The Irish Grown Wool Council and Sharon Wells are excited to announce that Ireland has been selected as the host country for European Wool Day 2026!
Bringing together sheep farmers, designers, makers, researchers, crafters, educators, practitioners and those with a general interest in wool from across the island of Ireland and Europe to celebrate wool’s role in sustainability, circular economies and cultural heritage.
Co-hosts & Sponsor: Many thanks to the co-hosts, the European Wool Exchange Foundation, Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, Centre for Applied Bioscience Research (CABR), and sponsors, including FutureIslandIsland, and REVEIRE
Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.
Join in celebrating wool, connection, and collaboration at #EWD26 in Co Tralee, Ireland.
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.
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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Jennifer Lienhard of Apple Oak Fibre Works will teach a year-long online course in natural dyeing – a guided, in-depth journey into the science, craft, and history of colour.
The program consists of the following-
12 learning modules released monthly via a private course platform
Live Zoom calls, Q&A, and portfolio building
Live calls are scheduled twice a day to accommodate students in different time zones. Recordings available after every session
Optional in-person intensives and gardening session in August
Deep dives into fibres, tannins, mordanting, lasting colours, indigo fermentation vats and sustainability
Build a professional portfolio and creative direction for your own studio
Course certificate upon completion of the portfolio work
The course starts on the 13th of January 2026.
Monthly topics
January — Fibres and their differences
February — Mordanting
March — Tannins
April — Creating blues
May — Creating yellows
June — Creating reds
July — Creating purples
August — Secondary colours & modifiers
September — Lake making and related processes
October — Printing and advanced techniques
November — Industry standards & personal project
December — Final projects & presentations
Irish residents: receive 40% discount via the National Organic Training Skillnet (NOTS) funding (includes materials).
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 22nd of November 2025, Feltmakers Ireland had the privilege of taking part in Fibreshed Ireland‘s first Textile Market, which was part of their annual Symposium held the day before.
Fibershed is a global movement that evolved from Rebecca Burgess and Courtney White’s 2019 book,‘Fibreshed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy.’ Weaver and natural dyer Burgess developed a project focused on wearing clothing made from fibre grown, woven, and sewn within her bioregion of North Central California. In Ireland, our fibreshed encompasses the whole island. The Fibershed movement champions local, regenerative fibre systems—connecting soil, plants, animals, and humans through transparent supply chains and bioregional textile practices.
At the Textile Market, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland set up a lively demonstration station where visitors could watch both wet felting and needle felting techniques. We talked passionately about the guild’s mission to keep traditional feltmaking skills alive, to celebrate Irish wool in all its glorious variety, and to foster creativity and community through this extraordinarily versatile material.
A special highlight was the chance to promote our beautiful book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’. Copies were available for sale alongside an array of handmade treasures: wet-felted vessels, pocket books and bags, bookmarks, greeting cards, whimsical wool pumpkins, and gnomes—every single piece made exclusively with Irish wool from a rainbow of native sheep breeds.
Visitors loved getting hands-on: touching fleece samples from rare and heritage breeds, feeling the different textures, and discovering how dramatically each type of wool felts. Our display of members’ artwork—landscape wall pieces, sculptures and wearable art—showed just how far this simple fibre can be pushed in skilled and imaginative hands.
A thank-you to the Fibreshed Ireland team for inviting us and for creating such a warm, inspiring event. We’re especially grateful to our own guild members, Margaret and Clodagh, who gave their time so generously and demonstrated with enthusiasm. Additionally, it was also a joy to spend the day alongside our fellow artisans who spin, naturally dye and process Irish wool with equal love and dedication. Vendors included guild members Katarina of WoolStore Ireland, who shared her beautifully processed Irish wool fibre and Juliane of FeltHappiness, who shared her sculptural hats.
Closeup of Woolstore Ireland tableJuliane at her tableFeltmakers Ireland members at the Textile Market. From left to right: Juliane, Loli, Margaret, Sam, and Katarina.
Gallery of Photos
Aga + Katja (plus, Anne O’Toole on the far right) at Sound of SpinningPetra Skyvova and friendLinda Costello offered info on business suports available to fibre creatives and farmers.Charlie of Mallon Linen, Malu Colorin -co founder of Fibreshed Ireland, and Anne O’TooleMalu and Anne O’Toole of KnitAranJessica Leonard – co founder of Fibreshed Ireland with the Soil Your Scarf displayClose up of Mallon Linen’s display
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.
Editor’s Note: Earlier in the autumn, the Knit + Stitch organisers donated three pairs of Giveaway tickets to our followers. The recipients did not need to write a blog post, but we genuinely appreciate that longtime member Breda Fay has written one for us!
By Breda Fay
Thank you, Feltmakers Ireland, for the prize of two tickets to Knit & Stitch. I combined the visit with a two-night stay in Moira, County Down.
I was barely in the door of the Eikon Exhibition Centre when I met two of our guild members, Helene and Annika – it was lovely to share a coffee and a chat to catch up on our busy lives. Coincidentally, we had chosen the same workshop.
It was surprising that there was so little about feltmaking. Sandra Coote from Crafts of Ireland seemed to be the only one flying the flag for felt with her lovely display of needlefelting. Feltmakers Ireland always had a stand when Knit + Stitch was at the RDS in Dublin*.
