In 2020 I began co-ordinating the parents craft group for my daughter's school. The craft group had already been set up by the wonderful Fiona Archibald, who had set the tone for a Steiner Craft based group designed to bring parents together. As her kids had graduated from the school I took over running the group with fellow crafty American Kate O'Keefe. During Covid 19, we were unable to have any kind of official gathering so the parent craft group gathered at my house in my tiny kitchen to learn how to make these needle felted fairies together. 

Nicola and Aisling and their fairies!

It was an evening of fun, chat, crafting and lots of tea. Getting together to learn a new craft is a great way for parents to get to know each other, we rotated the sessions and went onto another parents sitting room the next time, such a nice way to spend the long winter evenings. The colours and character that appeared in the fairies were varied and beautiful. Steiner craft leaves the faces blank on dolls to allow the child to colour the face with their own imagination. 

                    The little mermaid inspired angel above

                       Wise woman inspired angel above

I enjoyed using the 'core' wool to mould a variety of skin tones other than the porcelain white we are so used to seeing on angels. The bodies were made from silky soft merino wool, which I sourced from the Steiner School in Raheen, and needles from Apple Oaks Fibres Shop in Killaloe. The process was a lovely, gentle delicate one, and the result are these airy, graceful angels suspended by gold thread, to hang on Christmas trees. I was rather surprised by the character that came out of the first angel I made, (see below) to me she is a kind of busy Matron, making sure that the household is in order for the festive season. See how imagination is the last and most important raw material ? :) 

Together with the incredibly organised Kate O'Keefe, we set up a table at a local craft market and sold the fairies as well as other crafts. Kate labelled us as 'Community Crafts', with the intention of hosting Steiner Craft workshops for the school community as well as the wider community. I for one am hooked on needle crafting, pardon the pun! We were advised that this craft is not suitable for younger children, mainly because of the sharp needles, it is indeed a very quiet, personal craft to wile away the long winter hours, suiting a child who is willing to sit and carefully bring their own fairy to life. 

Kate O'Keefe above, with the Community Craft branding she designed. Kate led beeswax candle workshops as well as making beeswax food wraps and kits that were really popular. 

       Kate's poster for the needle crafting workshops above