How to Sew a Cattail Mat by Liz Schultz 

Wow! This is the best demonstration of hand weaving I’ve ever seen, including the segment on making cordage. Thank you for sharing it here.

Thank you for sharing this! It’s fascinating. I’ve watched more cord-making videos than I’d like to admit, and I’ve never seen this technique. It looks so much more efficient and ergonomic.

You’ve taken the mystery out of my failed attempts at making these mats. Thank you! Very well done

This is outstanding research and teaching. I now have even more respect for the originators of this technology. Thank you.

The construction is ingenious, and there is good reason for the elaborate method of sewing the leaves together. When the rain droplets hit the mats, they will tend to adhere to the individual leaves. Due to the surface tension of the water, and with the help of gravity, these droplets travel downward until reaching the ground. There cannot be any "bumps" (like external stiches) along the way, or else the water flow will be stopped and will collect there, eventually causing drips inside the lodge rather than simply shedding off to the ground.

I have seen big cattail leave's mat for sleep, so well made, it can be used many years without damage. It is soft when dried.

Very detailed and informative video, thank you!

Thanks so much for this video! Really well demonstrated and explained.

This is superb!

Thank you. Very informative.

Where’s my sister? I haven’t seen her in 4 days. “Oh, she’s making a cattail mat”.

wonderful, well done.

Golly...how fascinating. Thk you for sharing.

High praise if Walter Gigandet is complimenting you :) Yes, very nicely done.

First thigh role of cordage I've seen on the net.

Thank you! I appreciate your knowledge - and you sharing it. I have the cattails, bur I think I'm going to have to substitute the basswood for some other type of bark. I'm assuming that these plantss all grow together somewhere. I live just outside Yosemite, if you or anyone else reads this, do you know if basswood grows up here?

What do we do if we dont have an adult present to supervise our knife usage...

Very difficult

Who is this Liz Schultz? What is she doing today?