Native American bead work

[Major 2]

As soon as I finish this question I going to Google Native American bead work.

But I wanted to ask the question here and get more help...

I remember seeing colors and patterns indicative to Tribes in ..Plains , SW, Eastern, etc... on some kind of chart.
I'm looking for panels for the shoulders of a Buckskin frock coat....
 WTB

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Major 2....

Maybe I can help you with this since my family has been doing bead and quill work for as long as I can remember...

If you are asking about tribal identification as far as patterns, yes there were variations from tribe to tribe and region to region.

If you are asking what they were I may have several books that identify the patterns you are looking for.

If you are asking about construction, how they were applied, size and length I can help you with that too......I just need for you to be a little more precise in what exactly your question is...... They were both loomed and appliquéd to the garment, with the appliqué being the earliest and the most common west of the Missouri River.

Most loom work in the later part of the 19th century was done for the tourist trade so that is something you probably ought to consider if you are wanting it for a garment that is historically accurate.

Bill

[Major 2]

Bill

 I was deep into the Hobby of Mounted cavalry.
I did CW, Seminole, Tex Mex ... we the whole gambit 25 consecutive Olustees ,  115th Gettysburg through the 140th events.
I did Dade's Battle (known to history as Massacre) Battle Of Okeechobee and Texas History events.
I retired the CW era in 2001 after some 28 years.

Now days I'm deep into Living history persona on the post CW era circa 1870-1
I made deerskin Frock about 1994... it came out quite well... it has a set of original US General Service buttons & majors bars
offen seen in the Plains wars ...
I have been thinking that I like to replace the Major bars, with a more correct look of a civilians coat .. I'm thinking bead pattern

Now the impression I have coined it that of a Florida Frontier circa 1870-71 cowhunting era ... so I thinking Creek maybe Natchez
or Perhap Texas ..Lipan Apache

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[Ottawa Creek Bill]

If your talking about the major southeastern tribes, you're more then likely looking at a floral pattern...they did very little geometric bead work until after their removal and adopted some of the plains culture into their designs as did most of the tribes that were removed after 1836.

As far as the Lipan Apache...you could use any of the Apache, Kiowa-Apache geometric/floral patterns. These were appliqué and were beaded directly to the fabric/leather.

If I had an idea of how you wanted the design laid out on the jacket, I could probably give you a better idea of what might fit the impression you are developing. A simple sketch would work.....

Bill

[Major 2]

Floral is exactly what I had in mind... I have a sketch book mostly Metis influence

I was thinking of a pair of simple
 10 1/2" X 2" straps a boarder of some contrasting lines and a vine like pattern of Dogwood,
Or quill work on some strips of smoke tan elk hide

The Dogwood (Cornus florida) and its inflorescence are the state tree and the state flower respectively for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. It is also the state tree for Missouri, and the state flower for North Carolina.
common in the wild of...the eastern appalachians

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Major 2'
I'll look in my library tomorrow and see what I have...you may want to look for any thing on Creek/Choctaw/Cherokee, they are all going to be very close in their beading styles because of their environment... Something else too, you might look at some of the Muskogee or Seminole patterns.

Now, I don't do bead or quill work...other then for myself.  My daughter does, but getting her to do it these days is almost impossible. So finding someone skilled enough to interpret what you want is the next step.

I used to know some bead/quill workers in Bryson City North Carolina.....I don't know if they still do it but I'll check if you're interested and want the genuine article.

Bill

[Major 2]

Thank you Bill...
The work I have seen in my frontier sketch book, mentions paint as well as beads..
I was thinking the fine delicate lines of the vines would be of some painted work ( this part would be of no dificulity for me ) then the beads to represent the details of the flowers.
Is there any tutorial of how this was done?  Bead work for dummies as it were. 

[River City John]

Not sure if it is still in print:

CRAFTS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS: A CRAFTSMAN'S MANUAL by Richard C. Schneider, Van Nostrand Rheinhold, ca.1970, 325 pages
ISBN 0-442-27442-4

Covers beading, quilling, pottery, birch bark projects, point and tool flaking, tanning, etc. Very instructional yet basic. Does cover patterns and various types of stitching by tribe or geographical area.
Stitching techniques shown for attaching directly to the hide, or by applique. If you're going to do the work yourself, Bill is right in that far easier to stitch the designs on cloth panels and then sew to garment, and just as authentic.
The technique for stitching on hide would take a while to master, as the needle often does not pass through the hide, but pierces just enough under the surface to anchor the beads.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Major 2,
Here are three books that I recommend that you get for your personal library. All are available at Crazy Crow (1-800-786-6210). I've included the item number and purchase price.

Bill

Beads & Beadwork of the American Indian-by Orchard.  Item # 4103-006-086, $16.95
This book is considered The book on the subject and has been around since 1929.

Beads, Their use by upper Great Lakes Indians-by Benson Landford, David Armour & Mary Elizabeth Good.  Item #4103-040-124, $22.00. The information in this book can be adapted to the Southeastern Tribes.

Encyclopedia of American Indian Costumes-by Josephine Paterek.  Item #4105-008-069, $25.00
This is one of my favorite books and describes clothing differences by cultural region and cultural context. My only gripe is the title of the book and the use of the word "Costumes". It would have been better served by the word Clothing.

[Major 2]

Bill & John ... I knew I came to right place to ask...

I ordering this book
Beads & Beadwork of the American Indian-by Orchard.  Item # 4103-006-086, $16.95
This book is considered The book on the subject and has been around since 1929

I'll look into the others ...

John it was my plan to panels of wool and then install them on the coat... that was I can, practice and discard my mistakes rather than bugger up my coat....

 

[River City John]

Major 2

On a related note.
A while back(last year?) in this Forum there was a very nice thread discussing beaded buckskins, with lots of nice pics of original examples in various museums and collections. You might try to sift through the archives to see if the content is still active. Great ideas for designs and placement on garments.
If not, at the time I copied all of the pics into a file which I may be able to forward through regular e-mail.

Let me know.
RCJ

[Books OToole]

Major 2;

The thread the River City John was referring to, was "Scout Garb".

I brought it back to the top for you.

Books

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Bill & John ... I knew I came to right place to ask...

Major 2...Just think how much better it would be if you were an NCOWS member and could get in on the closed forum.......

Here's one of my little secrets when doing bead work.

Draw your pattern on tissue paper, then pin it to the material you want to bead. Once your beading is finished, wet it, and the paper will fall apart and come off the beaded piece.

If it is wool, pre-shrink it before you bead to it, or better yet have it dry cleaned as it will close up the fabric and make the weave tighter, use cold water on wool  to dissolve the paper. This will work on brained tanned buckskin too.

Bill

[Major 2]

Your right Bill... something I mean to remedy
and thanks for the tips

a search did not turn up "Scout Garb".
I seem to recall it though...
I'd love the photos my email is listed thanks , John....

[Major 2]

wow ... and DUH ! thanks, Books

[W.T.]

Not sure if it is still in print:

CRAFTS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS: A CRAFTSMAN'S MANUAL by Richard C. Schneider, Van Nostrand Rheinhold, ca.1970, 325 pages
ISBN 0-442-27442-4

 

Gents, please pardon the interruption.  RCJ, the book is out there - might have to get myownself a copy; thanks for the tip:
 
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=CRAFTS+OF+THE+NORTH+AMERICAN+INDIANS%3A+A+CRAFTSMAN%27S+MANUAL&sortby=2&sts=t&an=Richard+C.+Schneider&bi=0&bx=off&y=17&ds=30&x=69