However, it was still very easy to spend money, and I came away with ribbons, threads, fabric, and some books on quilts and the gallery artists.
Quilt Displays
Craftivism for Palestine QuiltSEFF Memorial Quilts
I found the two quilt displays very emotive- The Craftivism for Palestine Quilt project, a 32-country project to raise awareness of the death of children in Gaza, and the SEFF Memorial Quilts display commemorating death in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
Textile Galleries
There were only three textile art galleries this year:
Each one was inspiring, and each artist was available to discuss her works and inspiration.
The Live Stage provided demos and talks throughout the days. I just needed a sit-down and was lucky enough to hear Anouk O’Connell of Ollanmor speak about Landscape Weaving.
I enjoyed my two days away, spent more money than I intended, but had the opportunity to try some new crafts.
From the editor: Thank you, Breda, for sharing your experiences at the Knit + Stitch Show in Lisburn, United Kingdom. It is wonderful to experience a taste of the show!
* Editor’s Note: Last year, when the event took place in Belfast, Feltmakers Ireland, Feltmakers North, and the International Feltmakers Association staffed a booth generously provided by Knit + Stitch. Because coordinating the staffing was a significant undertaking for our organiser, Jane Fox—who is a member of all three guilds—we decided not to take on a similar commitment for the 2025 show. But we can certainly think about participating next year.
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 Friday, the 21st of November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, for their annual Symposium to hear from growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.
Speakers
● Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard of @appleoakfibreworks ● Katarina Hruskova of @woolstoreireland(Katarina is a member of Feltmakers Ireland!) ● @kathykirwan_theartofnature of the Flax 405 project ● Mary Ann Williams, editor of the book @textilesofireland ● Michelle McCabe, researcher exploring the connections between textile craft and wellbeing with ATU Sligo ● @ryankoenigstudio — 16th-century experimental textile archaeology about the knitted Ballybunion wool cap ● Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World
Textile Market
Saturday will be an Open Day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop requires a ticket.
Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate felting with Irish-raised wool!
Local fibres and textiles from a selection of Fibreshed Ireland members will be available: Included are two Feltmakers Ireland members –
Juliane Gorman of FeltHappiness will vend her Cyanotype-printed, Irish wool hats
Katarina Hruskova of WoolStore Ireland will vend locally raised wool that she has processed.
Workshops
● Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Weaving Circle with Lucy Hyland (@ourselfcarerevolution), from 1 to 3 PM ● Movement session for crafters with @aideen.macken, from 3:30 – 4:10 (FREE, with optional donations to support Fibreshed Ireland’s work)
Where: Dublin (different venues each day)
Optional social dinner in @fidelitydublin on Friday, the 22nd of November (book at checkout)
Discounts for students and Fibreshed Ireland members!
On Friday, 21st November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM to hear from a diverse range of growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.
Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World
On Saturday, there will be an open day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop will be ticketed.
Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
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.
Join the Knit + Stitch Show in Northern Ireland from the 13th to the 16th of November at the Eikon Exhibition Centre.
Stock up on quality craft supplies from over 100 exhibitors, explore Textile Galleries featuring world-renowned textile artists, a vast array of workshops, talks & lectures,and more. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or just getting started, there’s something for everyone.
Feltmakers Irelandguild member Sandra Coote of Crafts of Ireland will have a booth there!
When: Thursday, the 13th, through Sunday, the 16th of November.
Discounted Entry
The Knit + Stitch has kindly given Feltmakers Ireland Members (and friends) a discount code to save £2 at checkout. Use the code FELTMAKERSIR
T&Cs: £2 off standard adult/concession tickets only. Offer not valid on VIP, Child or group tickets. Offer expires Sunday, the2nd of November 2025. Booking fee applies.
For more information about the exciting events, textile galleries, workshops, and vendors at the Knit + Stitch Show Northern Ireland, or to book tickets with the above discount code, visit the website using this unique link –
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.
The Festival of Botanical Colours is a textile event which includes workshops and demonstrations, including the following: indigo dyeing, land art, ink making, Fair Isle knitting, spinning, storytelling, block printing, solar dyeing, pigments, peg loom weaving and more
When: From Friday, the 24th, through Sunday, the 26th of October.
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 the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Via our textile friends, Fibreshed Ireland: ReStyle Cork is looking for designers, craftspeople, traditional skills instructors, social entrepreneurs, and artists based in Cork who would like to be part of animating their flagship awareness-raising event for European Waste Reduction Week.
For more information about getting involved, please contact Theo: 0838110769, theo@environmentalforum.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 the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland and 40 other local textile exhibitors will be at the Dublin Fibre Festival THIS Saturday, the 18th of October. This is THE opportunity to touch yarn and fibres in person, attend textile workshops, and watch spinning, felting, and other fibre arts demonstrations! To see a taste of last year’s event, there’s this blog post – https://feltmakersireland.com/2024/10/29/recap-fantastic-day-at-the-dublin-fibre-festival/
The Map and Vendor List
We will be there!
Have you wanted to purchase a copy of Feltmakers Ireland’s book ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’but have not had the opportunity? Come to the Dublin fibre event of the year: The Dublin Fibre Festival. In addition, we will have several guild members demonstrating needle and wet felting. These include felting artists such as Eva Salamon @feltedvision and Irina Lampadova @irinalampadova1
Feltmakers Ireland 