RDS – Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmaking at The RDS Showcase 2023

Published on Feb 4, 2023Mar 14, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Even though Feltmakers Ireland was not invited to demonstrate at Showcase this year, there was felt to be seen courtesy of two of our members.

Caóilfíonn Murphy-O’Hanlon showing wool paintings of landscapes and items with prints of her work.

http://www.cushlaofgullion.com

and Juliane Gorman of http://www.felthappiness.com was there showing her fabulous hats.

And just for your information, here are the news from Showcase in the DCCI GANS newsletter:

I hope this newsletter finds you well. January was a busy month with Showcase – Ireland’s International Creative Expo® returning to the RDS, Dublin on Sunday 22^ndto Tuesday 24^th of January. Showcase offered 385 exhibitors an opportunity to exhibit their collections to approx 4000 visitors from 27 countries.

We were delighted to see the much anticipated Showcase Awards taking place on the opening day of the fair. We were excited to see that the winner of the overall best product award was metal artist, Tom King from An Gobha, whose iron cross was created in celebration of St. Brigid.

The St. Brigid’s Cross was created as a work of metal art based around the traditional cross, with depth and with colour, to mark Ireland’s new national holiday celebrating the country’s first female patron St. Brigid.

Other crafts people at Showcase celebrating St. Brigid’s were Patricia O’Flaherty, Naomh Padraig Handcrafts, from Roscommon, you can see her beautiful St. Brigid’s rush work crosses on www.naomhpadraighandcrafts.com. Jennifer Rothwell Designs also had a beautiful collection of fashion items inspired by St. Brigid www.jenniferrothwell.com

As the first Irish public holiday named after a woman, St. Brigid’s Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the role that women have played in Irish history, culture, creativity and society.

The Design & Crafts Council Ireland Academy (DCCIA) was launched as part of the Talk Stage programme at Showcase. DCCIA is an international specialised academy for education and training to the craft sector and will offer a series of apprenticeships. DCCIA welcomes everyone from design and craft beginners to established professionals. The launch was delivered by MaryJo Hoyne, Head of Craft & Education at DCCI and Maria Couchman, Senior Craft & Education Manager at DCCI. www.dcci.ie/academy

Showcase 2023 saw a continuation of the popular Talks Stage that hosted a variety of industry talks and expert panel discussions, you can view some of the events that took place over the three days of Showcase here.

The Dancehall (Fashion & Design) – was a new and exciting fusion of Showcase fashion and design with music and dance. To view the performance of The Dancehall event from the opening day of Showcase 2023 click here.

Application dead line for Showcase 2023 (short notice)

Published on Sep 24, 2022Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

This is a opportunity for all members of the DCCI who wish to book an individual stand at Showcase 2023.

(It is possible that Feltmakers Ireland gets invited to participate as a Guild as we did last year. At the moment we do not know if that is going ahead, if and when we know for sure, we will go out to the members and look for volunteers.)

From the Crafts Council:

Dear DCCI Member,

We are delighted to announce the return of Showcase – Ireland’s Creative Expo® to the RDS, Dublin from the 22–24 January 2023. Showcase is presented by Design & Crafts Council Ireland with support from Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.

Once again, we will have the area at the front of the Main Hall, exclusively for ‘Design & Crafts Council Ireland’ members.

The details are as follows:

This area is open to all DCCI registered clients
There is no selection process, and you are welcome to send us in your application.
A special subsidy is included in the prices for DCCI clients to make taking part easier, financially.

How to secure your space

Please fill out this online FORM which has a strict deadline of 4pm on Friday 30^th September 2022.
Showcase will acknowledge receipt of your email on submission of your form and we will get back to you by mid-October to let you know if you have been successful.

Kind regards,

The Showcase Team

Feltmakers Ireland @ Irish Showcase 2022

Published on Mar 4, 2022Mar 14, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

The guild of Feltmakers Ireland was invited to take part in SHOWCASE IRELAND 2022 to demonstrate the craft of feltmaking.

Showcase Ireland, Ireland’s Creative Expo ® is one of the country’s largest international trade shows. Over 4,000 buyers visit the event from across the world,

This year we were asked to participate with only a week’s notice, which was pretty tight but we managed to rise to the challenge of showing what felting is about over the 4 days of this event.

It was a great opportunity to tell people about the guild of Feltmakers Ireland and we hope that we have opened the door to future opportunities for those in our guild who sell their work in larger quantities to participate in this event in the future.

There were many interested people who stopped and enquired about our guild, about the felt making process and the felt pieces that were on display. Each day our stand changed what pieces were shown depending on what maker was demonstrating.

