CREATIVE JUNCTION
Elaine now 65, started weaving when she was 8yrs old at school.
“You leave it for a few years, then you remember what you use
to do as a kid and try it again.”- says Elaine.
Even after years of not weaving, picking it up again as an adult
Elaine was able to remember the basics. Living in Australia she
began weaving in her spare time. When she came back to New
Zealand she learnt more skills from different locals and then
would go back to Australia and practice until she got it right.
In Australia, Elaine was working in the juvenile detention and
created a program for ones to learn to weave. “I would take
them out into the country side and they got to take part in the
gathering of the flax,” says Elaine.
Elaine did a Diploma in 2009 travelling back and forth from
Australia every month for 2 years. She then moved home to
Ahipara a few years later. Although she has a Diploma in Pokairua
Ngapuhi-nui-tonu “Te Raranga, weaving to Elaine is not about
PAGE 9
money but showing ones that you can make something out of
what is around you.
She travels nearly every weekend with different groups to a
number of local Marae and holds free classes. These classes
range from any age and take her all over New Zealand. “All we
ask for when we go to these places is ‘feed us and sleep us’,”-
says Elaine.
The weaving group has around 15 weavers that travel from
all over NZ to teach others this skill. Many in the classes are
surprised there is still a group of people doing what they do.
“Eventually people like to go back to basics and we have the
resources all around us people just need to learn how to use
them,”-she says.
“Weaving is my passion, I’m weaving every day, if I’m not
weaving I’m prepping.”
Weaving her way Back to Basics