flax blog

FLAXWEAVING

This unique form of the weaving craft was invented by Maori specifically for native flax (harakeke) and is a good representative of one of the most fundamental creative acts by human beings, taking raw materials from nature and processing them into useful articles of beauty. It requires no machinery, only a blade of some type and a good pair of hands. Maori mainly used the edge of a mussel shell, I find it easier to use an old table knife with bone handle and shortened blade. Kete is the Maori word for bag which has been anglicised to "kit".

I have been weaving flax for over twenty years and am largely self-taught except for some early tuition by a friend who had learned at weaving classes, and some excellent books on the subject. The first time I sat down and wove a kete I was hooked. The whole process is timeless in more ways than one. Weaving provides a way for me to contemplate and order my sometimes chaotic thoughts when life seems confusing or too complicated. While the hands are busy the mind runs free, a sort of semi-conscious meditation. I have found that the practical act of interweaving two dimensional opposing strands into a useful three dimensional form seems to have a corresponding mental process which allows my mind to integrate its own contradictions and produce clarity of thought and many ideas that are helpful and practical. It has occurred to me that it may be no coincidence that the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom was a weaver.

The plants themselves are a native of New Zealand, known as harakeke by Maori, phormium tenax to the botanist and horticulturist and flax to everyone else. It is no relation to European flax but the plant fibres were used in a similar way. The phormium plant has been bred into numerous forms and varieties for landscape design and is used all over the world for this purpose. Some have been bred for appearance and dramatic effect or to take up excess water in marshy ground. These varieties have often lost the quality of fibre so prized by Maori, so not every plant is suitable for weaving. Luckily many of the older types have been preserved by enthusiastic weavers and keepers of traditional Maori culture. There is one type that is used almost exclusively for easily extractable fibre and is specially grown for this purpose. This was widely used before the advent of synthetics like nylon and will probably make a comeback one day due to a resurgent interest in natural fibre and renewable resources.

The type and quality of the flax chosen will often determine the size and design of the project, some flaxes lend themselves to small fine work and others to large backpacks or mats, the length and strength varying considerably from bush to bush. The only way to ensure consistency is to use only one bush at a time or to propagate clone bushes by taking several cuttings from one plant. My own collection of plants is a mixture of traditional weaving varieties and a selection taken from cuttings of plants that have good weaving characteristics. The plants range in size from 1 metre up to 3 metres and when in flower attract many birds, especially the native tui, who gather in number and show off their spectacular vocal and aerobatic skills vying for the copious nectar produced by the flowers.

Flax can be used to make very strong ropes and twines or linen-like cloth. Most of the textiles of Maori culture were made from flax. These included various clothes (such as cloaks, skirts, leg coverings, soft shoes and sandals) ropes and bindings for almost all constructions (in houses and other buildings, boat moorings, lashings for tools, weapons and ornaments, traps for birds and fishing nets and lines of all types from the massive to the very dainty) and also coverings for walls, sacred objects and ceremonial vessels. Last but not least were the bags to contain and carry everything, from rugged backpacks made to be used for heavy loads on long overland treks to the most ornately intricate for small personal items of adornment.

A few remnants of these items can be found in museums but most have been lost due to the fact that these materials are biodegradable and have rotted away over time. The finest of those that remain were made in pre-European times and are usually discovered in dry caves or rock shelters by intrepid travellers. A finely-made backpack of pre-European origin was found in a rock shelter in the South Island not long ago, ending a debate as to whether backpacks were designed and employed by Maori in pre-European times, this maybe showing a lack appreciation by some contemporaries of the incredible level of workmanship and inventiveness of the many old-time weavers. That is not to diminish the skill of the Maori weavers of today who preserve the craft, but their number is very small compared to yesteryear.

I have chosen to keep to traditional Maori design, although I am not Maori, because I know that I cannot improve upon it. I certainly haven't reached the level of skill of the old-timers and never will, but because I am a practical soul I like to make useful things for people in their daily lives. A bag is something that everyone uses and the fact that these are non-toxic, biodegradable and the plants are easily renewable persuaded me to attempt to earn a living as a weaver. Admittedly, I'll never be rich doing this but life is more than just about money, so here goes! The local market is definitely not large enough so the internet can hopefully help me by reaching more people who might be interested in buying my craft. After all, this is the brave new world.

A display of my weaving

I often work on the covered verandah

THE PROCESS

It pays never to be impatient or to rush at any stage of the weaving process or mistakes will cause waste and disappointment with the final result. A steady effort is required over many hours.

