Inchicore – Feltmakers Ireland

Sunday Session Recap: Crafting Together, De-stash Sale & Mince Pies

Published on Dec 9, 2025Dec 9, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Treasurer, Sam Fagan, on the far left, ringing up sales.

On Sunday, the 7th of December, an excited group of felters gathered at our Sunday Session in the CIE Hall to purchase felting fibres and materials from our founder, Elizabeth Bonnar, and former guild secretary, Clare Brophy.

Elizabeth Bonnar, in blue sweater, chatting with Anne-Marie about Nunofelting

Although many of our members were unable to attend because they were vending at craft fairs or participating in other events, we still had an excellent turnout, as evidenced by the long line of shoppers. Elizabeth and Clare had hardly anything to bring home! HUGE thanks to our new treasurer, Sam Fagan, for taking the credit card payments.

Sam Fagan, on the far right, helping members

Happy Shoppers

Clodagh, wearing amazing felted accessories, and carrying her purchases

Members stocked up on fibres, novelty yarns, and fabrics to use in future projects!

Crafting Together

In addition to purchasing gorgeous wool and silks, members gathered to work on their unfinished projects. One member stitched pockets onto the purse she created in our Basic and Beyond Bagmaking Workshop. Another continued working on her Christmas Angel, the subject of our November Sunday Session. One member sewed the tiniest beads onto her needle-felted name tag, which was the theme of our September Sunday Session. Others simply enjoyed the warm atmosphere of being amongst feltmaking friends!

Dessert of the Session

Lorna’s ‘Pan Thirties’, a twist on the traditional Italian Panforte.

Our secretary, Lorna Cady, always makes the time to bring a vegan baked good. For this session, she made a version of panforte.

Appreciation

Thank you, Elizabeth and Clare, for sharing the treasures from your textile stashes—your contributions were truly appreciated by all our members. A big thank-you as well to our treasurer, Sam, for efficiently managing all the credit card payments. Lastly, thanks to all the feltmakers who attended the session and contributed to the warm, creative atmosphere. The event offered so many delights that we will certainly host another de-stashing sale in the future!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas holiday.

See you in the new year—on Sunday, the 11th of January. We will be mind-mapping on the theme for our 2026 Exhibition.

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Sunday Session: Crafting Together, De-Stash Sale & Mince Pies – THIS Sunday

Published on Dec 5, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Crafting Together

Looking for the perfect opportunity to finish those incomplete or long-forgotten projects? Our upcoming Sunday Session is designed just for that! Bring along any works-in-progress (and the supplies you need) and enjoy a relaxed, supportive space to finally give your WIPs/UFOs (aka: works in progress/unfinished felted objects) the attention they deserve.

De-Stash Sale

This session comes with an added treat: our founder, Elizabeth Bonnar, and Clare Brophy, former guild secretary, will be hosting a very special de-stash sale. They are parting with some of their felting supplies —an inspiring assortment for makers, fibre artists, and curious crafters alike.

There will be bagged Merino fibre, Assorted other breeds of wool, ArtYarns, Curly locks, Tussah silk fibre, Silk fabrics, and more available for purchase.

All proceeds will be donated to the Guild toward a future educational project. We’ll be accepting both cash and credit cards for convenience.

Throughout the Session, Elizabeth will demonstrate feltmaking using the various fibres and fabrics available. Come and see!

The sale is open to ALL. One does not need to be a member of the guild.

Please spread the word amongst your textile-loving friends!

When: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D08 PA07

Directions

If coming by car, turn off Grattan Crescent onto South Terrace, then right onto West Terrace, and arrive at the Square outside the Hall. It is the large building facing Library Square.

If taking public transit from the centre of Dublin, the G1, G2 and number 60 buses stop on Sarsfield Road. The stop on the route from town is 2643. Facing the stone wall, turn left and walk back approximately 16 strides from the bus stop to go through a ‘hole’ in the stone wall. Walk along Inchicore Terrace North past the houses, and you will see the CIE Hall as you come around the corner.(Do not walk forward from the bus stop towards the train underpass).

Additional Information:

To add to the festive spirit, please bring mince pies or other festive desserts to share. Also, please bring a travel mug so we can reduce the 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. We will email a Zoom link to members on Friday afternoon.

