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 will make a wet-felted Holiday Star for window decoration – perfect for Christmas or year-round!
There will be a choice of three finished models using wool yarn, Merino wool, and, for one version, Wensleydale locks.
What to bring:
One large and one small towel
Sewing pins
Small sharp scissors
Bubble wrap – approximately sized at 25 by 50cm
Soap and water bowl
Ball brause or sprinkler
A plastic bag
All other materials will be provided.
Additional Information
A Sunday Session like this will require lots of tea/ coffee/cake and chat, so there’ll be an abundance of that. Of course, homebakes are always welcome! Please bring a ‘keep cup’ or mug from home if possible. That will lessen the amount of paper cups thrown away.
There is the usual 5 euro fee.
Note: Since this is the season of colds and coughs, let’s not share them. However, we welcome you to join via Zoom Link, which we email to all members on Friday afternoon.
Annika Berglund Exhibition
Portrait of Annika Berglund
Annika Berglund, a graduate of NCAD, has shown work in solo and group exhibitions nationally and abroad and has won several awards, including the Crafts Council’s price for Best Craft in the Garden 2008 and the NUI Art and Design Prize 2010.
Moving from ceramics, glass, and bronze to felt in 2020, one of her earliest felt pieces depicting the COVID-19 virus was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland. Having had one solo show and many group shows featuring Felt, Annika was a primary contributor to Feltmakers Ireland’s research project around Irish wool and the resulting book,Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking. She is currently Treasurer of Feltmakers Ireland.
Annika’s upcoming solo exhibition, Tapestry, opens on Sunday, the 17th of November at 15:00 in the Olivier Cornet Gallery (after the Sunday session). She welcomes you all to attend. The show runs until the 15th of December.
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 will make a wet-felted Holiday Star for window decoration – perfect for Christmas or year-round!
There will be a choice of three finished models using wool yarn, Merino wool, and, for one version, Wensleydale locks.
What to bring:
One large and one small towel.
Sewing pins
Small sharp scissors
Bubble wrap – approximately sized at 25 by 50cm
Soap and water bowl
Ball brause or sprinkler
A plastic bag
Bio of Annika Berglund
Portrait of Annika Berglund
Annika Berglund, a graduate of NCAD, has shown work in solo and group exhibitions nationally and abroad and has won several awards, including the Crafts Council’s price for Best Craft in the Garden 2008 and the NUI Art and Design Prize 2010.
Moving from ceramics, glass, and bronze to felt in 2020, one of her earliest felt pieces depicting the COVID-19 virus was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland. Having had one solo show and many group shows featuring Felt, Annika was a primary contributor to Feltmakers Ireland’s research project around Irish wool and the resulting book,Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking. She is currently Treasurer of Feltmakers Ireland.
Annika’s upcoming solo exhibition, Tapestry, opens on the 17th of November at 15:00 in the Olivier Cornet Gallery (after the Sunday session). She would like to welcome you all to attend if you have the opportunity.
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.
Over the June Bank holiday, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland spent two days at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Irish Craft Village within Bord Bia’s Bloom 2024 in Phonix Park. Our volunteers shared the wonders of transforming fluff into felt.
Irish Craft Village Sign – Photo by Sam Fagan
Most of all, Feltmakers Ireland wants to thank theDesign and Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) for giving us such an excellent marquee and display opportunity in the Craft’s Demonstration Booth at Bloom. We especially want to thank Geraldine Gray (of the DCCI ) and her sister Catherine for their support, helpfulness, and friendship on-site over the two days.
The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Irish Craft Village – Photo by Sam Fagan
Our Booth
The public enjoyed watching volunteers show how to wet felt and needle-felt.
The photo on the left is early in the day – Photo by Loli Cox. The one on the right shows how popular our booth was – Photo by Sam Fagan.
Annika with samples of Irish Wool Breeds – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Irish Wool Breed Felted Samples – Photo by Sam Fagan
Annika’s 3D fish and butterflies attracted much interest, as did other artworks on display.
Fishes and Butterfhly – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
3D Butterflies by Annika Berglund – Photo by Sam Fagan
Hélène Dooley’s spiral in the foregraound.
