Feltmakers Ireland West‘s next Sunday Session is THIS SUNDAY, on the 19th April 2026.
The topic of this meeting will be a talk/Q&A by Karen Bowden from Fabulous Fibres about technology and navigating it!
Editor’s Note: We hope to have Karen bring this topic to a future Dublin Sunday Session, as we all could use a little more information on this confusing subject.
For more information about Feltmakers Ireland West, a vibrant addition to our Guild, visit the website – https://feltmakersireland-west.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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Loli describes the many ways one can needle felt on garments.
On Sunday, the 8th of March, a small but committed group of Feltmakers Ireland members gathered together to upcycle with needle felt. Some brought hats, others brought berets, and others brought old jumpers. Committee member Loli Cox led us in this session.
Anything can be needle-felted
The members created a lovely range of needle-felted decorations, including flowers, sheep, and shamrocks. Adrienne had kindly brought along a selection of water-soluble templates that members could use on their pieces, if they so desired.
Some examples of the work created
Sandra holds up her jumper on which she has needle felted stripes and a circle.Siobhan made a shamrock using multicoloured green roving.Mairead used a water-soluble template that Adrienne had brought to the session.Marie made a bouquet of flowers on her hat.Helena needlefelted several berets. This one has blossoms.Margaret adorned a jumper with a classic sheep. The water soluble template was provided by Adrienne.
In preparation for the Session, Loli created a lovely floral garden (with a bee!) on her jumper. She can be seen standing in front of the CIE Social Club in Inchicore, where we meet.
Many thanks to Loli for leading us in this session, and to Sam Fagan, who helped in preparing so many needle-felted samples to inspire us for this Sunday’s session.
Our next Sunday Session, on the 12th of April, will focus on using printed transfers for needle felting. Committee member Adrienne Dempsey will lead us.
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.
For March’s Sunday Session, Loli Cox and Sam Fagan will lead us in Upcycling old garments with Needle-Felted decorations.
Please bring an old wool jumper, scarf, hat or pair of jeans that you can ‘renovate’ with needle felt. If you have a set of metal cookie cutters, please bring them along!
You will also need to bring your Needle Felting Kit, although we will try to have some extra felting needles on hand. We will also have our first aid kit on hand – just in case!
In addition to decorating, we will demonstrate how to mend holes using needle felting = Practical Crafting Fun!
Samples from Loli and Sam
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 8th of March, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (to 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 on Friday 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.
For this month’s Feltmakers Ireland activity, we will be Upcycling old garments with Needle Felted decorations.
Please bring an old wool jumper, scarf or hat that you can ‘renovate’ with needle felt. In addition to decorating, we will demonstrate how to mend holes using needle felting.
You will also need to bring your Needle Felting Kit, although we will try to have some extra felting needles on hand. We will also have our first aid kit on hand – just in case!
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 8th of March, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked good to share and a travel mug (to 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 on Friday 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.
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.
Helena Mc Guinness helping a studentHelena demonstrating
On Sunday, the 8th of February, members of Feltmakers Ireland were delighted to have the multitalented artist, storyteller and committee member Helena Mc Guinness show us how to create felted hearts using a combination of wet and needle felting.
Helena’s samples that use the combined technique
Helena shared many interesting tidbits about how one can approach felting. Here are some of our favourites:
Thanking the Sheep for their wool
Allowing oneself not to think one needs a huge towel or a big setup
Using small sponges to wet the felt instead of more expensive tools, such as ball brausers
Adding the olive oil soap after wetting allows more control
Rubbing more reduces the need to roll
Adding a small metal ring by using needle felting instead of stitching
Scroll to the bottom to watch the video of our session.
Students at the Session
Completed Hearts
Heart Photos kindly taken by Adrienne Dempsey
If your heart was not included, or you were working alongside at home via Zoom, please email us a photo of your completed heart. feltmakersIE@gmail.com
A Group Photo
A photo of some of the students – taken at the very end of the session. Sorry if we missed everyone.
Biscuits with History
‘Biscuits with History’ is an ongoing series of baked goods created by committee member Lorna Cady. They are always so fun!
Appreciation
Many thanks to Helena Mc Guinness for leading us in an educational and enjoyable Sunday Session. Thank you to the members who helped set up the room and who assisted in guiding some of our newer felters.
Video
Sunday Session Video
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.
THIS Sunday, the 8th of February, we will have our second Sunday Session of 2026.
Committee member Helena Mc Guinness will lead us in creating small hearts, using both wet and needle felting techniques. The Theme is ‘Heart on Your Sleeve’.
Please bring your wet and needle felting kits. The committee will have extra felting needles for those who do not have them, along with ball brauses (sprinklers).
We will also provide Merino wool. But if you have specific colours you prefer to use, it would be helpful to bring them along.
Your Wet Felting Kit should include:
an old towel to catch water, plus a smaller one to dry your hands
bubble wrap
bowl for water
felting soap of your choice
sprinkler or ball brause
Your Needle Felting Kit should include:
felting needles
sponge or brush or needle felting pad to felt into
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 8th of February, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked treat to share and a travel mug (to 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, although it is not quite as lovely as being with us in person.
Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:
We will email the Zoom link to all members on this afternoon
Membership Renewal:
If you have already renewed your annual membership, we thank you for your support!
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 Sunday, the 8th of February, we will have our second Sunday Session of 2026.