Questions or concerns about our Sunday Session? Please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com

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Recap: Feltmakers Ireland at Fibreshed Ireland’s Textile Market

Published on Nov 25, 2025Nov 25, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

By committee member Loli Cox

On Saturday, the 22nd of November 2025, Feltmakers Ireland had the privilege of taking part in Fibreshed Ireland‘s first Textile Market, which was part of their annual Symposium held the day before.

Fibershed is a global movement that evolved from Rebecca Burgess and Courtney White’s 2019 book, ‘Fibreshed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy.’ Weaver and natural dyer Burgess developed a project focused on wearing clothing made from fibre grown, woven, and sewn within her bioregion of North Central California. In Ireland, our fibreshed encompasses the whole island. The Fibershed movement champions local, regenerative fibre systems—connecting soil, plants, animals, and humans through transparent supply chains and bioregional textile practices.

At the Textile Market, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland set up a lively demonstration station where visitors could watch both wet felting and needle felting techniques. We talked passionately about the guild’s mission to keep traditional feltmaking skills alive, to celebrate Irish wool in all its glorious variety, and to foster creativity and community through this extraordinarily versatile material.

A special highlight was the chance to promote our beautiful book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. Copies were available for sale alongside an array of handmade treasures: wet-felted vessels, pocket books and bags, bookmarks, greeting cards, whimsical wool pumpkins, and gnomes—every single piece made exclusively with Irish wool from a rainbow of native sheep breeds.

Visitors loved getting hands-on: touching fleece samples from rare and heritage breeds, feeling the different textures, and discovering how dramatically each type of wool felts. Our display of members’ artwork—landscape wall pieces, sculptures and wearable art—showed just how far this simple fibre can be pushed in skilled and imaginative hands.

A thank-you to the Fibreshed Ireland team for inviting us and for creating such a warm, inspiring event. We’re especially grateful to our own guild members, Margaret and Clodagh, who gave their time so generously and demonstrated with enthusiasm. Additionally, it was also a joy to spend the day alongside our fellow artisans who spin, naturally dye and process Irish wool with equal love and dedication. Vendors included guild members Katarina of WoolStore Ireland, who shared her beautifully processed Irish wool fibre and Juliane of FeltHappiness, who shared her sculptural hats.

Feltmakers Ireland members at the Textile Market. From left to right: Juliane, Loli, Margaret, Sam, and Katarina.

Gallery of Photos

Aga + Katja (plus, Anne O’Toole on the far right) at Sound of Spinning

Apologies for not having photos of Liz of the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers spinning flax or Sandra of Irish Fibre Crafters.

Events like these remind us why we do what we do: to honour the sheep, the land, the makers, and the long story woven into every handful of fleece.

Feltmakers Ireland is already looking forward to the next chance to collaborate with Fibreshed Ireland —here’s to many more days of woolly connection!

Editor’s note: If you missed our book at the Textile Market, you can order it online via our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/exploring-irish-wool-for-feltmaking/

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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

RECAP – Feltmakers Ireland’s Open Day – Dublin

Published on Aug 21, 2025Dec 17, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

By Deirdre Carroll

Recap - August Craft Month - Feltmakers Ireland

On a bright sunny day in Dublin, Feltmakers Ireland members held an ‘Introduction to Wet Felting Workshop’ at the CIE Sports and Social Hall in Inchicore on Sunday, the 17th of August. Our event was part of August Craft Month, and also part of National Heritage Week, which runs from August 16th to 24th.

The aim of our event was to introduce participants to the art of wet felting and provide hands-on experience in creating a felted vessel. The skills gained included an understanding of the felting process, tactile engagement, creative confidence, and the joy of having fun.

Two sessions were held, with 12 participants attending the first session from 11 AM to 1 PM and 8 participants attending the second session from 1 PM to 3 PM. All participants were provided with wool and the equipment needed to felt a vessel using a choice of colours. Guild member Annika Berglund gave a demonstration on starting the process before the participants went to their positions, where they were assisted in completing the process by members of Feltmakers Ireland.

Photos of the students felting away.

In addition to the hands-on wet felting workshop, guild member Margaret Ryan Collins shared about Irish wool. She demonstrated how to card wool from Irish sheep’s fleece, showing that the wool could be used for felting or knitting. A few years ago, Feltmakers Ireland successfully self-published a book on felting with Irish wool, titled ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking.’ This book is available for purchase on our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/exploring-irish-wool-for-feltmaking/

As part of our Open Day, we showcased the sample board from our research on Irish Wool. It shows how specific breeds of sheep’s wool can be needle-felted and wet-felted.

