Craft Master

The Millinery episode will see Mentor Linda McKay give a six day master class in bespoke hat making to three millinery apprentices- Antoinette O’Mahony, a busy mum of two whose ambition is to further develop a home business making hats, wedding hair stylist of the year, Pat O’Neill and Kinsale based Claire Hurley a graduate of Limerick College of Art and Design and working as a fashion designer, up-cycling fabrics into one-off garments that cannot be found on the main street. The three apprentices are tasked with producing three individual hats in the Thomastown Studio that will appeal to three diverse target markets. The task will push all three apprentices to overcome hurdles while experiencing a buzz of excitement as the locals marvel at the new milliner’s creations.

The Furniture episode will see MentorMichael Bell take three apprentices, Kristian Doherty, Caroline Allen & Evan Kelly to work in his studio for six days tasked with creating their own unique pieces in wood. It was relatively plain sailing for Kristian and Evan who are both are studying Furniture Design inDun LaoghaireCollege, but recent Business and Design graduate Caroline, who had never worked with anything more than a DIY set of tools, struggled to produce her end piece within the allocated time and to the exceptional high standards Mentor Michael.

The Jewellery episode will see the three apprentices, busy mum of four Ani Mollereau, novice self-thought jeweller Eleanor Haworth and recent Crafts Council of Ireland Jewellery graduate Brian Miller mentored by one of Ireland’s largest exporters of hand made Irish Jewellery Alan Ardiff, in the finer details of creating pieces in gold and silver that would have international appeal. For horse acupuncturist Ani, who had never worked with the precision tools of a Jeweller, there were many hurdles to overcome. While OPW Tour Guide Eleanor set about creating a piece of neckwear that would appeal to the Tourism Market and Brian displayed his exceptional talent and skill in a high-end piece made in gold and silver.

Selling hand made red carpet dresses is nothing new to Fashion Designer/Maker Edel MacBride who welcomed novice knitter Derek Montgomery, ICA member Sandra Bogan and recent Limerick College of Art and Design fashion graduate Rebecca Marsden into her studio in textile rich CountyDonegal. Speed knitter Derek, initially faced an uphill battle convincing the judges of his choice of design while for part-time farmer Sandra using knitting machines was a world away from learning at her mother’s lap. Rebecca made an evening dress to stand as a ‘halo’ piece for a potential fashion collection. All three apprentices worked tirelessly to produce unique and desirable pieces.

Long seen as a therapeutic craft, Basket Making in Ireland is undergoing a more artistic revival and Mentor Cathy Hayden offered her advice to busy mum of five Louise McLean, advanced enthusiast Barry Noyce and novice maker Eamon Tobin in her picturesque whitewashed cottage in the sunny South East. For artist Louise it was all about capturing a childhood memory within her basket while gardener Barry was more enthusiastic about finding a way to use the raw material willow in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. Eamon, new to basket making brought a creative twist to an old tradition.

The time has come for the judges, Stylist, Broadcaster, Author and Costume Designer Sonya Lennon, Head of Market Development at the Crafts Council of Ireland Brian McGee, and two of Ireland’s top designers, Louise Kennedy and Paul Costelloe to announce the winner of Craft Master 2013! With a fantastic prize up for grabs, each apprentice will have to pull out all the stops to produce a unique piece of craft to secure a place in the final! Battling it out for the title will be Basket finalist Barry Noyce, furniture making finalist Kristian Doherty, Jewellery finalist Ani Mollereau, knitting finalist Sandra Bogan and millinery finalist Claire Hurley. The winning apprentice of the series will be named Craft Master 2013 and will receive a stand at Showcase -Ireland’s Creative Expo, which is the country’s largest annual international trade fair and the most important sales event of the year for the exhibiting designers, manufacturers and craftspeople. The event attracts more than 5,500 retail buyers to the RDS in Dublin from Ireland and over 17 countries around the world, all seeking out the best of Irish fashion, jewellery, giftware and interiors products. Let the battle Commence!