Hello Spectrum SMH!

Lovely article about 'Australiana' in this weekends SMH Spectrum on page 26. Featuring Julie Paterson from Cloth Fabric and some little KillJoy birds. And - if you scan the airlink (the actual photo with your iPhone) there's a video featuring Julie and a close up of a whole FLOCK of madebykiljoy birds. Go enjoy it now!

Endangered Birds for Cloth

As part of my collaboration with Cloth Fabric, Julie requested I made her a range of birds that are endangered using her lovely Cloth Fabric scraps.

Here are some facts about a few of the birds I have made so far....

The Buff Breasted Quail

The Buff-breasted Button-quail is a large, plump and pale-eyed button-quail. Fully-grown males measure about 18 cm in length, and are slightly smaller than fully-grown females, which measure 19 to 22 cm in length (Marchant & Higgins 1993). 

The adults have rufous-brown upperparts; a white chin and throat; a pale olive-buff breast; an off-white belly; off-white tail coverts and flanks; a brown bill, with bluish-white cutting edge and lower mandible; yellow irides; and yellow legs and feet (Macdonald 1971; Marchant & Higgins 1993). They have white streaks and black bars on the back and shoulders, and white spots on the wings. The wings, when extended in flight, are grey-black above (on the outer and trailing edges), and light grey below (Marchant & Higgins 1993). 

Distribution of the Button Quail in Australia

The Buff-breasted Button-quail occurs in north-eastern Queensland. It is one of the least known birds in Australia, and has only been recorded in the Iron Range and near Coen, Cooktown, Musgrave, Mount Molloy, Mareeba, Chillagoe and Ingham 

This is my version of a Buff Breasted Quail made from Cloth Fabrics, 100% wool felt and twig legs.

The Ground Parrot

The Ground Parrot is a distinctive, slender parrot which is so shy and elusive that it is not usually seen unless it is flushed out from cover. It is a bright grass-green with black and yellow markings and a prominent pale yellow wing bar. The tail is long and barred with yellow. It has a small red band on the lower forehead. The Ground Parrot is also known as the Swamp Parrot or Button-grass Parrot.

Distribution of the Western Ground Parrot in Australia

This species is among the rarest bird species in the world. The first photo of the Western Ground Parrot in the wild was taken in 2004. This species has rapidly declined between 1990 and 2009 from about 400 individuals to 110 individuals. Most individuals (~100) are found in the Cape Arid National Park

This is my version of a Ground Parrot made from Cloth Fabrics, 100% wool felt and twig legs.

The Little Tern

The Little Tern is mainly white with a dark crown, pale grey back and upperwings. The eye is dark brown. When breeding, the bill is yellow, the crown black with a short, pointed white brow and the black eye-line reaches the bill. In non-breeding plumage, the crown is mottled with white and the bill blackish. The wing tips are two-toned grey to black on the outer primaries

Distribution of the Little Tern in Australia

In Australia, the Little Tern occurs from Shark Bay in Western Australia, around northern and eastern Australia, to the east coast of Tasmania and around to the Gulf of St Vincent in South Australia.

Within NSW, an eastern subspecies of the Little Tern predominately occurs and was once quite common. However, recent records indicate that Little Terns now exist in a medium-sized, non-breeding population and a small, threatened breeding population. 

This is my version of a Little Tern made from Cloth Fabrics, 100% wool felt and twig legs.

Dream Machine....

This baby is on my wish list....

Pfaff Ambition 1.0

We have met just once but I think she's the one. She is a little bit purple and - I like purple! She can sew leather and has a walking foot! She does automatic buttonholes in 4 different styles! I can drop her feed dog and do wacky stitching!

She's a little out of my league but I think I'm ready. She costs more than I thought I would spend, but  she is WAY cheaper than a Bernina. Those babies are expensive!

Just think of all the different things I could sew. More importantly - I could sew leather to leather! Dream come true  ♥♥

I can see some leather birds in my future.....

Screen Printing fun @ Koskela

I've been looking longingly at Harvest Workroom's screen printing workshops for ages now - but seeing as I don't live in Melbourne I'd given up all hope of doing a workshop....

And then, whilst reading the interwebs, I found out about the beautiful Koskela workshops held at Rosebery. When I saw Prints Charming were teaching a paper stencil screen printing workshop I knew I couldn't miss out on the fun!

Koskela workshop space with printmaking friends

Here's some pics from the day. I had a ball - and have no doubt found a new obsession. Now all I need to do is organise that studio space .....

pink triangles go down first....

followed by bright orange triangles....

then the magenta cluster of mini triangles over printed on top.....

and some more medium sized triangles in turquoise!

Daggy pic of me post printing....