Samples wet felted and needle felted from the sheep breeds tested for our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’.

Guild member Eva Salamon demonstrated how to needle-felt her fantasy figures. Hilary shared some of her works-in-progress.

Several members displayed their felted creations.

Annika, Irina, Marie, and Elizabeth demonstrated and helped participants to create wet-felted vessels. The verbal feedback from the participants was very positive, and each person left with a completed vessel.

Annika and some of the students share their felted vessels.

Isha from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland and photographer Sasko arrived to view the workshop. They were very interested in the various pieces on display and the processes demonstrated by the members.

In conclusion, Feltmakers Ireland’s Open Day successfully engaged participants in the creative process of wet felting, enabling them to express their artistic side. It was a great day and a great success.

Thanks to the members of Feltmakers Ireland who helped on the day. Thank you to Sam Fagan and Margaret for the photographs. Additional appreciation to Sam, Annika, and Lorna, who organised a very successful event. Feltmakers Ireland is grateful for the support received from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

On Sunday, the 24th of August, committee member Elizabeth Redding will lead a similar Open Day in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath. https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/feltmakers-ireland-open-day-discover-the-magic-of-wet-felting-westmeath/ Note: This event is fully booked up. If you would like to volunteer to help, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com

Good luck to Elizabeth and the volunteers helping her.

UPDATE: There’s a fantastic blog post by Douglas of the CIE Sports Hall in Inchicore that features even more photos and tons of interesting information. – https://inchicoresportsandsocialclub.com/2025/08/19/feltmakers-ireland-open-day-sunday-17-august/ 🌿🐏🌿

There is a fantastic article with TONS of photos about our Open Day on the CIE Sports Hall’s website – https://inchicoresportsandsocialclub.com/2025/08/19/feltmakers-ireland-open-day-sunday-17-august/

Additionally, we had a second Open Day in Kilbeggan on Sunday, the 24th of August. There is an article (with a paywall), here on Topic – https://topic.ie/from-wool-to-wonder-feltmakers-open-day-draws-all-ages/

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News: Feltmakers Ireland AGM 2025 – this Sunday

Published on May 9, 2025May 12, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Poster for Feltmakers Ireland's AGM 2025 - This Sunday with guest speaker Lieko Uchiyama - picture of Leiko and some of her hand-dyed wool fibres. — Leiko Uchiyama with a selection of her hand-dyed fibres

All members* of the Feltmakers Ireland Guild are invited to our AGM on Sunday, the 11th of May.

VENUE: CIE Sports and Social Club, INCHICORE, Dublin 8, Eircode D08X525
DATE: 11th May 2025
TIME: 10:30 – 12:30

By starting promptly at 10:30 AM, we aim to complete the meeting’s formalities promptly, allowing us to listen to the Textile Journey of our Guest Speaker, Leiko Uchiyama, an artist, educator, and master dyer, who lives in Co Carlow.

Additionally, we will feature a Sellers’ Area and a Display Area this year.

Image of wool and wool & silk fibre that LeikoFelt sells and will provide at the AGM for members to purchase.

Leiko brought a selection of her gorgeous hand-dyed fibres during the Pine Needle Felting Workshop in January. She will have similar supplies available to purchase this Sunday. Other guild members will be bringing felted artwork and supplies too. IF you want to be included in this Vending Opportunity, please RESERVE a spot by emailing feltmakersIE@gmail.com

There is no cost for members to sell at the AGM.

Agenda

1. Address by the Chair, opening the AGM (Suzanne Phelan will act on behalf of chairperson Deirdre Carroll, who is away)

2. Address by Secretary (Lorna Cady)

3. Treasurer’s Report (Annika Berglund)

4. Wool Project Wool Report (Annika Berglund)

5. Motions for AGM

6. Election of Chair and Committee 2025/26. Election of other Officers will be held at the June Committee Meeting. We always welcome new faces on the Committee—if you’re interested in helping to keep our Guild active and thriving, your support would be greatly appreciated!

7. Guest Speaker is Leiko Uchiyama, a feltmaking artist originally from Japan and now living in Borris, Co Carlow. Her journey has taken her from Japan to New Zealand, Indonesia, and France, where she developed her feltmaking techniques. Leiko creates wearable pieces made of wool and silks, which she dyes using her own colour recipes. She also makes functional pieces for the home. She teaches Felting workshops throughout Europe, America, Australia, and Japan, and has exhibited her work in many countries.

