cradle update

Found another example of a soft cradle at the Cowen's auction site...the yellow beads are an unusual color choice for a Cheyenne beader. But they are sunny so maybe she was just going for something bright & cheery!!

I have about 1/2 of my cradle hood beaded; also found a calico at Hobby Lobby with a dragonfly print. The hood will have a square hide tab at the back with a beaded green & blue dragonfly, so the print design is perfect. The honey color will pick up some of the yellow bead color too. Not entirely sure how to sew it all together; wish I had a machine or that someone with sewing skills could help. May take it to my local seamstress as she helped with the last project but she is usually backed up with work and this needs to move along before the baby gets any bigger; guess I'll have to figure it out for myself.

When I saw the dragonfly calico I knew it was perfect! Dragonflies were an important symbol for men on the plains, said to give them speed and the ability to zig-zag from bullets etc. For more on this topic see Ron McCoy's article "When the Spirits Came: The Dragonfly in Cheyenne and Lakota Belief and Art" in American Indian Art Magazine, Autumn 2007.