Applications are now open for the Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Irish Craft Village at the Bord Bia Bloom 2024. Each year, exhibitors are selected to illustrate Ireland’s wide variety of craft and design.
Bord Bia Bloom will take place from the 30th of May through the 3rd of June. The event celebrates its 18th birthday in 2024 and is Ireland’s largest garden festival. It runs for five days during the June bank holiday weekend each year in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
The deadline for applications is Friday, the 12th April.
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Applications are now open to current members of the Feltmakers Ireland guild for our annual exhibition.
WHEN: This year, the exhibition is EARLIER in the year; it runs from the 4th of May until the 31st.
WHERE: We will display our work in the lovely Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre gallery.
This year’s theme is ‘Opposites Attract’, which is open to your creative interpretation.
Our March Sunday Session will focus on ‘How to Apply to Exhibitions’. As part of the session, We will have a mind-mapping exercise on this year’s exhibition theme with member Dee Crofts.
Non Juried
Recently, our previous exhibitions have been juried. This year, we are doing something different and having a non-juried show. However, space within the gallery is limited. TWO pieces of artwork can be submitted, but only ONE will be selected. Similarly, the artwork’s dimensions cannot be wider than 60 cm due to space limitations. There is no limit on height.
Two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional works will be accepted.
Deadline
All digital photo submissions must arrive on or before Friday, the 19th of April, 2024. Good, clear photos of the artwork are essential. Photos should be taken against a plain white background for inclusion in digital media.
Annika Berglund showing us the details of her felted necklace.
On Sunday, the 8th of October, Feltmakers Ireland member Annika Berglund shared her experiences with her recent in-person classes at the seven-day Hungarian Felt Camp, with five tutors AND her many experiences with studying felting via online courses.
Initially, Annika created her artwork out of totally different materials. She worked in ceramics, bronze, and glass. Seeking a more sustainable and less energy-hungry media, she tried textiles Dublin Knitting and Stitching Show in 2019. This was where she took her first feltmaking workshop. After discovering felt, she then proceeded to take many online classes. Her trip to Hungary was an opportunity to return to learning in person.
Scroll down to the bottom to see the links to the Hungarian tutors and the online felting classes.
Hungarian Felting Camp
The guild members enjoyed seeing each of the pieces that Annika created during the retreat. She would hold them up, and then we passed them around the room.
She cautioned that it was a full-on program, with most projects taking more time than allotted. Most of the projects could have been done over two days! Fortunately, Annika could complete her projects by continuing in the evenings. The one exception to this was the pillow project taught by Bea Németh.
There were three groups of students, with around ten students per group. Two of the groups were English speakers, and one of them had German speakers. Annika’s group was impacted by Covid-19, with more participants becoming ill daily. Interestingly, two students were only mildly affected by the virus. They managed to follow along, working outdoors and receiving their instructions via WhatsApp. The wonders of technology!
The cost of the seven-day workshop was around 1,375 euros, which included tuition, room, board, and transport from Budapest. The class was held in the village of Nagybörzsöny.
Necklace Project – Anikó Boros
Annika’s favourite class was creating a felted fuschia necklace with Anikó Boros (BaribonHU). She really appreciated the new feltmaking perspective and eye for detail that this teacher brought to the class.
{See above for a photo of Annika sharing this project.}
Pillow Project – Bea Németh
Annika sharing the pillow that she made in Bea Németh’s class.
Interestingly, the students worked together on a giant rug, each person decorating her own square, which they then felted and fulled collectively. After the wool became properly felted, the large piece was cut up, and each part returned to its’ designer. Then, they learned how to use an ingenious cord-making machine and, finally, how to assemble and sew their cushions.
Felted Bag with Prefelts – Gabriella Kovács
Annika sharing her felted bag.
Taught by Gabriella Kovács, this class was billed as being for ‘lazy felters’. In this class, the students use manufactured prefelts. There was no laying of wool roving. Interestingly, the students learned how to create a bag so that the lining was integral to the layout.
