Songbirds

Songbirds by Sarah Bird

Jan 2011

I've got a piece of art in the Corban Estate Summer School exhibition this week. It's my first time exhibiting which is pretty scarey, but also pretty exciting.

The piece is called "New Zealand Songbirds" and includes the names of iconic Kiwi female musicians which have been double stitched in place to represent their permanence in New Zealand culture. 

 You can't see it in the photograph unfortunately, but the Tui's have mirrored wattles which shine in the light and represent the way Tuis reflect the sounds around them in their song. Did you know that the songs of Tuis vary from district to district? They are such wonderful birds. If you aren't familiar with the Tui, you can hear their song here. And a funny piece about Tui's mimicking their environment here

I have used both vintage and new fabrics in the work and really enjoyed trying out new techniques to make it. It's being displayed (and is for sale) at the Corban Estate as part of the Tutor showcase this week. (14th - 21st January). I'm unfortunately not running a course this week due to lack of enrolement numbers but I'll be doing a weekend course next term which should be more accessible in terms of time and money. I'll fill you in with details soon. If you want to visit the gallery and see my work and that of the other tutors, pop along to the Corban Estate this week. You can get directions and more details here.

Practice

On Sunday, I roped four lovely friends into being guinea pigs for the day. I wanted to do a practice run for my Sew Inspired course and they obligingly said they'd be happy to help. Their skills ranged from beginner to experienced and I was blown away by what they came up with. I took along a huge box of scraps and trims, both vintage and modern. We talked about technique and design, I guided them with ideas and these are just a few things that they made.

Aren't they awesome? The top bag and tea towel were made by Aimee of Lilypad Designs and the bottom bag and tea towel were made by my youngest daughter's Godmother and our great friend, Mel, who believe it or not has hardly any sewing experience. I'll show you photos of what the other two friends made if and when I can get my hands on them.

If you are interested in registering for my Sew Inspired course, it runs from 17th - 21st January and you can pop along to the Corban Estate website and download an enrolement form. It's that easy! If sewing isn't your thing, pop along to the website anyway. There are some awesome Summer School courses ranging from Bronze Casting to self-portraiture.