Several of Feltmakers Ireland members are participating in this year’s Culture Night – Friday, the 19th of September.
Art Exhibition – Sutton, Co Dublin
Guild members Sandra Reynolds and Fiona Leech are amongst the artists who are exhibiting as part of Sow’s Ear Collective at the Bayside Community Centre. “Taking Shape” is the second group exhibition from the Sow’s Ear Collective, a gathering of multidisciplinary artists working across painting, sculpture, textiles, and more.
When: 7 PM – 10 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
Tamzen Lundy and her colleagues at GATHER Kildare will be hosting an open night. Watch live demonstrations of traditional and contemporary skills, including feltmaking, wood carving, and glassmaking.
When: 4:30 PM – 6 PM, on Friday, the 19th of September.
If you are a guild member who is participating in a Culture Night event, please let us know – FeltmakersIE@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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland’s members include several who teach felting. Some teach wet felting, while others teach needle felting. We even have members who use and teach both techniques!
Below is a sampling organised by A-Z by county of upcoming felting courses taught by members in their local communities.
Co Dublin
Guild member Clodagh Mac Donagh will teach a 10-week Wet Felting evening course at Castleknock College, Dublin 15. The class starts on Monday, January 27th, 2025, and runs from 7 to 9 PM.
“Feltmaking is a therapeutic but slow craft; it takes time to obtain the skills needed to make successful Felt pieces. Weeks 1 to 5 The first weeks will introduce students to wool and its properties and qualities; each class will build on the preceding one. Students will learn a little about some of the different wool breeds and the characteristics of their particular fleeces. They will produce small jewellery elements, creating felt beads, cords or ropes and felt flowers. Week 5 will combine these elements to make a neckpiece, brooch or bracelet. Weeks 6 to 10 will see students working on a small personal project of their choice, based on the skills they have learnt.”
Guild member Belinda Reid will teach a felting workshop at her studio in Kinvara on Sunday, February 9th.
“Join us for a creative and engaging Felt Painting Workshop where you can create stunning felt art using high-quality wool. This 3-hour workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike!”
Guild member Tamzen Lundy is part of the Gather Collective at Southwells, Market Square, Kildare Town. She is hosting a Wet Felted Jewellery Workshop on Sunday, February 16th, from 2 to 4 PM.
Learn how to make a wool and silk necklace, suitable for beginners, fun and full of creativity!
It would be lovely to share an ongoing monthly series about opportunities to learn feltmaking in Ireland. If you are a member who teaches felting (wet, needle or a combination, please let us know at feltmakersIE@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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Members and friends of Feltmakers Ireland will be exhibiting at The Knitting and Stitching Show in Belfast. This includes Tamzen Lundy, Sandra Coote, and a raft of volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland, Feltmakers North, and the International Feltmakers Association.
When: The 7th through the 10th of November.
Where: The Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.
Say ‘Hello’
Tamzen Lundy Designs
Guild member Tamzen Lundy‘s felted Brussel sprouts and other Christmas ornaments will be available at the CraftNI Gallery Showcase – BoothE86.
Crafts of Ireland – Sandra Coote
Guild member Sandra Coote’s business, Crafts of Ireland, will display her Irish wool Needlefelting kits, Lumra kits, and other creations at Booth D53.
Lastly, the Knitting and Stitching Show has arranged a discount code for us: Use codeFELTMAKERSIR to save £2* at checkout!
T&Cs: Save £2.00 on adult and concession tickets. This is for Standard Single-Day Adult tickets. It is not valid on VIP, Two-Day, or group tickets. Codes expire at 11:59 PM, November 3rd, 2024. £3.50 transaction fee applies per e-ticket order.
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.
Several members of Feltmakers Ireland have upcoming feltmaking classes that may be of interest to our readers. Members’ classes are located throughout Ireland.
Note: If you are a guild member and teach frequently, we can add you to our Resources Page or a future blog post. Please email feltmakersIE@gmail.com to be included.
If you have questions about a particular class, please contact the tutors directly.
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.
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Tamzen Lundy will be part of the Irish Makers Artisan Collective at the National Ploughing Championships. Find them at Stand 189 within Block 6 on Row 11.
When: The Ploughing Championships are from Tuesday, the 17th to Thursday, the 19th of September.
If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and have news to share, please email feltmakersie@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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
On the 18th of August from 11 AM to 3 PM at the CIE Hall/Inchicore Sports and Social Club Library Square, Inchicore, Co. Dublin, D08 PA07
On the 25th of August from 11 AM to 3 PM at St James Hall, Dublin Road, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, N91 XA32
Time: Both events run from 11 AM to 3 PM.
This year, we will be teaching how to felt a small round vessel out of wool roving using soapy water and your hands!
Curious about sheep and Irish wool varieties? Explore the unique reactions of different Irish wool types that have been needle and wet felted. There will be an opportunity to browse and purchase our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, a rich resource on forty breeds of Irish-raised sheep.
There will be a display of felted artworks and wearables crafted by our talented members, showcasing the beauty and versatility of feltmaking.
If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and you are having a felt-related event as part of August Craft Month, please contact us so we can include you in our August Craft Month posts – feltmakersIE@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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
We invite you to the evening launch of the new pop-up store. A collective of Eleven Kildare-based Artists, Makers, Designers, and Businesses under the name “Ó Lámha” (from the hand) has taken on the unit for the summer season.
We are opening as part of the Kildare town’s Derby Festival, reviving this unit with the aim of making this space a permanent feature that supports the work of locally based makers, with a specific focus on the creative community.
“Ó Lámha” is a collective of local makers and designers, offering a variety of beautiful handmade products, including cards, prints, silk scarves, woodwork, and jewellery.
