Animal motifs were the most frequently used motifs in early Turkish art. Depending on their lifestyle, people reflected the formal characteristics, behaviors and characters of animals they learned from nature on the ornaments they used. With the influence of the belief system, symbolic meanings and supernatural features were attributed to animals and mythological figures were designed. The most important subgroup of animal motifs is bird motifs. In order to understand the symbolic meaning of bird motifs, it is necessary to reveal their connection with the belief system. Birds were generally seen as messengers and carriers, connecting heaven and earth, due to their ability to fly. Eagle, falcon, peacock, duck, some unnamed bird figures from realistic bird motifs, simurg, eagle griffin and siren from mythological motifs were examined within the scope of the research. In Turkish art, the eagle was seen as the khan of the birds and was depicted as the winner in hunting scenes. The double-headed eagle was seen as doubly increased power. The falcon has been a symbol of bravery, the peacock has been a symbol of heaven, the duck has been a symbol of sadness, and the mythological simurg has been a symbol of goodness. The aim of the design activity carried out in this research is to design a knitted textile surface inspired by the narratives of Turkish art bird motifs. First, the designer did extensive research on the bird motifs that inspired her. A storyboard was prepared, containing visuals and written sources that inspired the design. Design ideas were embodied by sketch drawings. The designs were created in vector and colored in accordance with the color palette. Eagle motifs were used in the first pattern, peacock in the second pattern, duck in the third pattern, simurg in the fourth pattern, and unnamed bird motifs in the fifth pattern. The designs were transferred to the knitting design program. Pattern adaptation was made to create knitted fabric. Simulation images of the designs are included in the research. One of the designs was knitted with double faced jacquard technique on a flat knitting machine and presented as a sofa cover in home textiles.
Keywords: Turkish art, bird motifs, culture-based design, knitting design, double faced jacquard