Feltmakers Ireland and 40 other local textile exhibitors will be at the Dublin Fibre Festival THIS Saturday, the 18th of October. This is THE opportunity to touch yarn and fibres in person, attend textile workshops, and watch spinning, felting, and other fibre arts demonstrations! To see a taste of last year’s event, there’s this blog post – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/10/29/recap-fantastic-day-at-the-dublin-fibre-festival/
The Map and Vendor List
We will be there!
Have you wanted to purchase a copy of Feltmakers Ireland’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’but have not had the opportunity? Come to the Dublin fibre event of the year: The Dublin Fibre Festival. In addition, we will have several guild members demonstrating needle and wet felting. These include felting artists such as Eva Salamon @feltedvision and Irina Lampadova @irinalampadova1
This was our third year exhibiting and demonstrating at the Tullamore Show. The day started off misty, but soon cleared to a warm sunny day. As before, we were in the Craft tent. We got a large area, so we were able to set up a nice display of our five members’ work. We also had room for a needle felting demonstration and a wet felting demonstration, which we took turns in doing.
We had a great interest in both types of felting. Both young and old were fascinated by the magic of wool turning into felt with just soap and water. Many questions were asked about Feltmakers Ireland, what we do, where and when we meet.
As Tullamore Show hosts the All-Ireland finals in many categories, we had people from all over Ireland and further afield. All in all, it was a very enjoyable day, and the organiser of the Craft tent expressed a wish that we return next year!
Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Elizabeth Redding for coordinating Feltmakers Ireland’s event at the Tullamore Show. Additional thanks to the members who donated their time and shared their skills at the show: Belinda, Karen, Mary, and Caitríona.We truly appreciate your help!
The first one is by Feltmakers Ireland member Hélène Dooley, who has written an article about her experiments with natural dyeing, using tea, pine cones, and the roots and bark of a plum tree. Of special interest is her experiment with felting WITHOUT soap! Instead, she used vinegar.
As it is sunny outside in Ireland (today), it may be a good time for wool washing. Or not. If you are wondering how to wash MORE wool, TWO blog posts from the Felting and Fiber Studio may be of interest. Canadian feltmaker, Jan, explores creative ways to use agricultural equipment for washing larger volumes of wool fleece.
The fourth article, also by Jan, is relatively recent, dated August 4. It is about demonstrating needle felting and includes invaluable tips on how to engage in conversations with the public. She even describes how, when working on 2D pictures, the application of wool can be similar to using traditional art supplies such as pastel, watercolour, or acrylic paint. You will also have a laugh, as she writes in a humorous style.
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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.
A dedicated team of Feltmakers Ireland members will be in the Tullamore Show’s Crafts Tent to demonstrate the wonders of felting.
Tullamore Show & FBD National Livestock Show is Ireland’s premier agricultural event. Every year, it attracts the best cattle, sheep, and equine breeders from all over the country, as well as entrants for its other 1,000-plus competitions, with a total prize fund of €175,000.
It is Ireland’s largest one-day show, attracting an average of 60,000 visitors in recent years. The show features 700 trade stands from the agri sector, home Industries, farm produce, innovation, forestry, agri machinery, and more.
When: the 10th of August, 2025, from noon to 5 PM.
Where: In the Craft Tent at the Butterfield Estate, Blueball, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland.
The Tullamore Show is accessible by public transportation, with a complimentary shuttle bus service available to and from the showgrounds.
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 Bandon Walled Town Festival holds its annual Family Heritage Fun Day on Sunday, the 24th of August, and is seeking makers to demonstrate the heritage skill of felting. This event is part of National Heritage Week.
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.
On Sunday, the 1st, and Monday, the 2nd of June, 17 volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland generously shared their love of the magic of feltmaking with the public at Bord Bia Bloom, an enormous, five-day festival in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, which focuses on gardening and sustainability.
Our booth at the DCCI’s Irish Craft Village.
This year, we were in a new-to-us location within the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s (DCCI) Irish Craft Village – in the special Demonstration Area – just like the Irish Woodturners’ Guild. This meant we were in a three-sided booth with more area to display and demonstrate.
After seeing helpful photos of how the Irish Patchwork Society inspiringly shared their craft on Friday, we slightly pivoted and emphasised more hands-on felting opportunities with the public. This proved immensely popular!
Young Hands Busy at Work
Several volunteers patiently guided our visitors in creating their own wet felting snakes, balls, flowers, and pictures! We probably should have counted ALL the young people who got to experience feltmaking. (Next time we will). There were a lot.
The last image of hands shows a charming Sheep Purse that one of our young visitors had made!
What Wool Can Do
Loli showed how needlefelting can be two or three-dimensional. In the foreground are fibre samples from sheep raised in Ireland from our Wool Book – ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. We had several visitors who either grew up on farms or currently raise sheep, look for their breeds of sheep in our book! The orange-coloured wool was dyed with onion skins, while the blue and green samples were dyed with ‘acid’ dyes.
Our Volunteers
Our members donated time from their Bank Holiday Weekend to share their love of felting with the visitors at Bloom. Along with displaying their felted work, many wore felted items: earrings, brooches, necklaces, headwear, and even a jacket!
