Tag: International Feltmakers Association

Event: Knitting and Stitching Show Opens Next Week – Belfast – Members and Friends Will be There

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland


Members and friends of Feltmakers Ireland will be exhibiting at The Knitting and Stitching Show in Belfast. This includes Tamzen Lundy, Sandra Coote, and a raft of volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland, Feltmakers North, and the International Feltmakers Association.

  • When: The 7th through the 10th of November.
  • Where: The Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.

Say ‘Hello’

Tamzen Lundy Designs

Guild member Tamzen Lundy‘s felted Brussel sprouts and other Christmas ornaments will be available at the CraftNI Gallery Showcase – Booth E86.

Crafts of Ireland – Sandra Coote

Guild member Sandra Coote’s business, Crafts of Ireland, will display her Irish wool Needlefelting kits, Lumra kits, and other creations at Booth D53.

Three Felting Guilds

Volunteers from Feltmakers North, The International Feltmakers Association, and Feltmakers Ireland will collaborate to demonstrate wet and needlefelting at Booth G30. Editor’s Correction: We will be at G34.

Discount Code

Lastly, the Knitting and Stitching Show has arranged a discount code for us: Use code FELTMAKERSIR  to save £2* at checkout! 

T&Cs: Save £2.00 on adult and concession tickets. This is for Standard Single-Day Adult tickets. It is not valid on VIP, Two-Day, or group tickets. Codes expire at 11:59 PM, November 3rd, 2024. £3.50 transaction fee applies per e-ticket order.

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Show’s website – https://knittingandstitchingshowbelfast.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options?

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: Felt Matters Podcast – International Feltmakers Association

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The International Feltmaker Association (IFA) has a new podcast! Cohosts Vivienne Morpeth and Heather Potten discuss their love of all things felting. The podcast is an excellent way to learn about different feltmaking perspectives while felting, cooking or walking your dog!

Episodes 1-4 are now available on the IFA YouTube channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcast or via the International Feltmakers Association’s website – https://www.feltmakers.com/felt-matters-the-podcast-of-the-international-feltmakers-association/

To listen to the podcast, visit the IFA’s YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@internationalfeltmakersass6586

There are Behind the Scenes blog posts over on the IFA’s website –

Episode 1 – https://www.feltmakers.com/behind-the-scenes-of-felt-matters-the-podcast/ 

Episode 2 – https://www.feltmakers.com/behind-the-scenes-of-the-podcast-2/

More coming soon…

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: Five Online Felting Courses via International Feltmakers Association

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The International Feltmakers Association (IFA) offers a series of five different online felting classes. These Discovering Feltmaking Courses begin in October and include Basics, Color, Surfaces & Edges, 3D Forms, and Nuno Felting.

You can work at your own pace with qualified mentors giving advice daily.

For more information, visit the IFA’s website – https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

The IFA has a branch for all of Ireland – Region 14. To join, visit here – https://www.feltmakers.com/join-the-international-feltmakers-association/

The classes are open to IFA members and non-members.

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: Guild Members Create News

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Many of our Feltmakers Ireland’s members use wool to create beautiful felted creations, while some express their creativity through additional mediums. The talent within our community continues to shine, as evidenced by two of our members who recently authored articles that were successfully published.

Guild member Jane Fox went on a trip of a lifetime – a Felt and Culture Retreat in Kyrgyzstan for thirteen days. Included in her trip were eight feltmaking and textile workshops, along with cultural and natural highlights.

This photo of Jane comes from the IFA’s Instagram page – https://www.instagram.com/internationalfeltmakers/

To read about Jane’s incredible adventure, visit the International Feltmakers Association blog – https://www.feltmakers.com/felt-and-culture-retreat-in-kyrgyzstan/

Over the summer, guild member Hélène Dooley had two articles published.

Her first article concerns her thought-provoking experience of using treasured textile materials to create new artworks. If you have a ‘stash’ of fibres and fabrics that you are ‘saving’, this article may inspire you! The article is published on the ‘Felting and Fiber Studio Blog’. – https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2024/08/17/rethinking-old-sayings/

This photo comes from the Felting and Fiber Studio website.

Hélène’s second article, featured on the Ashford Handicrafts’ blog, is a valuable resource for anyone interested in feltmaking. It’s a detailed, step-by-step tutorial that shares her experiences as a feltmaking tutor and guides readers through the process of creating a wet felted, Frilled Vessel. https://www.ashford.co.nz/felted-frilled-vessel/

This photo comes from Hélène’s Instagram account – https://www.instagram.com/feltzen/

Additionally, Hélène made a thorough video demonstrating how to create the Felted Frilled Vessel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHKXsQceuXg

Let’s give these two members, Jane and Hélène, a round of applause for learning, creating, and sharing their unique experiences with the world. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements!

If you, as a member of Feltmakers Ireland, have a textile-related award, exhibition, or experience that you’re proud of and want to share, we encourage you to do so. Your unique experiences and achievements make our community so vibrant and inspiring.

