ABOUT - BIG UP: THE VULVA MASSIVE…

Whether I teach VULVA felting, or talk somewhere or stand at a quirky market stall, I always start with the line: “We all come from one, and half of the world’s population have one - so - lets normalise first of all to call it with its proper name by reviving the word VULVA (not mumu or nini or whatever other silly name you might use). Let's de-sexualize the organ and let's start talking and sharing what it means to have one… to share with others the pain and pleasures of owning one! 

We women are labelled by society as reproductive machines, we leak every 20 something days (it varies so much but should be 28ish days).

If we decide to be childless for whatever reason we are faulty goods in the eyes of others (they always know best)...

If we talk about how bad our periods are, even other sisters sometimes might say, “Oh, it's just a period”... let's big each other up and be supporting one another hormonal journey BIG UP THE VULVA MASSIVE…

My Story 

Tamara Fiabane is my name and some people already know me from my textile artwork under my business @toofabulousartandcrafts. I have been in the markets and art scene now with my work for over a decade here in Ireland. I love to play with many fibres and textiles, I sew, needle felt, knit, crochet, spin, a bit of embroidery and upcycle many discarded materials into wearable art as well as teaching a variety of crafts.

One day, many moons ago I decided to change my life direction as I fell into a corporate job that really wasn't me! When I was free of that life, I started doing many things I hadn't done in years and picked up a new skill that I immediately loved - needle felting! 

I embarked on a 10 week course under my wooly muse and now cherished friend @sharonwellsart and the rest is now a gorgeous fluffy history. Little did she know I would start needle felting VULVAS… then bringing my creations to a few burlesque shows, a few markets that would allow me to display my gorgeously fluffy VULVAS (The Fabulous Market at the George and Craftopia at Street 66).

I guess I was also looking for a new direction for my own life - ‘What would I love to do that would make me wake up happy in the morning and with that feeling of fulfilment?’.

Personally I had a difficult journey with my periods, the pain, the moods, the hormonal madness from my teens shifting into the perimenopause, plus being childless by choice! Wow, what a combo! 

During the pandemic when we were all locked up my periods were horrendous, they call them flooding for a reason. I found out I had a ginormous 17cm fibroid (named Ossy) living intramuscularly over my womb. 

I had always made fluffy VULVAS but I wanted to teach the art of making them too, however finding a venue that allowed me wasn't an easy task. I had seen a post on FB from a crowd called Alternative Dublin - looking for facilitators of quirky workshops so naturally I reached out. 

I had just gone through a hysterectomy to remove Ossy, my womb, the cervix, and all the other bits (except my ovaries). As a result I very quickly went into the “wonderful” menopause and felt very alone. The older generations didn't want to hear my struggles as most of them apparently “just sailed through it”, while the younger ones are not in tune yet, so I felt that a place where women can hang out and chat was definitely what I had to create. 

Alternative Dublin were opening a new alcohol free venue called ‘This Must Be The Place’ in Sept 2022 and I immediately started delivering my VULVA felting sessions. Wow, the reaction was brilliant and we kept it a regular monthly workshop for a few years till they had to move out from their premise in Temple Bar in 2025.

During November 2024 I was invited to attend a television program Ireland AM to talk about my VULVA Art & Felting workshops, I just couldn't believe that at 9am I was going to be able to talk about VULVA Art! 

Following my TV appearance I met up with an old friend who had reached out to me to say well done… I had met him a few years back when he managed a venue where I was teaching flower felting. We chatted for ages and he mentioned that he owned the venue himself now and suggested that I use a basement for a VULVA art exhibition - this was on my bucket list of things to do in life! 

That's how VULVA STORIES came about, I had only 6 weeks to get it off the ground (and with Christmas in the middle) but I took the opportunity as it was bouncing in front of me and I bounced with it. 

I was accepted very quickly to be part of the Brigit Dublin festival and contacted a few women/friends/sisters/artists that I knew could pull it off with me and that's how it came alive - a community of gorgeous VULVAS was born… check out each chapter for more info.