The Sewphist in full flight

Birds of a feather flock together in Sewphist’s range of stationery, homewares and accessories that celebrate some of our favourite locals.

ELISABETH Witbrock loves nothing more than bringing the outdoors indoors. And she’s done it through combining a life-long infatuation with birds and a love of illustration and textiles.

Under the name The Sewphist, Elisabeth produces a range of stationery, homewares and accessories that celebrate some of our favourite locals.

The tu¯ ı¯, kereru¯ , ka¯ ka¯ , ruru (morepork) and tauhou (wax-eye) are among the natives that feature on her handmade lampshades and cushions.

‘‘Often when you buy homewares, stuff is very generic, but these products celebrate what we see around us in New Zealand, our native plants, our native birds . . .

‘‘I wanted to do something that’s authentic to where I live and that people recognise in their own lives, it creates that sense of home,’’ explains Elisabeth.

As a result, the cushions and lampshades, sold in boutique shops and at local markets, often become talking points.

‘‘I get a lot of comments like ‘we get tu¯ ı¯ or kereru¯ in our garden all the time’, or the ka¯ ka¯ , for instance, get a really strong reaction from people who live near Zealandia because the picture portrays exactly what they do.

‘‘It’s that recognition that you don’t get if you’re buying a product that’s been designed overseas for an international market – it’s about surrounding yourself with things that remind you of getting outside in New Zealand.’’

Artwork in the form of lampshades or cushions can transform a space and Elisabeth’s range makes for great feature pieces.

‘‘I’ve had some people buy several, they might have a different bird for different rooms in the house, they become a focal point for the room.

‘‘I’ve just finished a 51cm in diameter lampshade for a stand-alone floor lamp, when I cut it out the plastic that I use and the fabric were pretty much the same size as I am,’’ she laughs.

‘‘That’s the largest one I’ve ever done and that definitely is a focal point in the house it went into.’’

All of Elisabeth’s creations stem from her own, original illustrations based on photographs that she, her husband or their friends have taken.

‘‘They’re birds that have come in front of our camera, birds we’ve seen while we’re out and about, some are from our own garden and others are from our holidays.’’

Take the ka¯ ka¯ .

‘‘Good friends of ours found a flat right on the boundary of Zealandia in Wellington.

‘‘As we helped them shift in, this inquisitive ka¯ ka¯ kept a close eye on our progress, and he and his friends flocked to see us every time we went to visit them.

‘‘The photo I based my illustration on was taken by my husband, and I applied a little creative liberty – he was actually perched on their gutter, but I thought the ko¯ whai ngutuka¯ ka¯ (kakabeak) from a few doors down suited him so much better.’’

The ruru is based on a photo taken by Elisabeth’s friend holidaying in the Catlins, and the tauhou is the result of months of chasing them in the ko¯ whai, mamaku, kawakawa and pittosporum that line her driveway.

The kereru¯ though, is the bird that kick-started the whole The Sewphist enterprise.

‘‘It was the week of my 40th birthday, and my husband had told me I should take six months off from contracting to focus on my creative pursuits.

‘‘I’d made myself lunch, and sat down to eat it on the couch, with a view over the Hutt Valley, the native trees on our property in the foreground.