WHERE: The old Southwells grocery store, on Kildare Town Market Square, right beside Hartes’ gastropub and a 10-minute walk from Kildare village.
WHEN: Grand Opening Thursday, 27th, 5PM—light refreshments and an evening shopping experience, plus a chance to meet the makers themselves.
GENERAL OPENING TIMES: Thursday- Sunday, 10 AM-5 PM.
We’d love to have you, please help us spread the word about this new venture.
They say it “takes a village… actually, we think it takes a town- Kildare town!”
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 year, Feltmakers Ireland’s annual art exhibition at the Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre is curated around the theme of ‘Opposites Attract’. Within the gallery, wall placards explain each piece’s inspiration. For those who cannot make it to the show, here are the inspiration and photographs of some more of our members’ artwork.
The Series
The complete series of posts on our Members’ Inspiration can be found here:
Heather Byrne – ‘Don’t get your tentacles in a tangle’
Two jellyfish gracefully dance amidst contrasting currents, embodying the timeless adage of ‘Opposites Attract’. Their ethereal forms, pulsating with contrasting vibrant hues, symbolise the harmony found in embracing differences. Through their delicate movements, the felting invites viewers to contemplate the beauty that emerges when opposing forces unite in a mesmerising display of elegance and synchronicity.
Tamzen Lundy
Tamzen Lundy – ‘Where the land meets the sea’
This piece was inspired by Tamzen’s “spiritual” home of Co. Donegal and a recent trip to a windswept cliff top, Horn Head, Dunfanaghy.
People often refer to Donegal as the county where “The land meets the sea”. The vistas are immense, and the sky is vast. However, there are also wonderful tiny landscapes in every rockpool, to be found, examined and explored. This piece is inspired by such a landscape.
By using colours from opposite sides of the colour wheel and fibres from both animal and insect, the artist has interpreted the land and sea and how these opposites attract.”
Bernie Hennessy
Bernie Hennessy – ‘Tabulata’
Coral’s skeletal structure is transparent; it gets its vibrant colour from an algae inhabitant called zooxanthellae, with which it exists in a symbiotic relationship. In my work ‘Tabulata’, I use merino fleece to express the vulnerability of the algae and porcelain to represent the structure of the coral. In doing so, I hope to convey how two opposing elements of nature, the delicate, colourful algae and the strong, transparent coral, neither of which can live independently, can be attracted to each other to form a symbiotic relationship, which results in such a wonder of nature.
Adrienne Dempsey
Adrienne Dempsey -‘Just the Two of Us’
My piece illustrates the concept of opposites attract within relationships and the lyrics of a classic love song, “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. with Bill Withers.
The opening lines of the song set the scene for the rest of the lyrics. “I see the crystal raindrops fall, and the beauty of it all is when the sun comes shining through.” These lyrics set up the idea that everything in life has its ups and downs, but the beauty of it all is when the sun shines through.
The meaning behind the song is ultimately about love and the importance of relationships. How differences can create a magnetic attraction between two people.
Joanne Turner
Joanne Turner – “A time to throw stones away and a time to gather stones together” Ecclesiastes 3:5
When I thought about the theme ‘Opposites Attract’, I was drawn to the antithetical parallelism of proverbs in the Bible. My piece illustrates the dynamic energy of opposites: earth & sky; blue & yellow; throwing away & gathering together. Could it be that the key to a happy life is as simple as knowing when to jettison our ‘stones’ and when to hold them close?
We hope that you enjoyed learning about what inspires these artists. This series on the exhibition will continue over the coming week. ‘Opposites Attract’ is at the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre until the 26th of May.
The gallery is open from 10 AM until 4 PM daily.
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 Saturday, the 4th of May, Feltmakers Ireland opened their group art exhibition, ‘Opposites Attract,’ at the Phonix Park Visitors’ Centre. Friends, family, and other supporters kindly came to cheer us on!
A Few Photos from the Gallery
Above photos by Fiona Leech
Tom Watts from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (the DCCI) inaugurated our opening by speaking about the importance of wool as a sustainable material and how craft and design are interwoven. He added that he was impressed with the qualities, techniques, and ideas of the exhibited pieces.
Tom Watts spoke at the opening.
Interestingly, he wore a pair of vintage Nike Air Footscape Woven Trainers that contained felt!
Members Alongside Their Work
Our trusty photographer was busy chatting with other members, so she only managed to snap some of our members alongside their work.
The Phoenix Park Visitors’ Centre Gallery was open seven days a week, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Each day, a member volunteered her time to share the wonder of feltmaking and chat with the visitors. Over a thousand people visited our show!
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.
Leiko Uchiyama in her studio.Tamzen Lundy with one of her foxes.Karena Ryan seated amongst her art.
The Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCI) has an ongoing series called‘Meet the Maker’, which interviews members and asks exciting questions such as, “What do you like most about your work?”. In addition, the DCCI has another feature called ‘Sunday Spotlight’, which shares information about a member via DCCI’s social media.
Three of Feltmakers Ireland’s guild members were recently featured by the DCCI.
If you are a member of the DCCI, you can arrange for yourself to be featured in a ‘Meet the Maker’ and/or a ‘Sunday Spotlight’! Contact the DCCI for further information – communications@dcci.com
Membership at DCCI allows designers and makers to:
Benefit from all DCCI services, projects and programmes
Get their regular e-newsletter, Connect
Participate in their health, personal accident and public liability insurance schemes
Fully professional members can boost their profile by listing on their Public Directory of Craftspeople. {Editor’s note: makers who work the material of felt are often found under the ‘Textile Making’ discipline on the directory.}
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 