Leiko will also have her dyed wool roving for sale at the AGM. She will bring Merino, Corriedale and a Silk/Merino mix of roving, which is ideal for the craft of felting.

8. A Bursary Draw for €250 is open to all paid-up members and will take place at the AGM. The winner can participate in a Felting course and then provide a short recap article with photographs. (In 2024, guild member Adrienne Dempsey won the award. You can read about her experience in this blog post.)

9. Sellers’ Area: Members can sell their work, fibres or supplies at the AGM. Methods of receiving payment, whether by cash, credit card, Revolut, or PayPal transactions, are the seller’s responsibility. The guild will provide tables, but NOT coverings or other displays. Please RSVP to participate in the Sellers’ Area. feltmakersIE@gmail.com

10. Display Area: Members can also take the opportunity to display and discuss a small selection of their work with other members. Members will need to bring props to display their items. Make sure that your name is on your piece. The guild will provide two table coverings. There is no need to RSVP for the Display Area.

11. Refreshments and chat. Refreshments will follow. If you could bring a little something, home-baked or not, we’d be delighted. We always appreciate goodies with our cuppa. If you have a travel cup, please bring it so we can reduce the waste of single-use paper cups. As always, we will provide the coffee and tea!

*We kindly ask non-members to become members in order to attend the AGM.

Zoom Access

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed to members today. This session will not be recorded.

Leiko’s Instagram: @leikofelt

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Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

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Events: Feltmakers Ireland AGM 2025 – 11th of May

Published on Apr 29, 2025May 9, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

AGM

All members of the Feltmakers Ireland Guild are invited to our AGM on Sunday, the 11th of May.

VENUE: CIE Sports and Social Club, INCHICORE, Dublin 8, Eircode D08X525
DATE: 11th May 2025
TIME: 10:30 – 12:30

By starting promptly at 10:30 AM, we aim to complete the meeting’s formalities in a timely manner, allowing us to listen to our Guest Speaker, Leiko Uchiyama, an artist, educator, and master dyer, who lives in Co Carlow.

Additionally, this year we will feature a Sellers’ Area and a Display Area. See below for more information.

Agenda

1. Address by the Chair, opening the AGM (Suzanne Phelan will act on behalf of chairperson Deirdre Carroll, who is away)

2. Address by Secretary (Lorna Cady)

3. Treasurer’s Report (Annika Berglund)

4. Wool Project Wool Report (Annika Berglund)

5. Motions for AGM

Leiko will also have her dyed wool roving for sale at the AGM. She will bring Merino, Corriedale and a Silk/Merino mix of roving, which is ideal for the craft of felting.

9. Sellers’ Area: Members will have the opportunity to sell their work, fibres or supplies at the AGM. Methods of receiving payment, whether by cash, credit card, Revolut, or PayPal transactions, are the seller’s responsibility. The guild will provide tables, but NOT coverings or other displays. Please RSVP if you wish to participate in the Sellers’ Area, as space is limited. feltmakersIE@gmail.com

Zoom Access

Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed beforehand on Friday. This session will not be recorded.

Leiko’s Instagram: @leikofelt

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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: Clodagh Mac Donagh – April Sunday Session

Published on Apr 15, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland2 Comments

Clodagh wearing her colourful, hand-felted vest pictured next to a photo from her teaching years.

On Sunday, April 13th, long-time Feltmakers Ireland guild member Clodagh Mac Donagh shared her Textile Journey. Her colourful adventures in three locations—London, Paris, and Skerries, IRELAND —where she has lived, been educated, worked, and raised her family, enchanted us.

Like many guild members, Clodagh trained in fine art (in Ireland) and textiles (Goldsmiths in the UK). She worked in education. She taught textiles in multiple settings: to young people via schools, large-scale community projects funded by her local Fingal County Council, and even a textile education centre she opened in Balbriggan. Most recently, she taught a ten-week course on Wet Felting to adults at Castleknock College. Although now retired, she continues to teach Shibori Dyeing and other textile-related classes through Mel Bradley Silks Studio in Drogheda.

Teaching Felting

Besides working as an educator, Clodagh also worked as a dyer for high-end textile designer Sabina Fay Braxton.

She has also traveled extensively and shared some of her Japanese textile collection, which she collected during her visit there six years ago. When she was there, she visited Aramatsu – the town that creates famous Shibori!