A busy booth – Photo by Hélène Dooley
Tamzen Lundy demonstrated wet feltmaking by creating a Mr Fantastic Fox. Her cute, wee-felted animals on display are terrific. You can find her work at Tamzen Lundy Designs.
Tamzen promoting wet feltmaking. (See below)
Tamzen demonstrating
Tamzen chatting with the public – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Marian Fagan demonstrated needle felting and how she makes puppets of the various characters in children’s books for her granddaughter as they share the joy of reading. (See photo below).
Marian demonstrating feltmaking – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Loli Cox, Marian, and Annika were busy demonstrating.
Loli, Marian, and Annika talking with the public – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
In the afternoon, Joanne Foley (in the yellow dress) demonstrated the process of creating her animal portraits. (See photograph below).
More sharing of feltmaking at Bloom – Joanne Foley, Lorna Cady, Margaret Ryan Collings, and Annika Berglund – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Guild member Caoimhe Tuthill of Boann Irish Felt exhibited her beautiful work in the main pavilion with MeathMade. (See below).
Caoimhe Tuthill at the MeathMade Booth – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Day 2
Saturday was busy, and Hélène Dooley started us off by demonstrating wet felting flowers and displaying her felted vessels. The red-coloured, hanging felted spiral is from an online class she teaches at the Felting and Fiber Studio. (See photo below).
Helene demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Hélène demonstrated and answered curious questions.
Hélène, Lory Cotti Cottini, and Annika demonstrating, below. Annika promoted Feltmakers Ireland and encouraged the interested public to become members of the guild.
Helene, Lory, and Annika sharing the wonders of feltmaking – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Siobhan Ryan, Sam Fagan, Elaine Peden, and Annika at Bloom.
Siobhan, Sam, Elaine, and Annika demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Elain Peden demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Elaine and Annika share feltmaking with the public. (Below).
Elaine and Annika – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Siobhan demonstrates her unique artwork.
Siobhan demonstrating – Photo by Maria Mc Garry
Valerie Nowak O’Ceallaigh shared her needle-felted horse portrait.
Photo by Valerie
Conclusion
Many thanks to Maria Mc Garry and Annika Berglund for coordinating this year’s Feltmakers Ireland booth at Bloom! Also, thanks to all the members, who also volunteered their time during the busy bank holiday weekend.
Elaine, Annika, and Maria pictured – Photo by Sam Fagan
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.
Bagenalstown in Bloom, now in its third year, features flower-arranging workshops and displays, helpful tips to make the perfect hanging basket, and garden tours of the wonderful Barrow Experience Gardens in the BEAM Centre on Sunday. The festival programme also includes demonstrations of woodturning, Borris Lace, and live music. In addition, several workshops are offered: Feltmakers Ireland guild member Leiko Uchiyama is teaching TWO wet felting workshops as part of the event. In both classes, students will experience the unique way of making three-dimensional objects seamlessly and colour mixing with wool fibre.
The morning class is on Saturday, the 15th of June 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. (2 hours).
The afternoon class is on the same day from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. (3 hours).
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.
Students will learn two ways to make 3-D forms: one with a resist and one with differential shrinkage.
During the workshop, students will learn the basics about choosing and using colours for specific effects and how laying out the wool in certain patterns and thicknesses affects the shape of one’s vessel. In addition, students will learn how the direction of rolling and how long a piece is fulled affects the final shape of a bowl. Students will explore using various fibres and materials in the surface design of their pieces. The instructor will bring samples of different kinds of wool to touch so students can learn what type works better for larger or smaller pieces and the difference in surface texture and rigidity.
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 member Caoimhe Tuthill of Boann Irish Felt and Shelly Szigli of Soul Dolls CA are holding a two-day felting retreat set against the stunning backdrop of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Boinne in the stunning Boyne Valley in Ireland.
Participants will learn how to create their own Soul Doll using wet and needle felting techniques.
When: the 31st of August through the 1st of September.
On Sunday, the 11th of February, 22 students gathered around artist and Feltmakers Ireland guild member Annika Berglund to learn about Fine Feltmaking.
Annika demonstrates how to make clean edges on flat felt.
What is Fine Felt?
With this type of wet felting, the aim is to create dense, smooth felt. It is not a fast process; we didn’t toss or throw but took it slow. Annika said we might never seek this patience-requiring method again, but we would know and have the option to use it in our future felting.
