Problems and solutions

At Te Tomairangi marae I was shown a cloak made about 15 years ago. It was a very nice design and used lots of different feathers.  I saw Pukeko, kiwi, kereru, titi, and weka. It had a lovely taaniko pattern and am interesting way of attaching a tie that I haven't seen before.

 But they were having problems with feathers falling out. Partly this may have been caused by use, but on close inspection there were problems with construction that may have added to the rate of the feathers dropping. This was a very useful teaching tool and I learnt a lot about why we make things a certain way.

Firstly I noticed that the ara (rows) were done in taaniko stitch. The simple twist of taaniko was often used for the kaupapa or body of the cloak in old korowai but I don't think I have seen it done with feathers. This stitch may not be sufficient to keep feathers in.  The aho thread was wool and this was broken in a few places so the feathers were falling out as the row was compromised. Make sure the threads are strong enough and the row ended well enough so that nothing comes undone.

Secondly we saw that the aho cotton was too thick for the size of the whenu. This meant that there were gaps between the whenu so the feathers and their stalks poked through the fabric. This required a lining so that the wearer didn't get scratched. If the proportions between the thickness of whenu and aho are good, and the tension is good then there will be no gaps and a clean back is formed which will not require a lining.  The thinner the whenu the thinner the aho. The old kakahu and korowai used a very fine aho, each thread only 4 muka fibres thick.

Thirdly the feathers had not been trimmed. This may have meant the feathers were knocked out as people's arms caught on quills which stuck out. If the feather quills are trimmed to about 2.5 mm before being woven in it is lot easier as afterwards they can get forgotten or the feathers or whenu are in danger of getting cut by mistake. It also helps with feathers sitting well.

I have found such a lot to learn from all sorts of cloaks if you know what to look for. However I think for this cloak the best idea is to preserve it in a cabinet and make another to be used. It would be a pity to change it in any way in order to keep the feathers from being lost. Some of the ladies there will soon be good enough to attempt a big cloak for the marae.