This glorious exhibition running from August to Nevember, from Kilkenny Arts Week right up to the Christmas 2025 season, showcases the work of textile and fibre artists from all over Ireland.
Craft guilds in Ireland, such as the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, The Quilters Guild of Ireland, Feltmakers Ireland and the Irish Woodturners' Guild, are associations of artisans dedicated to promoting, educating, and sharing their specific crafts through workshops, events, and online communities. These guilds operate under the umbrella of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), which supports the development of the Irish design and craft sector by connecting member organizations and promoting contemporary and traditional Irish design.
The Quilters' Guild of Ireland (QGI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 that provides a forum for sharing ideas, fostering education in patchwork and quilting, and offering friendship and support to members across Ireland and internationally. The guild organizes an annual retreat, runs regional groups and workshops, and maintains a website with information on members' work, quilt shops, and other relevant topics.
Feltmakers Ireland is a group of voluntary craft members based throughout Ireland. Feltmakers Ireland was founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Bonnar in response to the growing interest in feltmaking at that time. Catering to all types of felt-making: wet felters, needle felters, professional feltmakers, hobbyists, and anyone with an interest in wool, fleece, and felt, the Guild offers education, community and support to those interested in felting wool.
Common Threads, curated by Sarah Jane Ross, celebrates and champions the work of these craftspeople in a beautifully exhibited show across two galleries in the historic Castle Yard of Kilkenny Castle.
