKellenʼs extravagant panto hat from Mother Goose (Claire Strickland), and Eddie Redmayneʼs helmet from Cabaret (Noel Stewart).

The exhibition runs until the 28th of October.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.thebritishhatguild.org.uk/about-showtime

Eddie Redmayne in ‘Cabaret’ | Photographer: Marc Brenner | Milliner: Noel Stewart | Costume Designer: Tom Scutt | Costume Supervisor: Lucy Martin | Costume Maker: Will Skeet | Makeup Supervisor: Guy Common

The second exhibition is from the Culture Trust Luton. It presents ‘Hats Made Me’, a major exhibition that explores the global significance of hats and headwear. The exhibition, staged at Stockwood Discovery Centre, features objects from the world’s most celebrated fashion and performance milliners as well as 400 years of hats from the collection.

Featuring more than 200 objects, the exhibition includes a red visor design chosen by Beyoncé for her Cuff It video, a bridal hat worn by Cara Delevingne in Vogue, Michael Keaton’s cowl from Batman, a velvet hat donned by Kate Sharma in the Netflix hit show Bridgerton, and a lace mantilla worn by Queen Isabella II of Spain.

The exhibition runs until the 10th of December.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.culturetrust.com/whats-on/hats-made-me

Education: 2 Feltmaking Workshops with Elina Saari in Finland

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

During the last week of July, there are two feltmaking workshops with Elina Saari and Oona Jakku. The first class is focused on creating an unusual ‘button’ textured felt, while the second class is focused on felting hats. The classes are three days each and run consecutively.

For more information, visit the FeltFaction website.

SUNDAY SESSION 10th April with Juliane Gorman

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

 

Another hugely successful Sunday Session was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Juliane Gorman who recently moved to Dublin from America delighted us with her hat demonstration. Juliane makes hats, lots of them. Every colour and whimsical shape under the sun. The word whimsical certainly sums up her creative array of samples she brought for us to see and try on. 

Juliane described to us how the different methods of laying out the fibres affected the final shape of each hat and doesn’t even use hat blocks! There’s grid laying, bullseye laying and circular clockwise and anti clockwise laying. Each hat generally has four layers with each layer a different colour. Though she admitted that is purely for her to keep track with which layer she’s working on in case she gets distracted. You know the usual – collecting kids, putting on a wash, collecting kids, putting on a wash, collecting ……

Juliane brought 2 unfinished berets to show the various stages of her process. One was half laid out the other pre felted and ready for final felting. Both were huge, approx 45-50 cm diameter

The kettle was boiled,  the water sprayed and the rolling began. We, at the back of the room were amazed at how gently she was rolling and still it shrank beautifully.


The second piece needed another layer of fibre and the “ icing “ layer as Juliane calls it. That’s the decorating part. The nice bit! But we ran out of time to see it completed. 

To conclude, everyone was so inspired that it was agreed that we’d love to do a hands on workshop. So whether Juliane knows it or not we’ll be booking her in for the autumn! 

Thanks Juliane for a great morning. 

Next Sunday Session April 10th

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Time: 10:30-12:30

Place: Killester Resource centre. Howth Road, Killester, D5

Join feltmaker, Juliane Gorman, as she demonstrates how the direction of wool layout can impact the shape of three-dimensional felt. 

Juliane Gorman creates colorful and whimsical hats for grownups inspired by nature, fairytales, and fine art. Each of her pieces is wet felted from Merino wool using soapy water and her hands. Her work can be found on her website, https://felthappiness.com, and in private collections in Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America. Recently she and her family moved to the Dundrum neighborhood of Dublin (from Pittsburgh, USA).

Hope to see you there!