Irina and EvijaMarian showed children how to make felted snakes.Siobhan instructingClodagh and Siobhan chatting with visitorsKaren wet felting a flower.Fiona managing the wind from removing her fibres.Denise walked amongst the crowd and talked about the Guild and Feltmaking. In the foreground is Margaret’s suitcase of fibre.Jane demonstrated wet felting and Alison demonstrated needle feltingRamona instructing a young person.Margaret separating roving.Elaine and her ‘flower factory’ of students.Lorna demonstrated how felt can be used to create flowers and Sandra needlefelted a city landscape using a Foxford blanket. as a base.
Many thanks to our volunteers who made our event an inspiring and interactive destination to visit at Bloom: Evija, Irina, Marian, Siobhan, Clodagh, Karen, Fiona, Denise, Jane, Alison, Ramona, Margaret, Elaine, Sandra, and Lorna. Special thanks to Loli and Juliane for organising.
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.
On Sunday, the 1st of June and Monday, the 2nd of June, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate wet and needlefelting at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s Irish Craft Village, at Bord Bia Bloom in Phoenix Park. We will be in the central pavilion within Area 26, near the Conservation Area. Our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, will also be for sale, along with some of our members’ works. Come by and say, ‘Hello’!
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Caoimhe Tuthill (Boann Irish Felt) will display her felted work at the MeathMade booth, Grand Pavilion stand G117.
This June bank holiday weekend (Thursday, May 29th– Monday, June 2nd, 2025), Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s most unique gardening, food, and sustainable living festival, returns for its 19th year.
Filled with colour and creativity, the event heralds the start of summer with a dazzling display of glorious gardens, fabulous food, and enthralling entertainment to entice visitors of all ages.
Spanning a 70-acre site in Dublin’s leafy Phoenix Park, Bord Bia Bloom is one of the country’s largest outdoor experiences, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. This year, visitors can soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of summer over five buzzing days packed with live entertainment, talks, interactive workshops, dining, shopping, and so much more.
Bord Bia Bloom offers abundant opportunities to grow, taste, and learn. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster, and two children can go free with each adult ticket purchased.
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.
On Saturday, the 26th of September, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland shared feltmaking with visitors to the Dublin Fibre Festival. We increased awareness of our guild, demonstrated feltmaking (wet and needlefelting), sold many copies of our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, and sold felted pieces created by some of our volunteers.
We were so busy at times that you could barely see our table!
It was a fantastic day! Many thanks to indie yarn designer Mira Isan, the Dublin Fibre Festival’s organiser, for seeing the need for a Dublin-based textile event and for her skills in pulling off this endeavour! Also, thank you to committee member Adrienne Dempsey for organising our two tables and volunteers. Additional thanks to our volunteers: From A-Z, Lorna Cady, Deirdre Carroll, Loli Cox, Sam Fagan, Irina Lampadova, and Evija Mezaka.
Our Book
Here is a photograph of Adrienne sharing ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ with Ann Gunning of Beechwood Blues Texel Sheep – her wool is in the book!
Adrienne and Ann Gunning
Our Display
Here are some of the many photographs from the lovely experience.
All ready!
Adrienne, Loli, and Irina
Sam sharing the craic with Eva
Sam and Eva
Adrienne
Deirdre
Eva and Lorna
Loli wearing a felted neckpiece
More display
Adrienne with display
Loli with a happy customer
Loli with her needlefelted work
Our Members with Stalls
Two members of Feltmakers Ireland also participated at the Dublin Fibre Festival: Sandra King from Irish Fibre Crafters and Juliane Gorman from FeltHappiness Hats.
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.
This Saturday, the 26th of October, a group of volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will share the miracle of feltmaking and our excellent book,‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ at the Dublin Fibre Festival!
The festival’s inaugural edition will bring together fibre fans, artisans, and exhibitors for a day of creativity, inspiration, and community.
Some of our members will also be exhibiting and vending at the show: Irish Fibre Crafters (Sandra King) and FeltHappiness (Juliane Gorman). In addition, our friends from Fibreshed Ireland (co-founder Malú Colorín spoke at our AGM in May), will sell undyed and naturally dyed 100% Irish wool yarn, and knit kits. They will also sell tickets to their upcoming symposium – ‘Reimagining Textiles for an Equitable Future’, one of the exciting events scheduled during Irish Design Week in November.
Tickets to the Dublin Fibre Festival are available at the door via cash or card: 10 euros, free for children under 12 and disabled people.
Where: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin 08
When: 10 AM – 5 PM, Saturday, the 26th of October.
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.
Have you wanted to purchase a copy of Feltmakers Ireland’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’but not had the opportunity? Come to the Dublin fibre event of the year: The Dublin Fibre Festival.
Feltmakers Ireland and almost 30 other local textile exhibitors will be at the Dublin Fibre Festival on Saturday, the 26th of October. This is THE opportunity to touch yarn and fibres in person and watch spinning, felting, and other fibre arts demonstrations!
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.
