This is the last week to catch Sculpture in Context at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. The exhibition runs through this Friday, the 10th of October and includes the work of over 90 artists.
Note: The RTE program will only be available for viewing within Ireland and will only be up for 21 days from the original transmission date.
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.
Several of Feltmakers Ireland members are participating in this year’s Culture Night – Friday, the 19th of September.
Art Exhibition – Sutton, Co Dublin
Guild members Sandra Reynolds and Fiona Leech are amongst the artists who are exhibiting as part of Sow’s Ear Collective at the Bayside Community Centre. “Taking Shape” is the second group exhibition from the Sow’s Ear Collective, a gathering of multidisciplinary artists working across painting, sculpture, textiles, and more.
When: 7 PM – 10 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
Tamzen Lundy and her colleagues at GATHER Kildare will be hosting an open night. Watch live demonstrations of traditional and contemporary skills, including feltmaking, wood carving, and glassmaking.
When: 4:30 PM – 6 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
If you are a guild member who is participating in a Culture Night event, please let us know – FeltmakersIE@gmail.com
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.
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.
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 for the Irish Times.
Stay Updated:
For any last-minute updates or exciting announcements, make sure to follow our social media pages.
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.
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.
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 the 1st of August, Feltmakers Ireland guild member Juliane Gorman was interviewed by her local radio station, Dublin South FM by the talented Maeve Halpin of ‘Wellbeing for Everyday Life’. Also on the program was Eimear Harding, the Communications Mangager with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.
Juliane spoke about the sorry state of Irish wool, Feltmakers Ireland’s two Open Days*, and how to make a felted hat. Eimar spoke about how there are over 400 craft-related events all over Ireland: Events include Maker Talks, Workshops, Exhibitions, Markets, and Festivals. There are events in every county and a wide range of crafts, including felting!
*The Feltmakers Ireland Open Day in Kilbeggan is fully booked. We need more volunteers! If you are a guild member and and can help, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com
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 the 18th of August from 11 AM to 3 PM at the CIE Hall/Inchicore Sports and Social Club Library Square, Inchicore, Co. Dublin, D08 PA07
On the 25th of August from 11 AM to 3 PM at St James Hall, Dublin Road, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, N91 XA32
Time: Both events run from 11 AM to 3 PM.
This year, we will be teaching how to felt a small round vessel out of wool roving using soapy water and your hands!
Curious about sheep and Irish wool varieties? Explore the unique reactions of different Irish wool types that have been needle and wet felted. There will be an opportunity to browse and purchase our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, a rich resource on forty breeds of Irish-raised sheep.
There will be a display of felted artworks and wearables crafted by our talented members, showcasing the beauty and versatility of feltmaking.
If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and you are having a felt-related event as part of August Craft Month, please contact us so we can include you in our August Craft Month posts – feltmakersIE@gmail.com
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.
Valerie Nowak-O’Ceallaigh – ‘A circle in a square’
Without opposites, there is no life For without darkness, there is no light For without roughness, there is no softness For without inside, there is no outside For without rain, there is no rainbow. Opposites attract to create life
My piece is created to surprise, intrigue and engage the visitors. Each visitor is encouraged to use their flashlight to investigate the inside of the wool felted tunnel. They will then discover the harbour of Dalkey under a rainbow after the rain. The front of the frame is voluntarily dark to reveal an explosion of colours while you venture inside. Using those contrasts, I show how opposites attract and create a new dimension.
Helena Mc Guinness
Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Eye of the storm’
‘Opposites Attract’- based on a raindrop caught between two weather fronts. A storm on one side of the piece and bright sunshine on the other. A rainbow forms, made up of many raindrops. In this piece, ‘The Eye Of The Storm’, we see a double rainbow. So joyous in the sky!
Eithne O’Dea
Eithne O’Dea – ‘Night and Day’
When I thought about the exhibition theme, ‘Opposites Attract’, the term ‘Night and Day’ came into my mind- you can’t have one without the other. The recent solar eclipse developed this thought further, and the fanciful image of the Moon passing the Sun was born!
Eva Salamon
Eva Salamon – ‘Law of Nature’
Something new is always born out of decay: Death follows Life, and Life follows Death…
These two elements are constantly at work, form an eternal cycle, drawn to each other because they cannot exist without one another…
I dedicate this piece/artwork to my mother, who just returned to this cycle.
Juliane Gorman
Juliane Gorman – ‘Balancing’
My artwork, ‘Balancing’, delves into the dual nature of our dependence on oil. Just as opposites attract, our reliance on oil draws us in with promises of convenience, power, and economic prosperity while simultaneously repelling us with the ecological devastation and social inequality it perpetuates. Through my piece of felted headwear, I encourage reflection on this complex relationship and the need for sustainability.
We hope that you enjoyed learning about what inspires these artists. ‘Opposites Attract’ is at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre until the 26th of May.
The gallery is open from 10 AM until 4 PM daily.
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 Saturday, the 4th of May, Feltmakers Ireland opened their group art exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract,’ at the Phonix Park Visitors’ Centre. Friends, family, and other supporters kindly came to cheer us on!
A Few Photos from the Gallery
Above photos by Fiona Leech
Tom Watts from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (the DCCI) inaugurated our opening by speaking about the importance of wool as a sustainable material and how craft and design are interwoven. He added that he was impressed with the qualities, techniques, and ideas of the exhibited pieces.
Tom Watts spoke at the opening.
Interestingly, he wore a pair of vintage Nike Air Footscape Woven Trainers that contained felt!
Members Alongside Their Work
Our trusty photographer was busy chatting with other members, so she only managed to snap some of our members alongside their work.
The Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre Gallery was open seven days a week, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Each day, a member volunteered her time to share the wonder of feltmaking and chat with the visitors. Over a thousand people visited our show!
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.
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract,’ opens today at 3 PM. Tom Watts of the Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCI) will inaugurate our exhibition.
Here are the last of the sneak peeks: Sandra Reynolds, Helena Mc Guinness, Sandra Coote, Valerie Nowak-oceallaigh, Patricia Conroy, Hélène Dooley, and Juliane Gorman.
Sandra Reynolds
Helena Mc Guinness
Sandra Coote
Valerie Nowak-oceallaigh
Patricia Conroy
Hélène Dooley
Juliane Gorman
Thank you for accompanying us on this Sneak Peek Journey. Learning about our members and their inspirations has been a fascinating part of organising this exhibition! We cannot wait to share more artwork during the show’s run from May 5th to 26th.
Remember: The Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. However, the lovely cafe across the way is open.
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.
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!
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.
Feltmakers Ireland 