Getting there

I suppose I am more than half way finished this big korowai. Unless of course someone wants to buy a shorter cloak.  I haven't decided what taniko to do on the top yet. If someone does want to buy this cloak I can customise the taniko for them. Just email me. 

We had a good group on Saturday with Robyn Ashton coming along with her muka cloak which is looking magnificent. The other ladies are doing well with their korowai too. Just two more days till we stop for the year. 

New big cloak

This is the latest cloak I have on the go. It has pheasant feathers and tags of homespun black wool. I am pleased with how it is coming on. 

Plaits on the sides

Plaits on the sides are great for an edging. They help stabilise the edges and provide a check to keep rows straight. If you go down two bumps on one side then the other side should end up two bumps down too. My tutors have been saying this for years but it has only just clicked.

Put the aho strings through the plait and pull up tightly so they are hidden under the plait bumps. 

Design tip

Just discovered something I should of thought of years ago. When designing the body of a korowai where it is not all feathers pins are a great help. Planning on paper with all the maths involved in getting a balanced design is fine but when I actually do it I usually find I have forgotten to take something into account. Today I finally thought of putting pins in an empty of feathers row to help place the design. The pins show where the feathers will go.  Great because I had to move them several times to get both sides even and it was so easy.

Also tying up the extra length of whenu strings in bundles of twenty helped with counting. 

This arapaki is made from the feathers from two pukeko pelts, and some white hen feathers.  It was made using the new string used double. I have brought the ends of the string from the back through to the front to make a fringe.  I will take it into Koru Art and Jade in Dunedin in November.

I am not sure how it is best yet to use the string but I am trying it double as it is quicker to use and I still like the finish.  I have started a big one using it double and with pheasant feathers.  Having to be a bit slow with it as I am busy elsewhere at the moment.

Last week I finished these two kindi samples trying out the new string from ICB.  The top korowai is done using the string singly and the second one uses the string doubled.  The pictures are not really out of focus .  The feathers were quite fluffy.  They all came from the one rooster pelt.  I think I like using the string double as it was so much less work than single and seemed to be a bit more sturdy.  However we shall see what the folk at Whiri Aroha, up in Papakura, think.  I believe they are using it singly.  My tension was about 24 strings per 10 cm doubled and 34/ 10cm single.  Both gave a good clean back so that doesn't help me decide.  I will need to adjust my taniko patterns though as doubled makes a wider stitch than single.  Easy on the computer.

The two colour background pattern was an idea a friend in Australia showed me on our trip earlier this year.  Her's was absolutely gorgeous in black, red and silver.  I didn't like to copy hers at all but really wanted to try out the idea.  These are destined for kindis where I had already made one similar for another kindi in the group.  

I am just about finished a shoulder cape made with pukeko and white chook feathers.  Just pulling through the cord ends to make a fringe.  Next I may start a big cloak using pheasant feathers or maybe a big white one using some lovely rooster pelts from Lyann.  Pictures next time.

Booklets

My three booklets have been published with new covers.  They are detailed under the books page in this blog.  They are full of pictures making it easy to follow the instructions.  One of the ladies in Sydney has made her first korowai just from my first booklet and says

'The booklet was great, the combination of the text and pictures really helped.  All very detailed and thorough and so helpful from the outset, the materials needed (and contemporised), the preparation and the actual weaving process, so much more than any other book I've read on the subject. It's truly an asset.
I feel really empowered by this, it's such a skill and a really valuable art to pass on to the next generations.' 

New string

ICB has some new mop string.  It's thinner than their old stuff and more consistent in quality but I haven't decided whether it needs to be used double or singly yet.  This picture shows the two we have been using, the thick knobbly string on the right and the thin string we use double on the left.  The middle one is the new string.

 I have started two kindy cloaks, one using the cord double and one singly.

One of our girls has become very good at pelting chooks and gave me this lovely grey/gold pelt which I am using for these cloaks.

Sydney Trip

We had a wonderful holiday in Sydney catching up with family. But I also met with a few weavers one afternoon. They showed me what they had made and we had a very useful discussion about weaving in Sydney and where to get materials. The string is still a problem so I hope to get myself organised to sell bundles of cut string of various sizes for various purposes. 

Now that I am back I am trying to upgrade my books because some libraries are wanting copies. There are now three books. The first is 'Making your First Small Korowai' and is great for complete beginners. People can work from the booklet without any other instruction. The second is 'More Tips and Techniques for Korowai Weaving'. It goes into the options for each part of the korowai and design ideas so is really the next step on from the first book. The third book is 'Mawhitiwhiti Patterns and Woven Bags' which shows many of the criss cross patterns used in weaving and how to make the korowai type of woven bags. These booklets open out flat so that working from them is easy. See the books page on this blog. 