Doorway Guardian – Márti Csille
Annika sharing her Doorway Guardian
In this class, the students learned how to make a modern version of the traditional tumars, which is an amulet-like embroidered felt to keep evil away and is hung in the entrance area of the yurt. Annika explored new colour combinations in this piece.
Nunofelted Scarf – Nadia Szabó
Annika sharing her nunofelted scarf
With this class, Annika strove to create exceptionally clean lines to her geometric pattern with her wool layout. The silk was dyed afterwards.
Some of the teachers sell their finished products and online workshops via their websites. Other tutors may need to be contacted directly for further information. Some of the teachers who teach online have recorded classes that are available year-round, while others have ones with specific availability. Several of the tutors teach additional classes which are not included below. Visit the links to be inspired and learn!
Links are in the approximate order of when mentioned during Annika’s presentation.
If you have experienced other online felting-related courses that you have enjoyed, let us know. We will collect this information for a future post. – feltmakersIE@gmail.com
This Sunday, the 8th of October, from 10:30-12:30, Feltmakers Ireland member Annika Berglund will share her experiences at the Hungarian Felting retreat and other online felting classes that she has taken.
By Annika Berglund
The Joy of Learning
When I was asked to do a Sunday session about my recent Felting Retreat adventure, I was a little worried that it might not be enough for the two hours available. I had a little think and decided to do a talk about online felting courses in general and the Hungarian retreat in more detail.
I used to work in ceramics, glass, and bronze but was looking to change to some form of textiles in late 2019 and early 2020, mainly to find less energy-hungry means of expression. I started with a number of short workshops at the 2019 Dublin Knit and Stitch, of which the felting one was probably my favourite. Luckily, the 2020 Basic and Beyond happened soon after, which further whetted my appetite.
Online Education
Then came Covid, and I discovered a wealth of Felting courses available online. These courses give access to some of the best teachers in the world, and open the door to a wealth of new techniques and ideas, no matter your experience and level of felting. Having this window onto a bigger world of the craft and global community of felting has meant a lot to me, especially during the lockdown, but also since then, and I am hoping to share some of my best experiences and answer any questions in relation to online learning.
Felting in Hungary
The seven-day Felting Retreat I attended in September featured five excellent teachers, my absolute favourite being Anikó Boros (Baribon), teaching her fabulous finely felted fuschia necklace. {https://baribon.hu/ }
The other 4 courses were:
Making a large rug together and then cutting it up to make individual pillows with Bea Németh. { https://www.facebook.com/beanemez }
So, come along to the CIE Hall/Inchicore Sports and Social Club, for this Sunday Session of Feltmakers Ireland and learn about Annika’s experiences with feltmaking in Hungary and online.
This past Saturday, from 3 to 5 PM, Feltmakers Ireland warmly embraced our community of wool and felt enthusiasts at the grand opening of our exhibition, ‘Bountiful.’ During this momentous occasion, we had the honour of Minister Pippa Hackett’s official inauguration of our recently published book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking.’ If you missed her inspiring words, you can catch portions of her speech on our YouTube channel, @FeltmakersIreland.
Your presence and support made this event truly memorable, and we’re excited to continue sharing our passion for feltmaking with you all.
Exhibition organiser, Dee Crofts introducing Minister Pippa Hackett. The piece in the background is by Aisling Hassett.
The Committee
In every voluntary organization, there are individuals who play a crucial role in carefully coordinating the group’s various activities. Enclosed is a photograph capturing the dedicated committee members, standing proudly in front of our collaborative Floral Tapestry. This beautiful artwork commemorates the guild’s inception, marking two decades of passion and commitment since its founding by the remarkable Elizabeth Bonnar.
Minister Pippa Hackett and the committee members. The back row, from left to right: Deirdre Carroll, Pippa Hackett, Deirdre Crofts, Juliane Gorman. The front row, from left to right: Elizabeth Redding, Adrienne Dempsey, Lorna Cady, Annika Berglund, and Marian Fagan. Not pictured Fiona Leech.