Flaxbushes grow continuously and can be harvested regularly without harm to the plant as long as it is done correctly. The leaves form a series of fans from the base, each fan grows from the centre outwards, new leaves forming at the centre and the older leaves toughening on the outer edge. These older leaves are cut off cleanly near the base such that they callous over and the plant remains unharmed. One or two new fans form at the base of old fans after flowering. The centre of each fan is never cut and will grow new leaves rapidly after a harvest. It is custom to leave at least five leaves on each fan, I usually leave seven unless they are damaged or drooping out too far and in contact with the ground. Then they will start to rot if not cut.

Bushes that are cut properly look very healthy and attractive, have less insect damage or fungus diseases and seem to grow more rapidly than when left uncut. This may be because the old leaves eventually die off in the bush but remain intact for some time, providing shelter for insects which attack the younger leaves and reducing air flow around them which leaves them prone to fungi. I also feed mine with weed mulch around the base occasionally to increase growth.

Uncut bush

Cut bush

Once the leaves are cut they are laid out all in the same direction and tied securely together at both ends, usually with the spine of one or two of the leaves, the bundle is balanced and carried on the shoulder to the weaving area. Care must be taken not to split or damage the leaves by rough handling or dropping the bundle which can be very heavy, over twenty kilograms for a large project. Of course two or more trips from the bush with fewer leaves per bundle is an option. An average shopping kete takes about twenty leaves. I personally like to harvest one whole bush at a time. This provides enough flax for between two to five bags.

The cut leaves are laid on the ground and then one by one each leaf is split into about six equal strips by inserting the blade of a knife through it to make evenly spaced slits running along the grain and using the fingers to separate each strip from the leaf, then pulling it off the hard basal butt with a tug which leaves a tuft of bare fibre on the basal end. The green vegetable matter is left covering the rest of the leaf to the tip. When all the strips have been removed from the leaves the parts remaining are bundled up and replaced around the base of the bush as mulch to rot down and feed it. This stage takes about an hour.

The strips are left to dry a little so they will not shrink too much after weaving. It is important to dry them just the right amount or the final result will not be good. If they are left too long they roll up lengthways and split when scraped to make them flexible. Flax scraped when wet will separate into two layers and be completely useless. Air humidity is an important factor when preparing flax as it determines how long the flax must be left to dry, varying from a few hours to a couple of days. It pays to keep an eye on it at this stage.

Once the strips are dry enough they are pulled or drawn over the back of a knife to make them flat and flexible ready for weaving, the technique is similar to stretching paper strips to make them curl, but this is done on both sides of the leaf. The leaf has a dull underside and a shinier upper surface which dries a lighter shade. The underside is done first as this prevents the strip rolling up, the shiny side is done next to increase flexibility and assist drying. After softening the strips go much paler. This process requires care, patience and often much physical effort, as the green outer covering of the leaf is very tough sometimes. Any structural or insect damage will make this job take much longer because defects must be cut out and discarded, as any weakness will not survive the softening process. This stage of preparation may take a couple of hours depending on the damage or resistance offered by each type of flax.

Next the strips are tightly plaited using the fibrous ends to reconstruct a palm leaf shape with a rope spine which will form the base. It is said that because there were no suitable palm tree leaves for weaving in New Zealand, Maori made them from flax. This would seem to indicate that this weaving craft was developed originally in the Pacific islands where coconut palms are abundant and then adapted to suit the locally available plant species, although the style here has become quite distinctive due to the unique qualities of the native plants that require different techniques to manufacture all the necessities of life. A lot of creative thought and experimentation must have gone into designing the myriad practical articles in use, not to mention the extremely complex decoration of many of these articles.

When constucting the spine the individual strips must be counted carefully as correct construction requires accuracy of numbers. Also the patterns can only be produced from sequences of strips facing the right way up or down (or dyed) and laid in a precise order. The total number of strips must be divisible by four and also into the pattern sequences. One missplaced strip will throw out the whole shape and pattern of the finished article. It is almost impossible to correct a mistake once the weaving process is begun, so this step is the foundation which will determine the aesthetic quality of the finished article.

Once the plait is done the whole piece is turned over, plait side down and every second strip is bent back to face the opposite direction, held in place by a row of weaving. Then it is turned over again, plait side up, and the other side is done like the first. This ensures that all the strips are in correct sequence and those of the same colour face in the right direction.

I have chosen a simple pattern to illustrate the technique to make a flat bottomed bag that stands up by itself, a practical but fairly simple design. A lot of practice is required to achieve good quality work, some Maori weavers say a hundred finished kete to make a weaver. I suspect that nowadays just to finish one kete is quite a challenge as it will take a couple of days for the average beginner. Modern life where time is money is not designed for such arts, unless one can somehow make the time. However the satisfaction is commensurate with the effort. One woman I taught said she felt as if she had given birth after completing her first kete, a wild exaggeration maybe but the time and effort required is definitely a major factor in the sense of achievment. From start to finish it still takes me the best part of a day to complete one.

