Every saturday afternoon the Mamas come together for a "road market." Each one makes food to sell for cheap prices and we all sit together to chat and snack. This particular saturday the Mamas were taking turns weaving a floor mat. The leaves of pandanas trees are dried in the sun and used to make mats, baskets, bracelets, purses, and fans.
The pandanas leaves need to be smoothed out and split down the middle first. Next they are joined together in a V shape to make it quicker to keep joining length to the mat.
While some weave...others rest!
I watched them work then asked them to show me. These mats are simple to make and so important to daily life here. They sleep, eat, and play on them and they are often used for gifts.
Wow this is fantastic. I have a nomination for the Pacific, so who knows, but I would love to learn weaving mats.
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