Tutor Vanda Sousa, a Feltmakers Ireland member, has an upcoming online class, ‘Felt by Design’. It focuses on learning how to lay out and full wool fibres for different wet felting projects.
“Do you struggle with any of these issues?
Not knowing whether your felt is finished or not.
Not knowing how much wool to use for the different objects you want to felt.
Not being able to lay out fine enough for how you want your felt to behave (for example, for wearables).
Making a fine layout and then getting holes in the felt.
Making your felt too stiff because of over-fulling.
Creating a felt that pills because of under-fulling.
If any of this resonates, this training is for you!”
The course includes one week of training, practical exercises, two live sessions, and nine felt samples to keep as a reference.
When: Wednesday, the 28th of October to Tuesday, the 3rd of November.
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.
Our November Sunday Session will feature a hands-on workshop with committee member and accomplished feltmaker Irina Lampadova. Irina will guide us in creating a wet-felted bracelet to wear and enjoy.
If you have attended our Sunday Sessions, you may have noticed the beautiful felted creations Irina wears. She continually amazes us with her creativity and advanced felting skills. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to learn from her.
Places are limited to 20 members, so watch your inbox. We will email all members when registration opens on Wednesday the 21st at 8 PM, and you’ll need to reply by email to reserve your place. We’ll also maintain a waiting list in case any places become available.
Save the date, watch your email, and be ready to sign up! We look forward to another creative Sunday together.
When: Sunday, the 8th of November, 10:30 AM – 12:30 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 questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
In September, Lena Archbold travelled to Ireland to teach a masterclass to ten Feltmakers Ireland members on creating an ambitious wet-felting project: a reversible tunic.
Lena has written a wonderful post about her experience, with lots of photos, including ones of the students modelling their tunics!
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.
Group photo of Annika and many of the students at the end of the day.
On Sunday, the 11th of October, 18 students gathered around longtime guild member and artist, Annika Berglund, to explore how to make fine felt. We learned about the importance of using “gentle hands” and how to create “compact versus scrunchy felt”.
The workshop was divided into two parts, with Annika demonstrating each step along the way. In the morning, we created a flat square of black, white and grey felt, learning how careful handling of the wool fibres influences the finished material.
Editor’s favourite takeaway: Feltmaking transforms loose wool fibres into a new material, much like baking transforms butter, flour, sugar and eggs into a cake. Once these transformations have taken place, the original ingredients cannot simply be separated out and returned to their former state.
In the afternoon, students learned how to create a three-dimensional felt piece using a resist. Annika encouraged anyone new to the technique to “have faith” in the process, which is a reassuring reminder that sometimes you need to trust the felting.
The group included longtime members, newer members and even non-members. This mix sparked interesting conversations as students shared their textile interests and experiences.
Annika Demonstrating
Some photos of Annika demonstrating to the students.
The Busy Hall
The room was full of tables arranged in a chevron pattern, and students gathered in twos and threes.
Hands Working
Always nice to have photos of hands working!
Appreciation Time
Many thanks to Annika Berglund for taking the time to share her knowledge and lead the workshop! Additional thanks to the volunteers, Siobhán, Lorna, Irina, Fiona, Helena, Loli, Sam, and Juliane, who helped to set up the room and assist the students. Thank you to everyone who brought yummy treats to share, too!
Lastly, we were delighted that the filmmaking happening simultaneously in the adjacent room had limited impact on our workshop. (We were told there would be a rave scene with loud music!) Thanks again for everyone’s patience as we wove through the maze of interesting rooms to get to the big hall at the back of the CIE Sports Hall.
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.
We are again offering this popular technique improvement workshop, ‘Fine Felt’ for beginner and intermediate wet felters. It taught by guild member, artist, and tutor, Annika Berglund, and is recommended before taking our more advanced ‘Basic and Beyond Workshop’.
The course examines “Fine Felting,” which is traditionally desired in the craft of felting.
The class is a repeat of previous years’ Fine Felt Technical Workshops, but students are welcome to retake the workshop if they wish. Non-members are also welcome to register.
The Schedule
The class is composed of two parts: a Square 2D Sample and a Small 3D Vessel.
In the morning, beginner wet feltmakers will learn how to lay out wool using a flat 10-inch template and how to felt, full, and shrink. We will look at colour graduation and shrinkage rates.
During the morning session, more experienced feltmakers can focus on creating a very light, even layout using 10 grams of wool for a 10-inch square. We will look at how to get the densest, finest felt possible while working on creating a perfect square sample with a shrinkage of 30%, 40%, 50% or possibly 60%, depending on our speed of felting.
This may not be how we would do felting on an everyday basis. But this session spent truly concentrating on careful felting should improve our overall felting work.