Tapestry Revealed
Below is a photograph of our floral tapestry. Each of the flowers was handcrafted by our members during our September Sunday Session. Additional flowers were created, too. Then, several members got together to hand-stitch the over 180 flowers onto the backing, a very large piece of wool felt. {Invigilating members are welcome to sew on flowers during their volunteer shifts}.
The opening was quite exciting, with many members attending.
Feltmakers Ireland founder Elizabeth Bonnar and founding member Michelle Winters spoke with Minister Hackett.
Some of the artists and their pieces
Helene Dooley speaking with Minister HackettExhibition organiser Deirdre CroftsAisling Hassett and her piece. (She made her hat too!)Valerie O CeallaighAnnika BerglundAdrienne DempseyBreda FayCaitriona NolanHelena McGuinness
Each piece in our exhibition features a photograph of the artist along with the statement they provided, sharing their unique interpretation of ‘Bountiful’ when they submitted their work for jury consideration. You can spot these artist statements in some of the photographs above.
Below is the ‘Box of Chocolates’ by Clare Brophy that Minister Hackett points to in her speech.
Clare Brophy’s piece ‘Sharing the Bounty’.
In closing, we truly regret if we missed the opportunity to personally thank you at the opening event, which, as we’ve mentioned, was quite the bustling affair! With an impressive turnout of over fifty attendees, including cherished friends, beloved family members, and passionate supporters of the wool industry, it was a testament to the resilience and dedication of our community. Despite the tempestuous weather on that Saturday, your unwavering commitment to our cause warmed our hearts. We cannot express enough gratitude for your presence and your support for the art of feltmaking. Your enthusiasm fuels our creative journey, and we look forward to sharing more moments of inspiration and collaboration in the future. Thank you once again for making our opening event a truly memorable occasion.
Today, on the 30th of September, art enthusiasts and admirers of the exquisite craft of felting will gather at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre in Dublin, Ireland. Feltmakers Ireland’s highly anticipated juried exhibition is set to open its doors to the public at 3 PM.
The exhibition showcases a stunning array of felted artworks that push the boundaries of this ancient textile art form.
As a sneak peek into what promises to be an awe-inspiring show, we bring you exclusive glimpses from four diverse pieces that will be featured in this remarkable exhibition.
Photo 1 – Breda Fay’s wall piece, ‘Torthuil’.
Photo 2 – Valerie OCeallaigh’s ‘Bountiful Love’.
Photo 3 – Adrienne Dempsey’s ‘Where the Wild Things Grow’.
Our exhibition will be opened by Pippa Hackett, Sheep Farmer and Irish Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity. She has kindly written the foreword to our ‘wool project book’, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. Copies of the book will be available during the opening and throughout the exhibition.
In one day, Feltmakers Ireland’s juried exhibition, ‘Bountiful’, will open. The event will be introduced by Pippa Hackett, sheep farmer and Minister of State and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
In addition to our members’ wet and needle-felted creations, copies of our recently published book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’will be available.
Lastly, as part of the celebration of our founding twenty years ago, we will unveil our collaborative Floral Tapestry.
In the meantime, here are snippets of two members’ pieces.
Photo 1 – Hélène Dooley’s ‘Visualising the Beauty of the Sunflower Field’.
In three days’ time – Saturday, the 30th – our juried exhibition, ‘Bountiful‘, will open at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre in Dublin. Pippa Hackett (Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine) will be there to officially open.
We will have the unveiling of our wonderful 20th Anniversary Flower Tapestry on Saturday, too. Thank you to all the members who helped create the abundance of beautiful flowers.
Additionally, our book will officially launch – ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. So, it’ll be a wonderful day of celebrating our guild and our talents.
In the meantime, here are two close-ups of pieces that will be in the show.
Karena has three other pieces in an upcoming exhibition in Brussels! These artworks will be shown at the ‘Dear PrEUdence: A Positive Headspace in the EU’ exhibition. It will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels from the 10th through the 13th of October.