Sydney Trip

We are going to Sydney soon.  I will be at the Macquarie Centre Mall, North Ryde on Saturday 17th August.  Anyone weavers interested to meet up I will wait outside the cinemas by the Boost Juice shop at 2pm.  It is one floor up from the food stalls.  Bring some weaving pieces to show if you have some.  
I have written another two books which will be out soon.  One is about design options for korowai called More Tips and Techniques for Weaving Korowai and has lots of ideas and photos and is a next step on from the beginner book.  The other one is called Mawhitiwhiti Patterns and Woven Bags.   Hopefully they will be available when we return from Australia.  I will put them up in the book section then.

Weaving group

We have a weaving group with all some of the ladies I have taught meeting on some Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.  They are all doing so well and are so enthusiastic.  I am learning from them as they learn from me and together we are making some really nice pieces.  Here are some of them and some of their work.

Lyann and her first piece

Lyann's child sized korowai in progress, using feathers from her own roosters that she has pelted.

Judy's third piece practising different techniques

Judy's jute string practice piece exploring different materials

Donna and her small shoulder cape

One of my first pupils was Elaine who has done many wonderful pieces over three years

Elaine's framed korowai

Another of Elaine's pieces for a frame.

 They are working on mawhitiwhiti samplers at the moment.  This has encouraged me to write book on mawhitiwhiti patterns which will be out soon.

Robyn's Muka Cloak

I am very excited by one of the first ladies I taught to weave a few years ago here in Taieri Mouth.  She has begun her first big cloak and it is out of muka she has made.  I couldn't teach her the muka bit so she has learnt from books, some Maori TV programs and mostly by trial and error.  I am so proud of her and stand amazed at what she is achieving.  Well done Robyn Ashton.  Maybe next year she will teach me.

Finished

Hooray I have finished my big cloak and it has been handed over.  My clients were pleased with it so all is well.

Matariki Arapaki

It being Matariki I decided this should have a starry taniko done with a sparkly copper string with black background.  It looks great.  I was actually quite pleased with these brown chook feathers especially toning in with the brown/copper pheasant ones.  The arapaki is lovely to feel.  I think this one will go to the shop in Auckland.

We have finally managed to sort out some more of this blogging thing and hopefully may now be able to reply to your comments.  It was some technical thing.  So thanks to those who have commented in the past.  I have had some really nice things said about my mahi and I am grateful to you all.

Have finished the kindi korowai with a poutama pattern which goes with their logo.  I hope they enjoy it.

 Also I have nearly finished a brown feather arapaki with a black and copper taniko for matariki.

Busy busy busy.

 Last week I helped my mother with her new quilting booklet.  She has done well and I hope she sells a good few as I am sure they will be helpful.  If anyone reading this wants one I can arrange that for you.  They cost $25 plus p&p.

Another month has gone by and I have still not finished my big cloak.  I have got up to the last feather row and am stuck on which sort of feathers to do on the top.  We also need to decide on colours for the taniko.  My clients have decided on a taniko pattern so perhaps his week I can sort out my outstanding problems and get back to it next week.  In the meantime I have started a kindi korowai.

This picture shows the working way. It is upside down to how the finished article will be.  It is going to a Paraparaumu kindi.

 Yesterday it snowed right down to the beach.  There are patches of ice around today but the sun is out so it will be all gone soon.

Have finished some Koro and Nannies too.  Will send some to my friends at Papakura.  

Classes are going well.  Last month there were four new girls and ten came on the Saturday.  I have also sold a few books overseas as well as NZ.  One girl from Sydney is doing well with her korowai learnt entirely from my book so it must be understandable.  Very happy with it.  My Mum has taken the baton and made a book of her own on some quilting techniques.  Not bad for 86.  Took a lot of brainpower and was so exhausting she slept well.  But she has made a creditable booklet.

Last week I finished this black string korowai.  I only had a little string and horrible stiff feathers I wanted to use up.  The feathers were so bad I had to not bend them up to secure them but keep them straight and do two rows over the shafts.  Because I felt they might fall out I had a very tight tension which means the whole thing was pulled in and became much shorted than I had hoped.  However I hope it will be ok as a man's korowai for a skinny man.  I am interested in the different ways these short korowai could be worn especially by a man.  Because I had little string left I had to do a different top than I usually do.  It is a sort of plait across the top crossed with a turning row.  I haven't made a closure on it yet but was thinking a piece of leather would be good.  I had dreamed of a shark's tooth or piece of bone but the thing isn't wide enough for that.

Marena Wedding Arapaki

Finally I have finished my white shoulder korowai.  I hope this will be used as a bridal arapaki sometime. It is for sale for $850.   I enjoyed working out the heart taniko design and the mawhitiwhiti heart design.  The gold and silver sparkly threads in the taniko worked really well.

I am carrying on with my big cloak too and am getting up to the taniko soon so will need to work out something to suit my clients.  Also have a few small things on the go.  The group that was coming couldn't come in the end so I am not in such a rush and can concentrate on the big one a bit more.  The middle slog has nearly finished so it's getting exciting again.

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.