Natl Museum of the American Indian

one of my favorite books is Identity by Design published by the Smithsonian featuring native women's clothing and art...there are gorgeous close up color photos of bead work decorating women's hide & cloth dresses, historic photos showing women in their lovely outfits and informative text on how they were made. There are many photos of other items as well including cradles, moccasins, purses etc. Women are usually not well represented in art books on Indians, despite the fact that they made many (if not most) of the items worn by tribal members, and that their own clothing was just as elaborate as men's.

I was super delighted to see the NMAI on-line store selling notecards from the book & collection so ordered some for myself and friends. Now I see that I will need to order more to pass along to other friends!! If I owned a nice stationary & fountain pen shop I would stock these.                       
They are available at: https://nmaistore.si.edu/home/
NMAI has a great website with all kinds of nifty information and if you are needing/wanting a book on Native American women's art I recommend this one, you will love it!!

In a far away future....

Years ago I saw images of beaded doctor's bags and fell madly in love with them. Finally I found a set of instructions in the amazingly great craft magazine "Whispering Wind" so I bought 2 old bags on Ebay with the thought that I might try. The bags arrived and I realized they were more like traveling valises, too big for my initial effort and so they sit, rejected in a corner of my office. Today a box arrived...a wonderful friend found a small one for me and it will be just the perfect size. These bags appeared on the northern plains in the late reservation era when women had more time on their hands and were being exposed to government doctors and even veterinarians. The style evolved into women's handbags as well as covering small boxes....the activity probably ended in the 1920's or 1930's but a few artists are doing them still. So here is my rough bag which is in really good condition (smells a bit due to its age and the inside will need to be relined, but according to the instructions that is not unusual) as well as some examples of what I hope to achieve (nothing quite so elaborate for my first attempt but I like a good challenge). I think I may sell the 2 large bags and use the money to buy beads....hard to say when such a project could happen given that I have some other work to do but maybe this next winter. With sincere appreciation to Jethro for his kind generosity (maybe he will even get the bag back at some point in the future).

Checkbook

after spring semester ended I wrapped up some pending projects, including my checkbook cover. I have wanted one for some time and its rare that I keep anything for myself. It was my 1st effort so I learned some important lessons and perhaps I'll make another one for a friend who recently retired from her job (I still have yet to give her a retirement gift). I made a rosette (which is a bit clunky), attached to another layer of interfacing and beaded the rest. This was then attached to a nice piece of white deer hide (a soft split double suede). I also added a small silver feather charm. It is surprisingly heavy but I like the outcome. Its not as nice as ones you can buy at a gallery or on line but I think its a fair version and good enough for me!

Finishing up outstanding projects

Ordinarily I do lots of craft and bead work over the winter but this year I started a few projects and never finished. So May was the month for completing odds and ends....finished a pair of woodland style baby moccs; finished my own checkbook cover; made a medallion necklace that had been promised in Spring 2011 and also did plenty around the house: put in a new raised bed veggie garden; cleaned the deck and set up my gazebo for outdoor summer living; cleaned the home office (making it possible to even reach the craft storage area) and am getting ready to strip the old layers of wallpaper from my dining room.
Then comes word that a friend is pregnant and so I offered to make a cradle (not sure if it will be a newborn soft cradle or a full Kiowa style cradle) and I also offered to make a pair of Creek/Seminole baby moccs for another friend. Whew! Also found a nifty pattern for a white buffalo rosette that I will try and see how it looks...rosette making is good practice and if they turn out ok I save them and use for small hide bags (easy to make and perfect for birthday or Christmas gifts). I forgot to photograph the medallion necklace but it became a yellow version of a daisy pattern that I had made before...

(a small bag I made for a Caddo friend...I like how the rosette pattern turned out)

added bone hair pipe and Crow beads to the lacing, should be about what my friend was wanting I think.
Its so nice to have a clean office and have all my craft items neatly put away where they belong. Its also great to complete so many little projects and honor old commitments before starting new ones. And it nice to relax a bit and work on rosettes; I look forward to seeing how that buffalo will turn out!

Checkbook cover pt 1

I've been wanting a checkbook cover for awhile now and it seemed like a good project (not too big and also useful). I like to work out the kinks on a first draft before making something to give away and there are plenty of mistakes on this one! I am beading on a soft interface (need to use a stiffer, heavier weight instead), doubled and held in a quilting frame. When done I'll attach it to a thin hide (split or chamois). It won't be great but I'll enjoy having it and hopefully I am learning as I go!!