Some Photographs of Felted and Shibori Dyed Textiles

On Shibori

Clodagh explained that the term ‘Shibori ‘ means in Japanese “to wring out or compress so that the dye does not reach”. The technique dates back to the 8th century in Japan. Traditionally, it was done on silk or hemp fabrics and was worn by the samurai and aristocracy.

Clodagh generously shared six Shibori-dyeing resist techniques with the guild. She explained that what we do now is not traditional.

Kamoko – a pattern with all-over circles or bullseyes on it.

Arashi, which means ‘Driving Rain’ in Japanese, is an accordion fold (like a fan) tied around a pole or pipe. It looks sophisticated, but not difficult to produce.

Itajame – an accordion fold with resists.

Nui Shibori – stitched with pleats.

Kumo – repeat in the fabric with a series of ties concentrically arranged.

Muira—The example she showed was a long robe made of panels. It was created using a special stand with a hook that catches fabric and stitched with a continuous thread.

Example of Arashi

Video from Sunday

A huge thank you to Clodagh for sharing your Textile Journey with us! We appreciate all the work she put in to share with us.

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Reminder: Clodagh Mac Donagh’s Textile Journey -This Sunday Session

Published on Apr 11, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

Sunday Session - the 13th - Clodagh Mac Donagh - Adventures in Indigo

This Sunday, the 13th of April, longtime Feltmakers Ireland member, artist and educator, Clodagh Mac Donagh will share her travel and textile experiences with feltmaking and indigo dyeing for our Sunday Session. She has traveled to Japan to study dyeing and will bring her fantastic collection of textiles. Additionally, she will demonstrate various techniques of achieving patterns through Shibori methods.

Due to health and safety, our Sunday Session will ~not~ be a hands-on Indigo Dyeing demonstration or workshop, but Clodagh will demonstrate shibori techniques.

Please bring the following items:

10 baby wipes
10 A4 sheets of paper, preferably white/plain (These will be used for demonstration purposes)
some small rubber bands
a few short lengths of strings (different thicknesses)
a few beads or glass pebbles
a ruler
pen or pencil, and a small bag to bring items home.

Note: These items are for demonstrating purposes only, not for dyeing.

Additional Details

Where: CIE Sports Hall and Social Club, Inchicore.
When: the 13th of April, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

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 disposable paper cups.

As a member perk for 2025, we 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 ~not~ have a Zoom link. We apologise for this, but we will use a projector to share some of Clodagh’s photographs of her projects and travels. There is only so much technology we can juggle during a single session.

As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, we prefer you not to share these. Please do not attend if you may be unwell. We will have a photo-filled recap on the blog in the coming week!

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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: Clodagh Mac Donagh’s Textile Journey – Adventures in Indigo – 13th of April

Published on Apr 2, 2025Apr 21, 2025 by Feltmakers Ireland

On April 13th, longtime Feltmakers Ireland member, artist and educator, Clodagh Mac Donagh, will share her travel and textile experiences with Indigo Dyeing for our Sunday Session. She has traveled to Japan to study this subject and will bring her fantastic collection of textiles. She will also demonstrate various techniques of achieving patterns through Shibori methods.

Due to health and safety, our Sunday Session will ~not~ be a hands-on Indigo Dyeing demonstration or workshop, but Clodagh will demonstrate shibori techniques.

Please bring the following items:

10 baby wipes
10 A4 sheets of paper, preferably white/plain (These will be used for demonstration purposes)
some small rubber bands
a few short lengths of strings (different thicknesses)
a few beads or glass pebbles
a ruler
pen or pencil, and a small bag to bring them home again.

Note: these items are for demonstrating purposes only, not for dyeing.

From an Indigo / Shibori Dyeing Workshop in 2024

The photos above are from a workshop taught by Clodagh and Mel Bradley, which was held at Mel Bradley Silks, in the Millmount Craft Quarter, Drogheda, in the Spring of 2024.

Additional Details

Where: CIE Sports Hall and Social Club, Inchicore.
When: the 13th of April, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

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 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 ~not~ have a Zoom link. We apologise for this, but we will use a projector to share some of Clodagh’s photographs of her travels. There is only so much technology we can juggle during a single session.

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

Here is a fun video from the workshop in Drogheda!

Students are airing the indigo-dyed fabric and having a little dance, too!

The recap of this Sunday Session is HERE – https://feltmakersireland.com/2025/04/15/recap-clodagh-mac-donagh-april-sunday-session/

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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: 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

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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.