Tag: Needle Felting

Sunday Session: Crafting Together – Special De-Stash Sale by Elizabeth Bonnar (+ Mince Pies)

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment
Apologies for the scary-looking sheep made of Merino and silk fibres!

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 objects) the attention they deserve.

This session comes with an added treat: our founder, Elizabeth Bonnar, will be hosting a very special de-stash sale. Elizabeth is parting with her beautiful collection of felting fibres and materials—an inspiring assortment for makers, fibre artists, and curious crafters alike. Throughout the Session, Elizabeth will demonstrate feltmaking using the various fibres and fabrics available. Long-time member Clare Brophy will assist with the sales.

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

To add to the festive spirit, please bring mince pies or another dessert to share. Also, please bring a travel mug so we can reduce the use of disposable cups.

When: Sunday, the 7th of December, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Note: This Sunday Session is open to non-members. Naturally, visitors are welcome to join us for the coming year! Joining or renewing your Membership can be done online – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/

Additional Information:

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. See below.

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

We will email a Zoom link to all members for those who wish to attend virtually. Please check your email on Friday afternoon.

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

We can’t wait to craft, chat, and celebrate together!


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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Recap - Sunday Session

Sunday Session Recap: Magical Fairies and Angels Take Flight at Feltmakers Ireland Workshop with Belinda Reid

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland1 Comment

By Loli Cox

Belinda demonstrates how to place the shawl.
In addition to approximately 30 students at the CIE Sports Hall, we had 5 members join us via Zoom.

On a crisp November morning, thirty enthusiastic members of Feltmakers Ireland gathered at the CIE Sports Hall in Inchicore for a truly enchanting workshop led by the talented Belinda Reid of Chasing Dreams Felt Art. Held on Sunday, the 9th of November, the session focused on crafting whimsical three-dimensional fairies and angels using the delightful art of needle felting—a meditative, sculptural technique that transforms loose wool fibres into firm, detailed shapes with the repeated poking of a barbed needle.

Belinda, a passionate felt artist and Feltmakers Ireland committee member, guided the group with warmth and expertise. Known for her intricate felted creations and patient teaching style, she ensured every participant felt supported, offering one-on-one advice tailored to individual projects.

The process began with the basics: shaping a solid head from soft carded Irish wool. Arms came next—pipe cleaners wrapped first in skin-toned, Merino Roving in ‘Dune’ from Belinda’s Shop, for structure, then layered with colourful wool to form the gowns. Bodies and dresses bloomed in a rainbow of hues, from soft pastels to vibrant jewel tones. Hairstyles added personality: flowing blonde or brunette locks, elegant buns, or playful curls. Finally, delicate wings completed each figure, turning simple materials into magical beings.

A sampling of some of the students’ Angels.

Optional embroidery thread allowed for extra sparkle: tiny stitched details on dresses, belts, or even miniature flowers. The room buzzed with quiet concentration and bursts of delight as fairies, angels, one witch and a Granuaile O’Malley Pirate Queen emerged, each one utterly unique.

Some of the students sharing their creations.

Participants left beaming, many already planning their next creations. “I can’t wait to make a whole flock for Christmas gifts!” one member shared. Others envisioned their new treasures perched on mantels or twinkling among fairy lights as part of seasonal décor.

A huge thank you to Belinda Reid for sharing her skill and infectious creativity, and to the dedicated volunteers who made the day run smoothly. Workshops like these remind us why we love felting: a few handfuls of wool, a little patience, and suddenly—magic!

To learn more about Belinda, who offers workshops, felting supplies, and felted art, visit her website – https://www.chasingdreamsfeltart.com/

Her Instagram: @chasing_dreams_feltart_

More Photos

Baked Goods with History

Guild member Lorna Cady brings a historic-themed baked good to share for our Sunday Sessions. Her contribution for November is Parkin.

Tip: Below are the pipe cleaners we used, available on Amazon. The company is called ‘Golden Beads’.

Pipe cleaners that worked well.

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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Sunday Session

Sunday Session: THIS Sunday – Needle Felted Angel with Belinda Reid

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

This Sunday at Feltmakers Ireland, we will be making a Needle Felted Angel, led by committee member Belinda Reid of Chasing Dreams Felt Art. Her Instagram: @chasing_dreams_feltart_

She lives in County Galway and has generously offered to come to Inchicore, Dublin, to teach us!

