Cradle

a friend from Kansas just had a baby boy so I've offered to make a soft cradle; just the hood will be beaded so I hope to get it made more quickly than the full sized Kiowa style I made before (that took nearly a year!).
I have plenty of dark green translucent seed beads left over from the other cradle project (bought a full Kilo to get a better price) and the new mom is happy with the color choice! Not sure of the design just yet nor the fabric....hide is nice but its easier & faster to bead on cloth which will be covered by beads and an interior lining. Just bought some 3 band dark green wool broadcloth for a new dress for myself, but won't have enough of that to spare; too bad as that would be lovely. Best guess at the moment is a medium weight off-white denim for the beading surface; a solid color wool or fleece for the bodice; and a pretty calico interior lining with buckskin ties. Also need to make a lizard amulet bag for the umbilical cord, probably in a matching bead color
Think I can figure it all out on my own but just in case I did order an old craft annual from Whispering Wind (also ordered the issue that is supposed to contain instructions on how to bead old doctor's bags, something I've wanted to do for ages). I have a few photos borrowed from various internet sites and a rough idea of the dimensions (in the old days ladies would have just made a good guess, no yard sticks or fancy shears for them!). Many of the photos show a red cover but I wonder if this was preference or just a more available type of fabric...nice to have a wider selection today. Cheyenne style seems to use an angle shape to the hood while Sioux style appears flatter and more in line with the body of the cradle. Should know more when my magazine arrives next week.