This webpage is a copy of the comments received on a blog post on Ali’s original website, alibrown.co.nz. The blog post itself is now at “The fibre in flax”.
This webpage is a copy of the comments received on a blog post on Ali’s original website, alibrown.co.nz. The blog post itself is now at “The fibre in flax”.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:40 am
Hi Ali - nice to see your comments re the muka collar in the collection of Canterbury Museum. Just to clarify a couple of points for your readers: the maker of the collar was Mrs Elizabeth Williams (formerly Derby, nee Rose) of Toko, Taranaki. Mrs Williams, a professional lacemaker originally from Weston Underwood in Buckinghamshire (UK), adapted a tape or “Battenberg” commercial pattern to a traditional Bedfordshire bobbin lace style. The collar was made in about 1905 for her eldest daughter, and was exhibited at the Home Industries Section of the NZ International Exhibition in Christchurch in 1906. Although it received special mention it did not in fact win an award as it was a non-competitive exhibit. Together with another example of flax lace by Mrs Williams, this unique collar will be on loan to the Pataka Museum (Wellington, NZ) for the “Amazing Lace” exhibition during June-August 2008. Any inquiries about the collar or Mrs Williams, can be addressed to me at Canterbury Museum - jqueree@canterburymuseum.com
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Thanks for your comment, Jennifer. Whoops! Two mistakes on my part. As you’ll see, I’ve corrected the blog post.
December 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
looking forward to receiving your book Ali.
Keep up the good work.
November 11th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Hi
I am looking for a source to purchase flax fibre for weaving and wondered if you could advise me where I could get this
Thanks
Richard
November 14th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Hi Richard
The only source of fibre that I know of is the Templeton Flax Museum. However the fibre produced from a mill is really just shredded flax rather than the fine muka fibre that is obtained by completely stripping the outer green fleshy part of the leaf off the fibres. The shredded flax from the mill is irregular in width and lumpy and bumpy. The fibres are also clumped together so it’s a bit of a task to extract single fibres for weaving.
May 25th, 2011 at 10:39 am
Tena koe. I have been scraping flax for years as my wife weaves traditional korowai. I have tried just about everything to find the best tool for scraping. Knives, plane blades, wide chisels, glass just to mention a few. I have found that the mussel shell is the best tool for the job.
To try and save some time, I sent a load of flax to a museum in foxton who put it through their threshing mill. Not a good idea as the muka still needed to have a large anount of green leaf removed before it was any good. Took even longer to get the muka than just plain scraping. Oh well. Live and learn. Kia ora.
Tom
May 27th, 2011 at 10:33 am
Tena koe Tom
Thank you for writing about your experiences with different scraping tools. It’s good to hear from someone with many years of experience about the best method they have found.
I agree with you about the mechanical processing of flax for extracting the fibre. The result really is shredded flax rather than flax fibre, or muka, isn’t it?
Do you find it’s best to scrape the flax while it’s freshly cut? Do you have any other tips for extracting the fibre from the flax? I’m sure others would be very happy to hear about them.
Kia ora
July 27th, 2012 at 1:37 am
Hi Ali, In my experience when stripping my harakeke it pays to test your strip as you go along. Some strips like to be scraped there and then others like to be left a day, yet others like to be soaked in water overnight. I call it a me thing if it doesn’t work with a ten minute soak I go longer. My cousin Jaqui Keelan gave me some lovely harakeke. I got it home but didnt have enough time to strip it all that night and the next day it was hard to extract, so I soaked it then got busy with mahi. A week went by, went out, changed the water, and the pare just came away.I just love playing with muka.
August 4th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Hi Chamain
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about stripping harakeke. I’ll try this way next time.
September 5th, 2012 at 10:54 am
I was looking at your Victorian lace, and I’ve been looking for different materials to use. I crochet fine threads, cords, twine and string. I am interested to see if you had anything in Flax. Also I like to see if you might have a catalog and maybe some weaving or netting instructions, and possibly conversion of cost to U.S. dollar
Thanks,
And Have a Great Day!
Kari
September 5th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
Hi Kari
Thanks for your email. I don’t sell flax fibre but if you have access to New Zealand flax or Phormium Tenax, you can extract fibre from it yourself, as you can see on this blog post. Also if you go to the Flax weaving projects page it will take you to a number of weaving projects using flax. You may also be interested in my book Weaving Flowers from New Zealand Flax which you can buy directly from me. All the information about buying the book, including postage to the US, is on the Shop page of my web site.
April 9th, 2016 at 7:00 am
The Haka Shop will be producing muka for purchasing soon. We have a variety of muka harakeke and only hand strip the fibre for a cleaner end result. They can be purchased in hanks of 50 whenu. 10-12 hank approx is required for a child to small adult size korowai project to give you an idea. We can provide a aho thread also in hanks of 50 or muka whenu for you to miro your own. We produce to order or supply on demand, email us for more information. April 2016
April 23rd, 2016 at 8:05 pm
I would like to order some muka. Can you give me an idea of price please.
April 24th, 2016 at 8:12 am
Hello Lee
The Haka Shop is the one selling muka.
April 8th, 2019 at 10:37 pm
I am looking for 130 metres of 3mm miro to bind a Pukaea is there a source that I may be able to get it from.
April 9th, 2019 at 12:39 pm
I don’t know the answer to this Shane, sorry.
January 17th, 2021 at 12:41 am
Please may I use your images of extracting fibres from the New Zealand flax leaves with a muscle shell on an Instagram post? I am taking part in a lace challenge and todays word is Fibres and I would love to show the fibres being extracted using a shell.
I recently viewed a BBC production ‘Monte Don’s Around the World in 80 Gardens’ and was fascinated by the extraction of fibres, and their use in traditional weaving. I am happy to credit you and mention your website. I also plan to write a piece about the program linking my two loves of Lacemaking and Gardening, as I am editor of our local lace group’s magazine. I love your Bedfordshire collar and was happy to see it made in the fibres as I teach Bedfordshire lace and it is a favourite of mine. It is midnight in New Zealand but hopefully you will receive this in the morning. Kind regards, Jenny (jenniferannette50) on Instagram
January 20th, 2021 at 8:18 am
Kia ora Jennifer, thanks for your comment. Yes you may use the images of extracting fibre with a muscle shell on your Instagram post with a credit and mention of my website. I’m not on Instagram but would love to see what you write.