Lotus thread: now is not the best time for the lotus we learned, the rainy season is better, but they still have enough to make thread for this purpose.
First you cut the stem into a 6″ or so section, then snap the section in half and gently pull the two halves apart so that the goopy thread-like bit will lay on the work bench overlapping some with the last time you pulled. Then you roll the new wet bit like you’d roll bread dough into the existing bit making the thread get longer and longer.
You can see it coiling up in the bowl near the bottom in the middle. After the thread is rolled it is spun to make it even and then woven. The color can be added before or after the weaving.