I worked on this doll over the xmas break and decided to keep going; all finished except for the accessories (earrings, belt bags, hair ties) but I should be done soon. I like the horses (wish I was skilled enough to do more pictorial work) so I'll call her Horse Medicine Woman in honor of Luzan, an Apache woman known for her "horse whispering" skills (she was the only woman to be imprisoned with Geronimo and his warriors). Doing the lazy or lane stitch was a challenge at first but got better with time; the secret was to keep the hide on an small quilt frame to maintain the even lines. This was the 1st doll to have an all hide body so I need to increase the size of my moccasin and dress patterns slightly.
I want to do another doll in all greasy yellow, a color I used to be ambivalent about but am now embracing. Was good to do a doll again, which seems like a more satisfying project with multiple stages of work (rosettes and
bags are easy and quick with little thought required). Am thinking of making an old fashion "possibles" bag one of these years, but the list of projects already promised to other people puts that one pretty low on the priority list.I did find yet another nice little book on beadwork, the Dover reprint of William Orchard's Native American Beadwork, originally published in 1929. It has a really good section on historical bead use as well as good illustrations on technique...well worth the $3 price from Ed Hamilton Books! And I splurged a bit on French luster beads in the latest Crazy Crow sale flyer; they are 11/0 but I will find a use for them somewhere (too big for dolls but a good size for other work). Next up: an OU bag for Chia who has recently sent me so many wonderful gifts from Japan and Barrow AK
