I might equally have called this post Shoes and Songbirds or Lace-ups and Leaves. However I couldn’t find sufficient alliteration to hit the three new ingredients of shoes, wings (or rather a ‘new bit’ of wing) and and blackbirds (it’s late, I’m bone-weary and my brain isn’t working well) though I just know that visitors here will entertain me with alternatives that I missed. Go on, get creative. (-;
Tales, turdidae, thermantidotes, toe-caps and trousers? Ok, I’ll get my coat…
Congratulations! You have won the competition and your prize, Archangel Raphael, will be arriving with you by ‘special delivery’ tomorrow. (His work here is done.)
He’s quite high maintenance. Good luck!
I’m that terrible person that keeps posting crafting solutions to artist dilemmas.
http://www.spoonflower.com :
“Spoonflower makes it possible for individuals to design, print and sell their own fabric designs. It was founded in May 2008 by two Internet geeks who had crafty wives but who knew nothing about textiles. The company came about because Stephen’s wife, Kim, persuaded him that being able to print her own fabric for curtains was a really cool idea. She wasn’t alone. The Spoonflower community now numbers around 150,000 individuals who use their own fabric to make curtains, quilts, clothes, bags, furniture, dolls, pillows, framed artwork, costumes, banners and much, much more. ”
Wings, wingtips, and warblers?
Seraphs, songbirds and sneakers.
Patent leather, plumes and pinions?
You must come and live on the Artlog. I need you here! (-;
Later;
Rebecca, you are a star!!! I have just been to visit Spoonflower, and I am beside myself with excitement about the site and the possibilities therein. Were I not chasing the clock to get Tobias and his angel done in time for the exhibition, I’d be laying out a textile design right now!!! However, despite the lure to bunk off and get creative before breakfast (I have always, always wanted to produce a textile design) it must wait for a little while yet. But I am starting a ‘project book’. Shhhhhhh! Tell no-one. I’m not going to do a blackbird print (I believe that Chloe… see her comments on this post… may be planning that) but I do have about a dozen other ideas for fabric design, including toy theatre and fairy tale themes.
PS. I’ve just recalled that though our first contact was regarding a statue I’d blogged about, thereafter you wrote offering solutions when I was planning on stencilling the sitting-room walls with blackbirds. Ha ha! I may not have taken your advice back then my friend, but I’m definitely going to take it this time.
Pardon me for butting in *hides* but I can also reccommend Spoonflower, I only ordered a little fabric swatch once to try out a design I had in mind but it’s lovely, very exciting to be able to design fabric and get it printed relatively easily
Thanks for the recommendation Chloe. But please don’t be waylaid from what you suggested earlier. I have no plans to make a blackbird textile myself, and it would be so interesting to see what you come up with based on the notion of Raphael’s ‘blackbird’ embroidered suit. No pressure though. Only play with the idea if the spirit moves you.
Oh I willl definitely still attempt something
I’m looking forward to it when I have a spare moment 
Yes, the blackbirds are a hit, we must all parade about with raven embroidery…
Naturally. What else would one do over the long winter nights but appliqué and embroider by lamplight. A blackbird-and-rowan-sewn-two-piece-suit for the trousseau is de rigueur! (To be worn shirtless of course.)
Oh I love the blackbirds! I think I would quite like a jacket made from this fabric, hehe.
Then you’d have to print it yourself Chloe, because it only exists in the painting! (-;
Hehe, I’d be quite tempted to try to print some fabric inspired by it if I thought I could do it justice
(and if you’d not mind of course 
)
The idea was based in part on the wallpaper I made for our sitting-room here at Ty Isaf, a combination of stencilling and free-hand brush work. (Over four hundred blackbirds. The measuring up nearly drove me mad!) See the design HERE and the result up on the wall HERE.
Would you hand-print with lino-blocks or go for silkscreen? I’m interested. As for my minding, on the contrary, I’d be flattered. That’s not to say that a little snippet of the finished fabric wouldn’t be appreciated, to go with the sample papers I made prior to decorating the room.
I adore the blackbirds on your walls, they look beautiful!
I must confess I’ve never really tried printing fabric which could have garments etc made from it, I generally use acrylics (I like that they seem to give me a bit more freedom than dyes perhaps would) for the fabrics I use in my work or for the decorations, but I’d still like to give it a try
I’d use lino blocks I think, over a painted base colour. And of course I’d send a sample if you’d like one 
Perhaps I could make a decoration for you from it!
Go on then Chloe, give it a go. With my blessing! (-:
Blackbirds brogues and branches.
Well done Flo. I knew one of the poets would do it!
ohh, the birds are a genius idea!! it’s amazing how he glows…i get so excited everyday to see the advancement of this one, truly miraculous.
thanks, clive!
Kevin’s blackbird has migrated into Raphael’s suit. My storylines are merging!