There is a group coming to see my work in two weeks time so I am hurrying to get some things made for them to see.  One of the things is a wedding korowai - a short cape.  For this I have used fluffy feathers gathered from the local bird park and gold and silver thread in the taniko.  This was the first time I tried these threads and I like the effect.  Here it is on my frame, upside down of course.







Next is a photo of the taniko up the right way.  You can see I have designed the taniko as hearts for the wedding theme.
The mawhitiwhiti on the back will also be hearts. Again this is the first time I have done this.

I am using the dark fluffy feathers I have gathered along with black tipped white fluffs to make a bag.  I have just started this and need to get the feathers out of my sister-in-law's freezer to carry on.  Hopefully that will deal to any bugs that might have survived the washing process.

Having got some feathers from Feathergirl and found them only so-so, I made two small pieces to see if they will be any good for those learning to weave.  And the answer is - maybe.  I will see on next Saturday when I expect to see a few more new weavers at our next gathering.

 A long time ago I started making a triangular piece and have decided to explore that shape.  Thinking about it kept me awake - botheration.  These are the starts.  We'll see what happens.

Back to work.

I have finished the korowai for Ella.  It took 35 hours and I think has turned out rather well.  I do hope they like it

We had our first Tuesday group this week in Brighton.  Our next meeting will be on the Saturday after Easter, April 6th  at Coast Community Church Ocean View.  All Welcome especially beginners.

The weekend school went well.  There were 7 beginner weavers who were all very enthusiastic.  They managed to very nearly finish their pieces so it was quite successful and I learnt a lot about what could be achieved in a weekend.

Now we hope to start a fortnightly group at Brighton (1st and 3rd Tuesdays 9:30am-12:30pm) and a monthly meeting at Taieri Mouth (1st Sat of month 10am-4pm).  All welcome. E-mail me for more info.

This is what they can do with the piece they were making

As well as this I have been continuing with my big commission of Pheasant feathers.  But again it has had to go on hold as I need to get some things made  to show a group of fibre artists who will visit in mid April.  I have a few bags on the go which need a bit of finishing

Thought I would like to do something with the lovely side feathers from a peacock tail.  I haven't worked out how to attach the long bits to the bag yet.

And I have a small commission for a baby's naming ceremony korowai.  This one has been fun and is coming along nicely.  I only have a month to make this so am forging ahead with it.This first picture is the result of 4 days work and the second is another 5 hours later.  One more row of white feathers then I am on to the taniko for the top. About 24 hours altogether so far.

I have been thinking for ages it was time to update my blog.  Well finally I am.  And I have been busy lately but not so much weaving as writing a booklet on weaving.  It is finally done and I am printing it out.  It is called 'Making your First Korowai' . So if you would like to have a go at weaving a small piece then send me an e-mail and I will see what we can do.  On the last weekend in February will be running a weekend weaving school here at Taieri Mouth.  It will be a first for me.  I have 8 people coming at this stage, which is a good number for me to teach at once.  This weekend is why I wanted to write an instruction book.

At the same time I am continuing to weave the big cloak for a client in Dunedin.  It's coming on nicely.  They came out to see it on Friday and were very happy with it.  That is always a good sign.

We had an exciting time last month when there were a few salmon being caught in the river.  Malcolm brought one in and our nephew caught two.  They were quite yummy so needless to say not so much weaving was done and more fishing was done (not so much catching though).

 I have started my big cloak and am excited by the way it is progressing.  The feathers from feathergirl have come and I hope I have enough.

But at the same time I am making a few things to have on show when I have a weekend wananga korowai next year.  So here is a bag I am making just ready to do some taniko on the top.

 And a small piece using peacock feathers.  It helps to have something small to take when I have to go out to weave.

Well it is ages since I wrote last but lots has happened.  The exhibition went well and despite few sales I consider it a success.  We have all had exposure for the craft in Dunedin.  Elaine has since sold a framed piece and is very happy about that.  I have a commission to make an adult korowai for a Dunedin family and  I have lots of names of people who wish to learn.  So I am considering having a weekend school near the end of February and perhaps a weekly group on Tuesdays after that.

We have also been away visiting family in Auckland and in Sydney.  We had a great few weeks away catching up with grandchildren who are growing up so fast.  I miss them all.

While we were in Papakura I was able to deliver the gift of a korowai to Papakura South School, my old primary school from 50 years ago.  It was lovely to be accompanied by two of my weaving friends and to feel the welcome from the pupils and staff.  I hope the korowai is of use to them.

I was also able to go to Whiri Aroha, the weaving group at the Papakura marae, and catch up with all my old friends and meet new people starting out on their weaving journey.  I learnt some new ideas as I always keep my eyes open and camera ready.

 These are some of the photos I took there to remind me of good ideas

I like the white and black colour theme of this arapaki.

Here there are definite areas of different types of feathers

I love the neatness of this bottom of the korowai.

This is a wonderful use of the tags

I like the colour scheme and the way the black and green feathers
are alternated and match the taniko at the top.
This learner was on the last row of her this piece. Well done.

I really like the use of the feather design and the mawhitiwhiti

Just another quick arapaki to use up some cut string before the big day.  Used some rooster feathers that I already had bundled ages ago.