Our contact in DCCI was very happy that we managed to pull this off with so very little preparation. Given the positive feedback our stand generated she was hopeful that we can do this again in future years, hopefully with more advance notice.

Feltmakers Ireland would welcome the opportunity to do this again. With more notice we would be able to have time to advertise beforehand on social media and on our blog.

We would also open the space, and the manning of the stand, to all our members, hoping that as many as possible of our members who sell their work could take part and be able to share their creations with the retail sector.

We think this could be a great showcase of the talents of our members and the possibilities of making quality products using felt.

Endangered exhbition

Published on May 29, 2020Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

An update:

Endangered exhibition applications- the date for preliminary round judging has been extended to try to accommodate the unforeseen circumstances we find ourselves in.

The Closing date- for digital submissions is now 30^th June. See application form attached.

We have engaged two independent Judges- one from International Felters Association and one Non-member, established Irish felt maker.

The first round of judging will be done using digital submissions- see the application for details of format required. This will be done remotely, using an anonymous numbering system. The Judges will not know who has submitted any piece and their decision is final. The committee is not involved in this judging process. The entries will be ranked in numerical order, the top 20pieces will go on to the next round.

Currently we have been allocated a gallery space by Knit & Stitch- 6mx 5m x5m (wall space, with floor space available for some 3D pieces). We are in touch with the organisers- twisted thread. They have promised to keep us informed. Currently the K&S is going ahead in November. I am sure you can appreciate that we are nervous about this but remain hopeful also.

We have a plan B in place, should the knit & stitch show be cancelled. We have already been in contact with our OPW contact in the Phoenix Park. He has assured us that he will not see us stuck. We are hopeful therefore that we will be able to exhibit at one of the Phoenix Park venues- for example the visitor centre, the Cowshed or Farmleigh ( should the Knit & Stitch RDS be cancelled).

In these new and uncertain times, we are finding new ways of working. We have had to learn to be more flexible. Our two judges for example will be working remotely for the first round. We do however want to promote our craft of felt making. We want to offer our members something to aim for. We want to inspire and encourage fellow artists and we want to remain creative.

I read somewhere recently that while science will find us a cure, art will keep us sane… this resonated with me and I hope that you members understand that while some flexibility may be required on all our parts we will endeavour to remain optimistic and push forward with the “Endangered” exhibition… a title that seems even more important today than ever.

Entry open to members of Feltmakers Ireland 2020 only.

APPLICATION FORM FOR ENDANGERED EXHIBITION MASTER Download

Endangered Exhibition- Application Open

Published on Mar 19, 2020Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Hi members,
please find the application form for the Exhibition by Felt makers Ireland to be shown at the Knit & Stitch show in Nov 2020.
We look forward to receiving your entries- to hello@feltmakersireland.com
This will be a 2-stage process- first round (together with fees, 15th June, photographs digitally submitted only) 2nd round actual pieces judged in Sept.
Both judging rounds will be by independent adjudication- not by the committee. The committee will provide administrative support and liaison with members.
We really do look forward to seeing our members work and presenting the lucky chosen pieces to the wider public. Good Luck.

APPLICATION FORM FOR ENDANGERED EXHIBITION MASTER

endangered poster 16706945512491622492..jpg

Endangered Exhibition- Application Open

Published on Mar 10, 2020Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

APPLICATION FORM FOR ENDANGERED EXHIBITION MASTER

endangered poster 16706945512491622492..jpg

KNIT & STITCH Volunteer Call out

Published on Apr 4, 2019Mar 15, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

KNIT AND STITCH SHOW HELP Hi folks,

We will need Volunteers for the Knit & Stitch show in November.

7^th-10^th November, dates for your diary. Volunteers will receive FREE ENTRY… only 2hrs of your time (more if you can give it) required. Help keep Felt Makers Ireland ALIVE. Welcome new members, share your experiences of felt… man the fibre stand, assist at the Learning Curve workshops.

We welcome the help of New and dedicated long time members alike. Please sign up.

We will have a signing sheet- Rota available at the AGM. However if you can’t attend the AGM on May 19^th– please email hello@feltmakersireland.com to advise how you can help, on which day/ morning/ afternoon… and we will happily put your name down.

I know that it seems far away, however we are looking for approx. 30volunteers to cover the 4days 9 plus set up and take down of stand)… so we are putting out this call early.

Many of us know that we found out about Felt Makers Ireland via the Knit & Stitch show. This presence is vital for the continued existence of the Guild and for attracting new members. Be part of your community and help out. If you think you are going to be attending the show- give just 2 hrs and recieve FREE ENTRY!!!!

LOVE YOUR GUILD- HELP US GROW.