I’ve tidied away the paints and I can see flat surfaces. Now it’s time to get back to this . . .
9 in 9
Wendy @ Late Start Studio
Which led to this and then . . . stopped. Or maybe some of this although it’s too windy to harvest today.
Harvesting harakeke/flax.
Wendy @ Late Start Studio
I need to use my hands again rather than brushes . . . to get in close contact with the materials.
late start studio 
love your clumps of flax, do you make your own thread ?
Yes, with some difficulty though. The flax yields a fibre called muka , used for kakahu/cloaks, and it’s unlike the flax thread you might buy. Harakeke (phormium tenax) is actually a lily but was called flax because it looked similar and the settlers found the fibres useful for making ropes . . . they shredded the flax rather than extract it the way we would for weaving. Take a look at Veranoa Hetet extracting the muka . . . her skills are amazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC6zs9gc4Z4
I want to have a go at doing this!
Joyce Fleming did some amazing lace with NZ flax for the Love Lace show back in 2010
Here’s a link to her work
http://joycefleming.info/
What a wonderful meeting of cultures. Do have a go but find the right flax . . . not phormiun cookium nor a varigated one, it needs to be phormium tenax. Making the initial cut at just the right depth on the underside of the whenu/strip is the trickiest part for me.
Mo, you might enjoy this: https://vimeo.com/83342747
I love the close up of your frayed woven denim piece. I recently used frayed denim in 2 pieces. It’s fun to play with this fabric.
Thanks Mia. I like that denim is readily available from any thrift shop!
“thinking with your hands,” we call it. Works for me.
One a ‘maker’ always a maker. Maker combined with a childhood nickname Mucker, well, those two could take me anywhere.
that denim looks amazing, and I get comments on the kete (?) you made me too 🙂 – even got asked when I’m starting lol
I’m glad it’s admired . . . and you might have trouble finding someone to teach you over there. 🙂
I have seen two of Te Rongo Kirkwood’s woven glass cloaks exhibited at the Ranamok Glass Prize here in Sydney, her work is very powerful with a brave fierce magic, thank you for the the link to her film, good heart and soul food
There in Sydney . . . lucky you! I wasn’t able to see them until I was at the De Young in San Francisco! I was familiar with the works however images are not nearly the same as standing in their presence . . . they’re very powerful indeed.
nice cloth weaving!
Thank you Jude . . . a little snipping and then there’s 9 in 9.
What if… you continue? Hihi. Good luck, it looks awesome.
Continuing is always an option!
the “flax” it looks like iris- i gathered iris leaves just because ai had so much of it its bundled up in the shed then figured out i don’t know what to do with it? I’m going to look at the links in the other comments – might have to wait till its warmer and i can do it where there’s no carpet. I loved you ” International Circle of Makers ” on Grace’s thread it gives me hope.
I think Makers are a particular type of artist, usually under-rated, and we seem to be able to recognise one another. And I hope the iris remains workable . . . flax wouldn’t if just bundled up and stored dry. There’s quite a process to making it workable although it can be woven when green. I’m about to start weaving again after not having done any for a time so I’ll post details of the process.