Supplies

Please bring the following in Merino Roving:

  • 10 grams of wool per fairy in assorted colours: Dress colour x 2, Hair colour, Wing colour and Skin tone colour*. 
  • Felting Needles and Pad/Sponge.

*Belinda will bring extra skin tone coloured roving.

The Guild will provide pipecleaners.

The Details:

When: Sunday, the 9th of November, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Additional Information:

If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our 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. See below.

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

We will email a Zoom link to all members for those who wish to attend virtually. Please check your email in the afternoon.

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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Sunday Session

Sunday Session: 9th of November – Needle Felted Angel

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

For our November Sunday Session, we will be making a Needle Felted Angel with committee member Belinda Reid of Chasing Dreams Felt Art.

She lives in County Galway, and has kindly offered to come to Inchicore, Dublin, to teach us!

Supplies

Please bring the following in Merino Roving:

  • 10 grams of wool per fairy in assorted colours: Dress colour x 2, Hair colour, Wing colour and Skin tone colour*. 
  • Felting Needles and Pad/Sponge.

*Belinda will bring extra skin tone coloured roving.

The Guild will provide pipecleaners.

The Details:

When: Sunday, the 9th of November, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Additional Information:

If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).

And as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please do not come if you feel unwell.

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

On Friday, the 7th of November, we will email a Zoom link to all members for those who wish to attend virtually. Please check your email that afternoon.

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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Recap - Sunday Session

Recap: October Sunday Session – Needle Felted Wrens – Sandra Coote

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

By Loli Cox

On Sunday, the 12th of October, 2025, Feltmakers Ireland Guild hosted a fully booked workshop for 25 members, led by Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland, based in Cavan.

Sandra, an accomplished feltmaker, raises Roscommon sheep on her farm, processing their wool for her felting projects. She offers workshops and sells felting kits, sharing her expertise with enthusiasts.

The Supplies

Clockwise from the top left: Roscommon needle felted wool for core of birds, grey-coloured felting pads, sharps container for broken needles, sample wrens, scissors, templates, bark with wires, and extra felting needles.
Roscommon wool dyed in Wren colours by Sandra

For our Sunday Session, participants crafted needle-felted wrens mounted on tree bark, using wool from Sandra’s sheep and materials she provided. Her clear instructions, detailed templates, and inspiring samples guided attendees in shaping the birds’ bodies, wings, and tails. Sandra’s hands-on teaching style, coupled with her warm, humorous demeanour, created a welcoming environment for all skill levels. She offered personalised support, visiting each table to assist.

Students Concentrating

Sandra recommended that students look at their phones to find photos of what a wren’s feathers looked like. As students layered on Sandra’s hand-dyed wool for the colouring of the birds’ feathers, Guild member Jane Fox shared about an app to identify birds’ songs: We downloaded the Merlin App so we could hear both the song and call of the Wren.

Here is where one can find more information about the bird song app – https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Many of the Students with their Wrens

More Information

The guild expresses gratitude for Sandra’s generosity and expertise; we are thrilled to have a renowned artist lead the session. The workshop’s success highlights her skill in teaching and the charm of her 3D felted sculptures, which left members inspired and eager for more.

To see more of Sandra’s work, purchase her kits or book a workshop, visit her business, Crafts of Ireland – https://craftsofireland.ie/ You can also find her at the Knit + Stitch The Eikon Exhibition Centre, in Lisburn, UK, stand D53.

You can also follow her on social media:

Biscuits (without) History

This month, committee member Lorna Cady brought ‘Biscuits without History’, the latest instalment in her ongoing series of baked goods, which she kindly brings each month.

We are once again grateful to Sandra Coote for travelling from Cavan to teach us, for the fully enrolled workshop, and for the students who generously brought baked treats to share. We also appreciate the committee’s help in organising this Sunday’s Session.

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.

Sunday Session

This Sunday: 3D Needle Felted Wrens with Sandra Coote – FULLY Booked – Members Welcome to Observe

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

This month’s Sunday Session with Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland is now fully booked! We’re delighted to welcome 25 students to the 3D Needle Felted Wren Workshop.

A friendly reminder will be sent by email to all participants — we know how busy life can get.

If you registered for the class but are now unable to attend, please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com

Members who didn’t manage to secure a spot this time are welcome to come along and observe the session.