Note:We will break for lunch. Please bring something to eat as we will only have 30 minutes. Tea and coffee will be provided. Bring a ‘travel mug’ to cut down on paper cup waste, and a baked good to share is always nice.
In the afternoon, we will apply what we learned in the morning to make the finest little vessel possible. We will use a different layout (spokes and wheel), laying out 10 grams of black and white wool around a 20 cm circular resist. The goal will be to create a very thin, fine vessel that is well-felted and sturdy.
Supplies
We will supply ALL wool and materials needed for the workshop.
Please bring TWO towels.
We will have spares, but if you have the following items, please bring them with you:
A bowl
A water sprinkling brauser or similar (optional as we will have spares)
Small sharp scissors
Ruler with inches AND centimetres
When: 10 AM to 4 PM. We will start at 10:00 on the dot as we have much to cover. Please arrive a few minutes early to get settled in.
Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be sharing felting during the festival, and several of our members will be vendors.
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.
Several Feltmakers Ireland members are participating in events as part of this year’s Culture Night: https://culturenight.ie/
Co Leitrim
At the Leitrim Design House on Carrick-Shannon, guild members Belinda Reid will demonstrate 3D needle felting, and Karen Bowden will show how wool, water, and friction can create beautiful wet-felted flowers and beads. The guild’s exhibition, ‘The Essence of Nature ‘, is on The ArtWall.
At Gather Kildare, guild member Tamzen Lundy will demonstrate wet feltmaking and free motion stitching. Her colleagues at Gather will also share what they create.
Note: Some of the events are drop in and others require booking. Please check the associated links for details.
Apologies if we missed your event.
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 is hosting TWO August Craft Month events this year!
On Saturday, the 15th of August, Feltmakers Ireland West will be at King House, Boyle, Co Roscommon. They will have a felting fair featuring a mini-market, an exhibition, and four feltmaking workshops. For more information: https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/felting-fun-day/
On Sunday, the 16th of August, Feltmakers Ireland will be at the CIE Hall/ Inchicore Sports & Social Club, Co Dublin. For more information and to register a place in one of the two felting workshops where we will be creating wet and needle felted flowers, please visit this page: https://augustcraftmonth.org/acm-event/experience-the-joy-of-felting/
In addition to our members’ events (see below), there are over 40 opportunities to experience felting throughout the island of Ireland. When on the August Craft Month website, in the ‘List View ‘, select the ‘Craft Type’ of ‘Felt’ to see ALL of the events! (One can search ‘Map View’, but then there is no option to select ‘Felt’.)
Members Events
Several of our members are hosting their own open studios, workshops, and markets.
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 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.
On Friday, the 30th and Saturday, the 31st of May, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate wet and needlefelting at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s Irish Craft Village, at Bord Bia Bloom in Phoenix Park. We will be in Demo Area 3, near the Conservation Area. Our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, will also be for sale, along with some of our members’ works. Come by and say, ‘Hello’!
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Lucia Errity will display her felted work at the MeathMade booth.
More Information
This June bank holiday weekend (Thursday, May 28th– Monday, June 1st, 2026), Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s most unique gardening, food, and sustainable living festival, returns for its 20th year.
Filled with colour and creativity, the event heralds the start of summer with a dazzling display of glorious gardens, fabulous food, and enthralling entertainment to entice visitors of all ages.
Spanning a 70-acre site in Dublin’s leafy Phoenix Park, Bord Bia Bloom is one of the country’s largest outdoor experiences, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. This year, visitors can soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of summer over five buzzing days packed with live entertainment, talks, interactive workshops, dining, shopping, and so much more.
Bord Bia Bloom offers abundant opportunities to grow, taste, and learn. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster, and two children can go free with each adult ticket purchased. Concession tickets are available for senior citizens (66+) and students with a valid ID.
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.
The International Feltmakers Association (IFA) online courses for wet feltmaking are currently open for enrollment. There are five different courses, and each covers a specific area of interest to felters:
The January-February Coursework access begins on the 2nd of January, 20206 and ends on the 28th of February, 2026. The courses run three times a year with a period of access to the online material. The other two slots are scheduled in May/June and October/November.
The workshops are delivered step-by-step, on-screen, and as downloadable or printable PDFs through the Ruzuku platform. Students work at their own pace and can use the online group forum to ask the course mentor any questions. Students can also share their work through peer feedback and discussions.
Fibre packs can be ordered if needed.
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Hélène Dooley is one of the mentors with the IFA Discovering Feltmaking Courses. She masterfully guided us through the ‘Cracked Earth’ and ‘Geode’ techniques during our April 2023 Sunday Session!
These online courses are open to both IFA members and non-members, and would make a perfect gift for oneself!
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.
