Patterns in flax

The 6 foot leaves of New Zealand’s native flax were invaluable mats and baskets from the almost unbreakable flax strips and made cloth and rope from the tough fibres. New modern factories use some of the beautiful old Maori designs to make modern floor coverings. Often the modern weaving machines are operated by descendants of the Maoris who used these fibres to make the fine material for their garments.