Please email us at feltmakersIE@gmail.com to share your story!

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.

Of Interest: Judit Pocs Feltmaking Video – The Gate

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

‘The Gate’ is an elegant, informative, and inspiring film by Judit and Roland Tóth-Pócs.

In early 2021, during the pandemic, the International Felt Association (IFA) commissioned the film as part of its ReConnect program series. The film covers three topics related to Judit Pocs’ feltmaking: spatiality, material use, and recycling. It also follows Judit as she creates a large wall panel entitled ‘Gate’.

To watch this artful video, visit YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vfOKJBDSA

An earlier video on her work, ‘On Gentle Threads’, presents the phases of feltmaking, from sheep shearing to wool processing to various felting techniques. It also can be seen on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EQqOnlPq9E

Both films have beautiful music, too!


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: Online Felting Class with the IFA

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The International Feltmakers Association (IFA) offers online workshops through the Discovering Feltmaking series, designed to help feltmakers, both new and experienced, understand the process of making wet felt.

  • Part 1- Discovering Feltmaking
  • Part 2 – Using Colour
  • Part 3 – Surfaces and Edges
  • Part 4 – 3D Felt

Each course focuses on a different aspect of feltmaking and gives ample opportunity for practice and experimentation.

For example, if you want to learn about colour mixing, surface design, getting exciting edges, 3D felting, and shrinkage rates for different breeds? All these topics, plus much more, are covered in the courses.

Each course pays particular attention to the quality of the finished felt. All are fully supported by mentors, who check in twice daily with the students to offer advice and encouragement.
The courses also offer great value for money, and you will have unlimited access to the material.

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Hélène Dooley will assist with Parts 2 and 3.

Please follow this link to find out more: https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

Education: Online Feltmaking Workshops via IFA

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The International Feltmakers Association (IFA) has a series of online wet felting workshops: Part 1- Discovering Feltmaking; Part 2 – Using Colour; Part 3 – Surfaces and Edges; and Part 4 – 3D Felt.

These online workshops have been developed by the IFA to help create an understanding of the process of making wet felt, paying particular attention to the quality of the finished felt.

These courses are invaluable for all feltmakers. You may be just starting out in feltmaking or, as a more seasoned feltmaker, want to find answers to your questions.  Our workshops teach you how to make small-scale samples using the wet-felting method. By the end of each course, you will have created a personal resource that you can refer to for all of your feltmaking projects. Open to IFA members and non-members.

The IFA has a branch for all of Ireland – it’s Region 14. To join, visit here – https://www.feltmakers.com/join-the-international-feltmakers-association/

For more information on the workshops, visit the IFA’s website – https://www.feltmakers.com/discovering-feltmaking-course/

Exhibition: Wonderful WOOL by members of IFA – Region 14

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

“Wonderful WOOL” is an exhibition by members of the International Feltmakers Association, Region 14, at Larne Museum & Arts Centre.

Poster for ‘Wonderful WOOL’ with a piece by Hélène Dooley.

This exhibition shows the versatility of wool, a wonderful natural product which can be felted wet or dry. A variety of wools have been used in the various exhibits – combined in different ways with other materials such as silk, viscose and cotton. There are 3D objects, hangings, pictures and wearable pieces such as hats, scarves and coats.

Cutting the ribbon. Left to right, back row – Shelley Steele, Jane Fox, Ann McCullough, and Gail Cooke. Front row – Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna (Mayor of Larne) and Anne Bennett. The Mayor is wearing a shawl made by Shelley, purchased at Shelley’s 2019 exhibition.

The exhibition features work by 15 members of the Association – Anne Bennett, Annika Berglund, Nicola Brown, Niki Collier, Gail Cooke, Hélène Dooley, Noelle Ferris, Jane Fox, Juliane Gorman, Ann McCullough, Laura Moffett, Jacki Sleator, Shelley Steele, Astrid Tromp-Hofman, and Leiko Uchiyama.

Jane Fox is pictured with one of her pieces from the display, “Woodsman and Dog”.

Visitors have said:

“Amazing talent and fabulous exhibition.”

“Just wonderful!”

“Beautiful!”

Anne Bennett with her ‘Spring Hug Shawl”.

All the exhibits have been created by members of Region 14 of the International Feltmakers Association. Our members come from across the island of Ireland, including feltmakers of international renown and those just starting their creative journey.

Shelley Steele with two of her pieces.

The exhibition is open to the public from Friday the 7th until Thursday the 27th of July and includes Saturday opening on the 22nd of July.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Exhibition: Wonderful WOOL – Exhibition by IFA Region 14 Members

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Several members of Feltmakers Ireland have pieces in the International Feltmakers Association – Region 14 members’ exhibition, ‘Wonderful WOOL’, set in the Larne Museum and Arts Centre, Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK.

The event runs from the 7th to the 27th of July, with an opening celebration on the 22nd.

For more information, visit – https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/events/wonderful-wool