September meetings

This month we have Ocean View weaving group on Tuesday 2nd and 16th at 9am- 12:30 and Saturday 6 th from 10am - 4pm (bring your own lunch). There is also weaving class at the Otago Museum on Sunday 21st at 2pm.  All welcome. 

Babies and korowai

Yesterday I dropped in to see Aroha at the Maori Liason office at the Dunedin hospital to talk about how korowai might be acceptable for use in the maternity wing. I have had friends who have had stillborn babies and thought that maybe small korowai might be given to parents to wrap their little ones in.  These might help give comfort to bereaved parents. I thought that maybe baby could even be buried in the wee cloak. A sad thought but I wanted to make something that might make a difference at a sad time. Aroha thought it a good idea so next year that might be my goal. To make a number of small korowai to be given. 

Another idea was that the maternity wing has a lovely basket that newborns can be put in for photos. Adding a korowai to this basket for wrapping baby symbolising wrapping the baby in the aroha of the family might make the photo session even more special. So today I dropped off a temporary one- the brown one I have just finished- and measured up for another. I hope it will add to the happiness of new parents with their babies. So that's me sorted for a good while. I need to get on with the school one which, by the way, is coming on nicely. I am using kereru feathers which I always thought were unsuitable because of the thickness of the stems. However I am managing quite well. 

Weaving Classes

Nearly ready for our korowai weaving class at the Otago museum today. Malcolm and I have been busy making up the Starter Kits for new weavers this week. They have everything needed to make a small korowai to learn the skills.  We have been looking at making them up to sell on line too. 

I went to the museum on Friday to check out the space again and was very surprised to nearly stumble over this outside. 

It was a cold day and I was all rugged up so don't think anybody could have recognised me snapping myself!  What a giggle. I am looking forward to this afternoon and hope it goes off well. The only problem is the ladies will have to come through a bunch of zombies to get to our space. The museum is open to all sorts!!  

Wyandotte cape

This unfortunately turned out a bit small. It looks nice but only measures 74 cm at the top although it started out at 94 cm. the taniko is from a maori knitting book which I have adapted for this piece.  I like the feathers but am bothered because its so small and yet too big for kindi kids. Oh well I will just have to learn from my mistakes and try again. I think the problem was that I used this string single and therefore had to pull tightly so that no feather bits showed on the inside. I just got tighter and tighter. I now remember why I prefer to use this string double.