  • When: Sunday, the 12th of October.
  • The Sunday Session’s hours are as follows: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Additional Information

If possible, please bring a home-baked treat to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).

As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from attending if you feel unwell.

Apologies, but this Sunday’s Session will not have Zoom access.

Sunday Session

Sunday Session: 3D Needle Felted Wrens with Sandra Coote – Member Event

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

On Sunday, the 12th of October, guild member Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland will teach members how to create a three-dimensional, needle-felted wren.

  • Sandra will provide materials, which include her own Irish-raised wool and the wires for the legs/ feet.
  • Members, please bring your felting needles and pads. The guild will have a few extra sets for those who do not have these tools.

This session is limited to 25 participants and costs 15 euros.

We will email an online payment link to members on the afternoon of Friday, October 3rd – at 2 PM, Irish Time. If you are not already a member, you can join us via our website – https://feltmakersireland.com/membership-application/

Sandra will also bring her popular needle felting kits, which will be available for purchase.

The Details

When: Sunday, the 12th of October.

The Sunday Session’s Hours are the following: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Additional Information

If possible, please bring a home-baked treat to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).

As this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please refrain from attending if you feel unwell.

Apologies, but this Sunday’s Session will not have Zoom access.

Sunday Session

Sunday Session: THIS Sunday – Name Badge with Jane Fox – Plus, Meetup in Gort, Co Galway

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

This Sunday:

Our Sunday Session is THIS Sunday, on the 14th of September, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. 

Where: CIE Sports Hall, Library Square Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, D8

Guild member Jane Fox will lead us in creating our own Name Badges. The photo shows her badge, which she wore to demonstrate at this year’s Bloom. It is both beautiful and sustainable, and combines wet felting with needle felting!

Please bring the following items:

  • Your usual Wet Felting Kit, which includes a hand towel, soap, a small bowl, and a medium-sized piece of bubble plastic.
  • Felting needles and a sponge or felting mat. (We will have some extra felting needles and sponges on hand).
  • Sharp scissors.
  • Small bamboo mat – if you already have one. We have some extras for members to use during the session.
  • Optional: Bits and bobs such as beads, sequins, thread, and a needle – if you would like to sew these in.
  • Optional: Embellishment fibres, if desired.

The Guild and Jane will provide the other materials needed.

Additional Information:

If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (so we can reduce our use of disposable cups).

And as this is the season of coughs and sneezes, please do not come if you feel that you are ill.

Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:

A Zoom link to members will be emailed at 9 AM on Friday, the 12th of September. Please check your email.

Meetup in Co Galway:

Can’t make it to Dublin AND want to chat with folks in person about everyone’s favourite thing – feltmaking?

Feltmakers Ireland will have a meeting in Gort, Co Galway THIS Sunday, the 14th at 11 AM.

Where: Gort Town Hall, Ballyhugh, Co. Galway, H91 E0C8

Contact committee member Belinda Reid for more information – chasingdreamsfeltart@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 the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Sunday Session: Make a Felt Name Badge with Jane Fox

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Sunday Sessions will resume, with our next one on the following Sunday, the 14th of September, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. 

Guild member Jane Fox will lead us in creating our own Name Badges. Above is a photo of her badge, which she wore to demonstrate at this year’s Bloom. It is both beautiful AND sustainable!


Please bring the following items:

  • Your usual Wet Felting Kit, which includes a hand towel, soap, a small bowl, and a medium-sized piece of bubble plastic.
  • Felting needles and a sponge or felting mat. (We will have some extra felting needles on hand).
  • Sharp scissors.
  • Small bamboo mat – if you already have one. We have some for members to use during the session.
  • Optional: Bits and bobs such as beads, sequins and thread – if you would like to sew these in.
  • Optional: Embellishment fibres, if desired.

The Guild and Jane will provide the other materials needed.

Additional information

Complimentary tea and coffee will be served at our Sunday Session. Home-baked goods to share are always welcome! If you can, please bring a travel mug to replace disposable paper cups.

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.

On Friday, we will email a Zoom link to all members for those who wish to attend virtually.

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.

News: Feltmakers Ireland will be at Bord Bia Bloom – DCCI’s Irish Craft Village – Area 26

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

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’!

Here is a link that shows the schedule of all the guilds that are demonstrating – https://www.dcci.ie/events/dcci-irish-craft-village-demonstrations

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.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.bordbiabloom.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.