Once a few rows have been woven on each side of the spine the whole piece is turned over with the plait side up and folded in half. Then every second strip is reversed downwards using the method shown.

The next step completes the base and starts the sides. The piece is turned upside down and the strips closest to the weaver are folded upwards and woven into the others so that they form a rim which is the part that will sit on the ground. There are various designs for the bases of kete but I personally like this one because it does not tip over spilling the contents. There is some debate as to whether this particular type of base is traditional Maori or was brought here later by the Pacific Islanders, but the lack of old woven articles makes this rather difficult to find out. I am almost certain that Maori would have discovered nearly every possible permutation of weaving technique using this material over several hundred years but they had preferences that determined common traditional style.

Weaving up the sides to form the body of the kete takes the least time, unless a very complex pattern is chosen. Many of the patterns are a real challenge in themselves and may take hours to work out. I have attempted many only to become hopelessly lost and finally to abandon the idea and undo the whole thing, so I tend to keep to a range of patterns that I have learned to do successfully. Most of my weaving is fairly plain and traditional to emphasise form and function, and I prefer to employ the naturally occuring leaf colouration for patterns rather than resort to chemical dyes, or embark on the onerous task of traditional dyeing which takes days and requires powdered bark from protected trees, black mud or rare berries. Other weavers may prefer doing much finer detailing, often incorporating shells or feathers, or making elaborate shapes with many colours as pieces of art for display.

The very practical nature of flaxweaving has great appeal to me although I quite often go to bed with aching muscles after a full day's work.

Now the top is constructed. This must be strong as it usually takes the most wear and often supports the weight of the contents when handles are attached. The function of the bag is of importance to me as it is a practical article which is meant to be used and should last well. The techniques used for finishing the top are similar to those used for the base and the final plait is several layers thick to compensate for the thinness of the leaves near the tips. This sequence shows how the end of the final plait is pulled through to conceal the join and the ends of the leaves are cut off from the inside to make a neat finish.

The best part of finishing a kete is to put your head inside and inhale the rich sweet smell, reminiscent of freshly mown grass or a haybarn with a slightly earthy hint. The only thing to do before making and attaching the handles is to put it in a sunny spot and admire it for a few days while it dries and changes colour, becoming harder and much stronger and going several shades lighter which brings out the patterns. This drying may take several days if the weather is wet so I often dry them over the woodstove in winter as leaving them in a raw undried state for too long can spoil the colour or even send them mouldy.

Drying time

SELLING MY WORK

One reason for my blog is to help me earn a living. I hope to enjoy my work as well as create a viable lifestyle which will keep me happy and healthy. What more can I ask for. Because I cannot produce everything I need, I have to trade in order to survive. So here goes.

I make bags mostly. They appeal to my virgoan sense of practicality and my libran sense of aesthetically pleasing objects. Backpacks are useful because they leave the hands free while carrying things. They are ideal for days at the beach and walking with young children or dogs, for cycling to the local shop or tramping over rough terrain in forest parks.

They are very comfortable on the back and shoulders and easy to get on and off. I use one constantly in the garden to carry small tools etc and gather fruit from trees as I wander through the orchard. The uses are many. The only limitation is the size of the hole in the top which is often slightly smaller than the width of the body of the bag. I make various sizes from child to large adult, for light loads or heavy depending on the type of flax. They might seem a bit stiff at first use but they soon become flexible and mould to the wearer. They should last at least a year with constant use or indefinitely with occasional use. If you get caught in the rain and get wet, just empty the bag when you get home and hang it in a draughty or sunny spot to dry out. A nail in the wall will do. Don't hang it up with a heavy load or it will stretch out of shape, just leave it standing on the floor or a bench until you get around to emptying it. That's about all I can say about its care.

Handbags and shopping bags are my other main items, although I often produce small shoulder bags and the occasional sunhat or other vessels and baskets for holding loose items to be kept within easy reach on a shelf or bench. The only limitation is that they need to be kept fairly dry for they will go mouldy if left in the splash zone near the kitchen sink. The handbags or shopping bags are light and strong and should last very well if they are not abused too much. I have noticed that the handles can wear faster if rings are worn on the fingers while constantly carrying a full bag. However, the handles can be replaced if they wear out before the bag.

Some of the articles I make are listed on Trade Me, a New Zealand online auction site, or you can send me an email (click my profile) if you live overseas and tell me what you want. I can make to order within my usual range and arrange payment and postage to your address.