My mother showed me how to make labels for the back of my pieces.  I worked out the wording etc on Picasa and printed it out till I was happy with it.  Then I ironed freezer paper to some plain fabric.  Freezer paper can be got from material shops especially those dealing with quilters.  This was cut to A4 size then just put through the printer as normal.  The freezer paper stiffens the material and can be pealed off after printing. It worked well and I got 12 labels per A4 sheet.  Then comes the tedious bit of sewing them on to the back of the korowai like a shop label.

 The exhibition notice.  We had an article written about us in the local free papers too, which has brought in a few people.  Probably better than an ad.

 Here is Elaine in front of her 5 pieces.  She has really caught the bug and has made 7 things since I taught her in 2010.  These 5 pieces have been made this year.

Here we are beside another of my lady's work.  She has so many things on the go, including embroidery, that she doesn't get quite as much weaving done as she would like.  However she has progressed and has aspirations of making a full sized korowai for her daughter's graduation in a few years time.

Although the exhibition is in a lovely gallery off a shop with beautiful NZ made gifts, I am going in each day to weave there so people can see the work involved.  It also gives me time to weave without the distractions of home ( like whitebaiting for instance).  We have had interest from a number of folk and I hope to get a group together for next year.  

My other news is that we will be visiting Papakura in the first week of November so I hope to visit Whiri Aroha on Monday of that week, and also to present a gift korowai to Papakura South School.

I have been busy the last few weeks finishing over some things and making more for the exhibition on the 21st September.  I have finished two more wall hangings.  I just need a couple of bits of driftwood to finish them off.

Then there are the black mannequins for the small cloaks.  They have arms and hands and weights in the bottom to keep them upright. 

There was also the experiment to see if I could make an arapaki from one pelt.  This one is a green melanistic pheasant.  It was a beautiful pelt but I'm not sure if I like the finished article.  Instead of the grouped feathers of the pheasant the woven article has the feathers are in rows of similar design.  Still it's quite nice.  It has mawhitiwhiti on the sides in the design of a Nikau palm.  So its a sort of bush design.

Now I am busy with another arapaki with thick string and spikey feathers.

And this is the poster for our exhibition.

Speaking of strings I have been asked what sort of string I use.  There are two sorts we use.  One is thicker and a bit fluffier than the other.  The thick one comes from  ICB Cleaning supplies in Arthur Brown Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland. It is a thick general purpose string, easy and quick to work. I like using this for most things but it can leave fluff on your clothes. The other is a finer better quality string from Browns Brushware, Portage Rd, New Lynn, Auckland. It is slower to work as you need to use double strings for each whenu or the garment would lose its shape. If I am doing something special I would use this string.

If anyone knows of other strings especially good quality jute or sisal I would like to know.

Enough for now

Robin

 At last I have finished the korowai for South School Papakura.  It has Kereru feathers at the top before the Taniko.  I do like the pattern with feathers and mawhitiwhiti.  Now this will be at our exhibition in Dunedin in September then I will get it to Papakura sometime next term.

 And I have finished this pheasant shoulder korowai

 And this small cloak with a black doll to display it on.  It feels good finishing things.  This cloak represents the sea.  The feathers are blues and greens with white 'breakers' and paua shell at the top.  The feathers are in a wavy pattern with mawhitiwhiti in between the feathers.

But I have started another wall hanging using black back gull feathers.  So far I have started the tail bit.

And a small thing to go in a photo frame.  The feathers are the small ones from a pheasant neck.

Lots of work done and lots to do.

After having family here for two weeks and doing no work I am back busy again.  We are hoping to have an exhibition in Koru Gallery, Dunedin in September so I need to get real busy.  The Kereru have arrived from DoC and I have sort of pelted them.  When I had pelted the carcases, mutilating them a bit as the skin is quite delicate, I sewed them on to hoops of No 8 wire to keep them flat.  This made keeping the baking soda on them easy, drying them out well.  Now to use the feathers.

But just before I do that I am finishing an arapaki made from pheasant feathers.  I had seen one done with the spikey brown feathers before and was impressed so I used the ones I had to make a smaller one.  The large one I saw must have used a heap of pheasants.  This one I thought would be good for a graduation so I have done the poutama pattern for the taniko.

I had a dream last night that I was in a cruise liner and met some of my friends from Papakura there weaving.  One had a short arapaki worn under one arm and over a shoulder like men do.  Now that was a good idea.  I had always imagined women wearing these short cloaks like a shoulder cape but they would look good on a man worn like a cartridge belt.  There was also a hat band.  So two more thoughts to work on.  Don't know about the cruise liner though.

I have also nearly finished another small doll cloak from pukeko, duck and pheasant feathers supposed to represent the sea and it's colours and am working on a big one also a seascape.  When I have a moment I want to get on to making some dolls for displaying the small cloaks and some tiny cloaks in frames.  I hope these will sell well at our exhibition.

Went for a walk on the beach and came home with a black backed gull pelt that we did there and then when we discovered a freshly dead bird on the sand.  What fun.  I have been meeting with two other weavers here in Taieri Mouth and would like to meet with other weavers from Dunedin so am keen to hear from anyone around here.

Nearly finished the school korowai.  Just waiting to get some kereru feathers for the top.  Hopefully DoC will help out there.
Also finally finished something I've had set aside for ages.  Just a little shoulder korowai but a bit of fun.

But mostly I have been knitting for the grandchildren.  Will get on with some more korowai soon.

But yipee the little girls are coming down to see us very soon.  Will have two weeks off then.