Practice makes....something

as noted in my last post I decided to get back into the habit of bead work with a small rosette displaying the Medicine Wheel design. This image is often seen on the Plains and reflects balance, harmony, respect for the 4 directions and knowledge. I used size 11/0 French luster beads and it started out a bit wobbly, but after 2 days of work it was looking very nice...until I realized that I had placed the colors backwards! If it had been another design I would have let it go but such a sacred image deserves more respect; pulled it apart and returned the beads to their containers. I will try again using Japanese delicas for a tighter fit and this time will pay attention to color placement. Hopefully this time will be easier after all that practice!!

Winter?

I'm become accustomed to spending cold snowy weekend days trapped inside my house, a nice time to do bead work, but this year there has been almost no winter (and I'm not complaining!!). My sun room project filled up a lot of time and attention; the new patio doors let in lovely afternoon sunlight and it is cozy with the yellow walls and fuzzy blanket on the futon. Unfortunately my cats have taken over the space, leaving no room for me!
I have finally begun beading and discovered I'm out of practice. Decided to start small: a medicine wheel rosette which may get used for something...I don't keep much of my own work but have been wanting a checkbook cover so maybe I'll keep this (its really not good enough to give away as a gift) and incorporate it into the cover design. I'll try to rework the design using delicas to get a tighter fit. I should also finish the baby moccasins for Debbie as her son is growing fast! Have many other small projects to do, need to get all that cleared away before I plan something big. But its really nice to be working on something and I'm hoping this little project will turn out nicely in the end!!

Sunshine!

I generally do more bead work & craft projects in the winter months since I am stuck indoors (spring is spent in the flowers and summer finds me reading on the back deck). Moving from Oklahoma to the Chicago area for work has presented many challenges including the weather...it is cold most of the year (even summer fails to get hot enough for me), too humid, and precious little light during the winter months (when its not overcast it seems the sun sets around 4pm). But on weekend mornings my living room occasionally gets nice light from the east and south and I can bead for a few hours a day. But hopefully a new project will help expand these opportunities!!

My house has a small west-facing room between the kitchen and back deck, probably a back porch that was enclosed; strangely former owners had painted the room's walls & ceiling robin's egg blue. The heavy metal sliding patio door freezes stuck on cold nights and the space between the glass panels has been compromised, keeping the glass foggy. Generally the room sees little use and functions merely as a pass thru to the deck or basement but now it is getting a make-over! I purchased a new lightweight vinyl patio door and am painting the room to welcome all the sunshine that will now pour in...ceiling is white, walls are vivid yellow and wainscoting will be a soft grey. I will also move a futon from the guest bedroom so that I (and the cats) can sit in the warm early afternoon sun! I ordered a SW geometric fleece blanket from Noc Bay (a nice bead supplier in Michigan) and a SW style horse print from Allposters...the colors will fit with the yellow & grey walls and the new insulated curtains that should reduce the night cold. I'll add a white wire plant rack and some plants...hopefully the cats won't chew them up. I can use my wireless stereo system that normally goes on the deck (it catches a signal from my MP3) and if I buy a larger flat screen TV for the living room I can set up a dvd player for even more entertainment options while I work on new projects (although I suspect the combination of futon, soft blanket and warm sunshine will induce afternoon naps). This is really the first house project I have done in many years but I think it will really be worth the time & effort, especially on cold winter days. To add to the cat's pleasure I have a bird feeder that I'll set out on the deck which will finally be visible through the patio doors!!

End of year projects

one of the joys of academia is having long breaks between semesters! I get 3 weeks off and soon I'll be anxious for a bead project. I have several unfinished things to do: make a small hide bag & attach a rosette for a student; finish the baby moccasins; restring a coyote claw necklace for a doll and make his little moccasins; repair a peyote stitch beaded pen that broke apart; and probably several other odds/ends! I also need to start some new projects too: something (maybe a purse or coin bag) for a friend who recently retired; a beaded checkbook cover for myself; and...I don't really know. Hmm.

Usually I make several Xmas gifts including small ornaments, but this year I didn't...it was a difficult fall and I was in a fog. My craft supplies were almost inaccessible and disorganized, so I cleaned my home office a bit and put things away. Having a cleaner space has cheered me up and allowed me to see possibilities. Maybe after the holidays I'll treat myself to new beads; a friend traveled out west this summer and bought some in South Dakota (pretty red, white & blue translucents but not sure of the size, maybe 13/0). Its always nice to get a box of supplies from Wandering Bull, Noc Bay, or Crazy Crow!

baby moccasins

my friend Debbie will have a baby soon, started a pair of eastern woodlands style moccasins...different from southern plains with their folded down cuff and floral beadwork on velveteen but they look cute. Need to finish up the other shoe soon, think the baby is due soon but the shoes are too big for awhile!