Committee member Helena Mc Guinness will lead us in creating small hearts, using both wet and needle felting techniques. The Theme is ‘Heart on Your Sleeve’.
Please bring your wet and needle felting kits. The committee will have extra felting needles for those who do not have them, along with ball brauses (sprinklers).
We will also provide Merino wool. But if you have specific colours you prefer to use, it would be helpful to bring them along.
Your Wet Felting Kit should include:
an old towel to catch water, plus a smaller one to dry your hands
bubble wrap
bowl for water
felting soap of your choice
sprinkler or ball brause
Your Needle Felting Kit should include:
felting needles
sponge or brush of needle felting pad to felt into
The Details:
When: Sunday, the 8th of February, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
If you can, please bring a home-baked treat to share and a travel mug (to 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, although it is not quite as lovely as being with us in person.
Zoom Access to the Sunday Session:
We will email the Zoom link to all members on the afternoon of Friday, the 6th of February.
Membership Renewal:
If you have already renewed your annual membership, we thank you for your support!
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-West’s February Sunday Session on the 15th will be led by Katarina Hruskova, who will teach how to make needle-felted hearts, using Irish wool.
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 Sunday, the 11th of January, committee member Karen Bowden of Fabulous Fibres kindly stepped in at the last moment to present to the guild, as the scheduled speaker was ill.
By Karen Bowden
Taking Photographs with your Smartphone
Good photographs are essential for sharing your artwork – whether it’s for exhibitions, social media, grant applications, or simply documenting your creative journey. The good news is that you don’t need an expensive camera or studio setup. Most modern smartphones are more than capable of producing clear, professional-looking images.
1. LIGHTING
Light is the single most important factor in photography – USE NATURAL LIGHT WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
Photograph near a window or open door where soft daylight is available.
Avoid direct sunlight, which creates harsh shadows and can distort colour.
An overcast day is ideal, as clouds act like a natural diffuser.
Turn off indoor lights as they can add a yellow tinge to your image.
Turn off the camera flash.
If you need extra light, use a lamp placed to the side rather than pointing directly at the artwork or invest in a light ring, which has different settings and can be placed directly overhead.
Use the Portrait setting on your camera if the feature is available, and choose the natural light option.
The ‘Portrait’ option on the iPhone.
To lighten or darken the exposure, tap the screen and move the asterisk beside the box up or down.
Changing the exposure before photographing.
If you are photographing a framed piece, glare and reflection can be an issue. If possible, remove the glass to photograph your work.
2. BACKGROUND
Your work should be the star of the photograph.
Use plain backgrounds such as white, grey, black, or natural wood and avoid busy patterns or colours that compete with your work.
For small items, a large sheet of paper, fabric, or card works well.
For wearables, photograph against a plain (preferably white or pale) wall and use a simple mannequin.
Make sure the background is clean and wrinkle-free – your camera will pick up every speck!
3. KEEP YOUR PHONE STEADY!
The slightest movement can blur an image.
A small tripod or selfie-stick can be a worthwhile investment, but it’s not essential – instead, you can rest your elbows on a table or use a stack of books as a support, which can help to keep the phone still.
4. STAY IN THE FRAME
Centre your piece within the frame. The grid lines setting on your phone can help with this:
Open your phone settings
Scroll down to CAMERA and select.
Locate the GRID setting and turn the toggle to on.
How to stay in the frame.
Photograph flat work straight on; avoid tilting the camera.
Take both full views and close-up detail shots to show texture in your work – detailed images are especially useful for juried exhibitions and online listings.
5. EDITING YOUR IMAGE
While editing can be helpful, don’t go mad; your photograph must be representative of your work.
Use basic adjustments such as brightness, contrast, and cropping and avoid strong filters that alter colour or mood.
To use the editing features on your phone, open your image and click the ‘edit’ button. Along the bottom, you will see available features – to use these tap the feature you want and use the slider below from left to right.
If you make a mistake, don’t panic, just tap ‘revert’ to remove your edits.
6.SAVING AND SENDING YOUR IMAGE
To save your image, tap the share button and scroll down to ‘Save to Files’. Click the save to files option, and at the bottom of the image, the camera-assigned image number will appear. Delete the number and name the image. Tap SAVE.
To send your saved photo, go to your files and locate the named image. Tap the SHARE icon, and your available apps (email, messages, social media, etc.) will appear.
Click on the app you want to send the image to and attach.
7. BE CONSISTENT
If you’re building a portfolio or posting regularly online, consistency matters.
Create a professional, cohesive look across your work.
Use the same background and lighting setup when possible.
Photograph work at a similar scale and angle.
8. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
Like feltmaking itself, photography improves with practice.
Take photos at different times of day. Try different backgrounds and light directions. Notice what works best for your particular style of work.
Don’t be afraid to take lots of photos – you can always delete the ones that don’t work!
Video Recording of Karen Bowden’s Talk
Photos from the Session
Karen shows how the Ring Light can be made tallerKaren shows how the Ring Light can be angledKaren shows a member how to access the necessary information on her phone.Throughout the talk, members followed along with their phones so they could experience photographing, editing, and saving photos.
Many thanks to Karen Bowden and Deirdre Crofts for helping share their expertise and knowledge with the guild. Their clear, practical guidance has been invaluable.
We hope that Karen’s excellent step-by-step instructions and recordings from the session will help our members feel more confident about applying to our upcoming exhibition, ‘Water and Flow’.
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.
