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.