With few exceptions traditional madweave basketry does not incorporate colour. Occasionally it is introduced by using ink, dye, or adding overlays or additional strands, an idea that has been developed recently by using substitution to control a repeating pattern that covers the whole basket. Another modern approach simply starts with an arrangement of different colours and sees what happens, retaining the result if it is appealing. Yet another is restricted to flat structures, avoiding the usual complications. Analyzing symmetry identifies a limited range of consistent repeating patterns that cover the sides of typical madweave baskets without requiring substitution.