Ake Ake Shrouds

03/11/2025

Just saying, it would avoid a lot of stress.

Photo credit

31/10/2025

25/10/2025

I gotta say that sometimes the struggles of being a smalltime maker swimming against the tide of a very powerful industry are very real. That's why every wāhine business owner needs things like a pair of octopus therapy pants and the company of non judgemental chickens to remind herself, power comes from the weirdest of places.

Not gonna dwell on the negatives, just gonna keep swimming.

24/10/2025

20/10/2025

Every spring for the past 5 years, starlings have nested in our spare recycle bin. It's a safe space from predators, up high and warm. Looks like two babies for the whānau this year. Love how they used a chicken and a Kererū feather to build.

14/10/2025

Not quite beach finds, but found these today growing right by the shore, enticing the Tui in to feed and flit and sing. Just delightful. First flowers of the summer harakeke season have made it into a silk dye bundle today.
I do encourage any natural dyers to forage with kaitiakitanga (care for the environment) and only take a few of anything. The birds and bees come first in the pecking order neh?

13/10/2025

I recently came across this wonderful article in magazine from 2018 entitled 'The Coolest Tangi' and wanted to share the insights from this heartfelt article. In it, whānau Murchie share the beautiful journey of their father’s tangi in the hope it will inspire others to maintain rangatiratanga over their loved one’s final journey. It's definitely an inspiring read.

"The healing part of the process started at its onset. Through holding, washing, oiling, travelling with Dad and final preparations for burial, everyone involved was able to grieve whenever they needed to. The right thing to do seemed to materialise along the way. Stories shared and waiata sung were also part of the healing process, and allowed us to honour our father in the way we loved him. One of his mokopuna said it was the ‘coolest tangi’ and we agree".

Thank you whānau Murchie, and Organic NZ for your kupu ātaahua from this time but still very relevant today.
https://organicnz.org.nz/magazine-articles/the-coolest-tangi/