Throughout the workshop, the students used only two colours: black and white. This simple limitation allowed us to experience how colours combine through the feltmaking process.
Everyone gathered around to watch the steps of the process.
Morning
In the morning, we worked two-dimensionally. We learned how to carefully lay out Merino wool roving to a specific size and then gently transform the fluff into felt. Annika explained the hows and whys of why we might want to shrink our samples more or less.
Annika shows how to adjust the corners.
Afternoon
In the afternoon session, the students concentrated on creating a three-dimensional vessel – a sphere. We used a flat resist to create this hollow form. Similar to our morning education, this felting process needed a delicate touch.
Annika shares how to remove the resist.
Students concentrate on their work.
Feedback
Many of the students were fairly new to wet felting and appreciated learning the mysteries of the process. Several enthusiastically reported they would continue felting at home with Annika’s suggestions on how to create new samples with different shrinkage rates.
Students’ Work
Top row: Margaret Ryan, Loli Cox.
Second row: Valerie O’Ceallaigh, Sandra Reynolds.
Third row: Caitriona Nolan, Suzette French.
Fourth row: Samantha Fagan.
Fifth row: Ruth Dawson, Claire Wallace.
Sixth row: Ramona Farrelly.
Appreciation Time
Many thanks to the volunteers who assisted the students. Lorna Cady, Deirdre Crofts, Marian Fagan, Juliane Gorman, Fiona Leech, and Clodagh McDonagh.
Special thanks to Clodagh McDonagh and Adrienne Dempsey, who refreshed everyone’s water containers with the needed water temperatures – at times lukewarm and other times hot!
Clodagh with the kettles of boiling water.
Additional appreciation to Elizabeth Redding and Valerie Nowak Oceallaigh, who helped with the morning registration process and the selling of our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’.
Elizabeth at the entry table.
As always, special thanks to Fiona Leech for taking care of the tea, coffee, and sweet treats!
Lastly, a huge thanks to Annika Berglund for taking on this workshop for the Guild. She has a marvellous way of getting the students’ attention and also making us laugh!
Editor’s note: as more students email photos, we will add them to this blog post.
This upcoming Sunday Session Workshop, ‘Fine Felt in Wet Felting‘, is fully booked.
However, all members are welcome to come and enjoy the felting atmosphere!
Where: CIE Sports Hall
Date: 11th of February
Time: 10:30 AM – 4 PM
As it is a full day, please bring your lunch. (The CIE Sports Hall is in a residential neighbourhood, without nearby cafes).
While the heating will be turned on, please bring a jumper or cardigan as sometimes the Hall is chilly.
Other Details
If you can, please bring a home-baked treat to share.
For those not registered for the workshop or helping as volunteers, there is a member contribution of 5 euros.
This session will ~not~ be Zoomed or recorded.
Membership Renewals
Feltmakers Ireland has an annual membership fee of 25 euros. Your membership is valid for a calendar year – from January to December of each year.
At the Sunday Session, we will have printed membership forms available for 2024. {If you renew in person, can you also please fill out our online survey of members’ interests?}
Tamzen Lundy is hosting a wet feltmaking workshop on Sunday, February 18th, in Dublin. This workshop is suitable for beginners, intermediate-level felt makers, and those interested in making 3D felt or felting around a resist.
Together, we will make a sunglasses case… in the hope that we will soon see some springtime sun!
In this three-hour session, we will lay fibre around a resist, making a pocket sunglasses case. We will also look at different closure methods so the participants will learn extra tips and tricks to advance their projects.
All materials, plus tea/coffee and cake, are provided
There are limited spaces (4- meaning there is good attention and opportunity to ask for help).
With 25 years of experience in the textile and fashion industry, Tamzen brings a wealth of industry knowledge. Buy yourself an experience and enjoy a cosy craft-making session in the inspiring studio – Brookwood Pottery Shop and Studio in Marino, Dublin.
The cost is €75, 3.5 hours of tuition, materials, tea and coffee provided.
If you have any trouble booking, contact tamzenlundydesigns@gmail.com
(When clicking the link- select the date FEB 18th – which will then show availability as 12 noon– select and purchase online- many thanks).
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 