Tag: Sustainable Business

Of Interest: Video about Crafts of Ireland – Sandra Coote, produced by Fibreshed Ireland, with support from DCCI

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
Fibreshed Ireland logo with photo of Sandra Coote - Crafts of Ireland
Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland was recently featured in a video by Fibreshed Ireland and the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

On St Patrick’s Day, Fibreshed Ireland showcased their member Sandra Coote, founder of Crafts of Ireland. Sandra is also a member of our guild, Feltmakers Ireland!

Through her brand, Sandra is an avid promoter of Irish-grown fibre and works tirelessly to rekindle Ireland’s traditional crafts. She raises native Irish rare Roscommon sheep alongside Bluefaced Leicester sheep. She washes and processes their wool to produce needle felting kits. On her farm, she also grows and processes flax to spin into thread using traditional methods.

In the fall, she purchased a flatbed needle felting machine (the first imported into Ireland) to create prefelt using wool from her farm. There is a video of her unboxing the enormous machine on her Instagram account – https://www.instagram.com/p/DA1k_DYIOsn/

This beautifully produced, short video of Sandra’s company was created by Fibreshed Ireland, with support from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI), and is viewable here on VIMEO – https://vimeo.com/1061221975

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.

News: Crafts of Ireland Shortlisted for Sustainability Champion Award – Showcase 2025

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmaker Ireland’s guild member Sandra Coote’s business, Crafts of Ireland, is a finalist for the Sustainability Champion Award supported by the Local Enterprise Office of Cavan at Showcase 2025. The awards will take place on Monday, 20th of January, at Showcase in the RDS as part of the overall event. The shortlisted companies were selected from the 105 Local Enterprise clients who will exhibit to national and international buyers from the 19th – 21st of January.

The Awards

The awards are divided into three categories: Best Newcomer, which recognises the top craft and design business making its debut; One to Watch, which highlights a business with outstanding export and international potential; and Sustainability Champion, which celebrates the craft and design business leading the way in sustainability.

Crafts of Ireland

Rooted in a sixth-generation family farm in County Cavan, Crafts of Ireland is a business devoted to preserving and promoting traditional Irish crafts and skills. Serving as both a craft studio and a heritage hub, it offers an array of experiences, workshops, and handcrafted products that celebrate Ireland’s cultural heritage. Their Irish Wool Needle Felting Kits feature fibre from their own rare Irish Roscommon Sheep, along with wool sourced from local farmers.

Find Crafts of Ireland at Stand L47 – https://showcaseireland.com/newfront/exhibitor/crafts-of-ireland

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.

Of Interest: World Circular Textiles Day – 8th of October – Online Conference

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Today, the 8th of October is World Circular Textiles Day. WCTD, held annually, examines global progress in circularity across three key themes: Products & Services, Materials, and People. The organisation’s goal is to report on, reflect upon, and celebrate the advancements in circularity, while also charting a path to achieve Full Textile Circularity by 2050.

An online panel is scheduled for today from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. The Top 10 circular textile garments of the year will be unveiled during this event. Thirty international experts have carefully selected and reviewed these circular textile products using the organisation’s six-point assessment criteria.

To book a spot at this online conference, visit Eventbrite- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8-october-is-world-circular-textiles-day-2024-5-630pm-tickets-949092720877?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information about WCTD, visit their website – https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/about/

To read about case studies and activities which aim to make the textile industry more circular, visit the Knowledge Hub Circular Economy’s website – https://knowledge-hub.circle-economy.com/wctd/cases?_sort=1&collections=298%3D0

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.

Open Call: Innovative Materials Collaboration and Residency – Indonesia

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Design Matters Lab seeks product and material-related designers from Indonesia and Europe to collaborate with micro-factories and co-create groundbreaking solutions by utilising alternative materials, creating meaningful products, and enhancing sustainable production systems.

Editor’s note: The prospectus does not directly mention wool, but perhaps there is an opportunity within the ‘Agro waste materials’ option.

  • Mycelium-based materials
  • Coffee ground-based materials
  • Agro waste materials
  • Concrete-based materials
  • Food waste leather-like materials

Deadline: Friday, the 9th of August 2024.

For more information, visit the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s website – https://www.dcci.ie/opportunities/design-matters-lab-open-call/

The actual application is through another organisation and can be found here – https://airtable.com/appfJWAzAGgtqM541/shrDjKSZaEC9JFSuZ

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.

Education: Online course on Circularity & Sustainability with Katie Treggiden – via World Craft Council of Europe

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The World Craft Council of Europe (WCC-E) offers a free online class on circularity and sustainability with author, journalist, and educator Katie Treggiden.

The course is geared towards makers, craftspeople, innovators, designers, creatives and stakeholders within and beyond the cultural and creative industries.

The main aim of the course is to help participants understand and become aware of the importance of transforming our current linear economic model (take–make–use—lose) into a more nature-inspired, closed-loop model. It also aims to enable participants to gain the soft skills and new perspectives required to participate in that transformation.

The class is on offer until the 31st of August.

For more information, visit this website – https://wcc-europe.org/opportunities/announcing-a-new-online-course-on-circularity-sustainability-with-katie-tregidden/

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.

News: Guild Member Irish Fibre Crafts Offers Irish Wool Needle Felting Kits

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland now sells needle felting kits that use wool from her flock of Roscommon sheep and other local fleeces.

When asked why she started selling the kits, she replied, “We have 2.5m sheep being sheared at the moment, and I couldn’t find a felting kit for sale online that contained traceable Irish wool or even any Irish wool.”

To learn more, visit Agriland News – https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/cavan-enterprise-produces-needle-felting-kits-using-irish-wool/

Or find the kits at her shop online – https://craftsofireland.ie/


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.

Open Call: Apply to the DCCI Irish Business Design Challenge

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

The Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) launches this year’s Irish Business Design Challenge (IBDC) for micro, small and medium-sized businesses to apply and showcase their commitment to sustainability through innovative design and circular and ethical practices.

In its fourth year, IBDC celebrates businesses that add value, repurpose products, develop eco-friendly processes, enhance efficiency, and tackle societal and environmental challenges through sustainable design.

This year’s challenge has a prize fund of over €50,000.

Examples of Sustainable Design Strategies:

  • Designing for minimal waste.
  • Prioritising durability in design.
  • Utilising safe, renewable, and recycled materials.
  • Championing ethical production practices.
  • Reducing chemical impacts through design.
  • Implementing energy and water-efficient designs.
  • Drawing inspiration from nature’s designs.
  • Dematerialising products and developing sustainable systems and services.

For more information, visit their website – https://www.dcci.ie/ibdc

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.