I

NECK-collar or neck openingShoulder width

of blouse l:-.-------.:~-Center front length: neck to waist

Arm length ofshirt sleeve BUST-measure

under bust all theway around

THIGH - blouse lengthbetween thigh & knee

HIP-widest partabove buttocks

KNEEmeasure just below knee

for legging width

Knee to anklemeasurement: length oflegging

FIGURE 6FEMININE M'EAS,UREMENTS

8

II

)

WOMEN,'S CLOTHINGINTRODUCTION

Clothing styles were similar for most Great LakesIndian women. The real differences were in the treat-ment of the garment with ornamentation which wasbased in part on the individual ability and resources forthe materials needed. The chiefs and sachems were re-sponsible for the distribution of annuity payments andwere usually the first ones to meet with the traders whofurnished the goods. Those who did not stand in goodfavor wi th a leader or who were not influential with thewhite trader, did not always receive the choice mer-chandise. Often women and children were not in-cluded on payroll and payment lists, so they receivedwhat was left over (Blackburn 1942: pp.392-393).

In giving presents during the 18th century, thedonors adhered to the rule of precedence in rank. Thecommon Indian's wife received only a piece of stroudto be used for a blanket and petticoat. The stroud, beinga cheap cloth made of woolen rags, was quite differentfrom the fine material given to the chiefs wife. Thechief and sachems were frequently the beneficiaries ofspecial goods such as clothing and jewelry for theirfamilies (New York Colonial Documents, VII: p.186).

In contrast, those Indian women who were in-volved in tribal politics and had a say in the activities of

the warriors often made requests for specific items suchas smaller size blankets, scarlet hose, lively coloredcalicoes, ribbons and gartering. Color listings fortextiles and laces included such hues and shades as deepred, deep blue, green, scarlet and yellow. Silk handker-chiels, silver rings, ear bobs and barley corn beads alsofound their way into feminine hands. These itemsportrayed Ihe brighter side of life for the women(Jacobs 1967: pp.46-47).

A letter dated January 8,1783 to Francios Bosseronat Vincennes from Pierre Latoure at Petit-Duabache(trading post in central Indiana) included a complaintthat the merchandise was too expensive. Even withenticement, the Indians refused to trade (Lasselle Pa-pers,CharlesB 1781-1785: p.165). Knowledge of thesuitability of trade items was considered to be essentialto the success of trade with Indians. From the time ofthe treaty of Lancaster in 1748, presents of textiles andhardware and munitions were to be used for securingwarriors in preparation for the eventual conflict be-tween the French and the British for control of the NewWorld. This gave the Indians the opportunity to de-mand the best from both sides.

....'f- WRAp·AROUND SKIRT AND BLANKET

Throughout the eastern United States, the basicgarment of native women was a wrap-around skirt. Itwas worn from Georgia north .into Quebec and as farwest as eastern Kansas and Minnesota. Prehistoricstone and ceramic sculptures from the east indicate thatthe wrap-around skirt may in fact have been one of themost long lasting and widely worn of all Native Ameri-can clothing forms. Until the 18th century, thesegarments were made from nati ve woven cloth or animalskins. Possibly a few women living adjacent to Euro-peans had skirts of trade cloth (Cumming 1972: pp.272-273, 285).

Records from the mid-18th century indicate theskirts worn by the Indian women were made from tradecloth. " ...they have a short blue petticoat, whichreaches to their knees and the brim of which is borderedwith red or other ribbons ... " (Kalm 1772: p.116). JohnHeckewelder, who traveled among the Ohio Country

9

Delaware and Mohicans, observed that the women, atthe expense of their husbands or lovers, lined theirpetticoats with blue or scarlet cloth blankets or cover-ing with choice ribands of various colors, or withgartering on which they fixed a number of silverbrooches, or small round buckles. They adorned theleggings in much the same manner (Pannabecker1986).

Reverend David Zeisberger refers to the clothingof the Indian women as follows: .....the dress whichparticularly distinguishes the women is a petticoat orstroud; blue, red or black, made of apiece of cloth abouttwo yards long, adorned with red, blue or yellow bandslaid double and bound about the body." In the sameparagraph, Zeisberger refers to these bands as being ofsilk and also calls them ribbon. No design or techniqueis mentioned (Pannebecker 1986).

Heckewelder adds that "the wealthy adorn ~em-

, .

:;rr=============================================~,t===========~

I·1

FIGURE 7

\' 10

\i ,~

!,I'If'

1683 DELAWARE WOMANSOURCE: Painting by Benjamin West of William Penn's Treaty with the Delaware Indians in

1683 at Philadelphia, PA

Headband - Wampum with Center Front Medallion or Brooch

Matchcoat - Trade Cloth or Blanket draped over shoulders with whitebead applique in floral and geometric patterns

Shirt - No shirt is shown in the original painting

Skirt - Trade Cloth with white bead applique

Leggings - Fitted to the legs with double wing flap on outside of each leg.Each wing is edged with white beads

Moccasins - Center seam decorated with quillwork; white bead appliqueon flaps and around quillwork

Bead Applique - both geometric and double curve motif styles areshown. Double curve motif was used extensively by the Penobscot, Micmac andIroquois; sometimes as a symbol of civil and social bonds holding the people ofthe tribe together (Speck 1970: pp.69-71).

I

FIGURE 7

11

II

I I,

i~

I

II:1

Blanket - Stroud IFIGURE 8

WRAP-AROUNDSKIRT .,

; .;

:'.

,..II

Overlaps right OWl" left Overlaps left OWl" right

12

selves besides with ribands and gartering of variouscolors, beads and silver brooches. These ornaments arearranged by the women, who, as well as the men, knowhow to set themselves off in style ..."

"Delaware men pay particular attention to the dressof their women, and on that account clothe themselvesrather meanly. There are many who think it scandalousto appear better clothed than their wives," JohnHcckcwelder observed in 1762. Delaware men love tosee their wives well clothed, which is a proof that theyarc fond of them, at least in Heckewelder's estimation(Wallace 1985: p.56).

In 1788, a painting by Thomas Davies reveals thatHuron women of Quebec wore brightly printed calicotrade shirts over wrapped skirts. The skirts revealribbon edging and on some, alternate use of colors(Schoolcraft 19RO: p. 145).

"WOIllCIl wore pculcoats, reaching below the knee.The fabric was stroud which was first washed givingthe fabric a chance to shrink to produce a felt-like feeland look. Some also wore garments of printed linen orcotton of various colors, decorated at the breast with agreat number of silver buckles, which are also worn bysome as ornaments upon their petticoats ... They. adorn

their ears, necks and breasts with corals, small crosses,little round escutcheons, and crescents, made either ofsilver or wampum" according to Loskiel in 1794(Loskicl, G. H., History of the Missions of UnitedBrethren Among the Indians of N. America: by CI.LaTrobe).

A vivid description of early clothing worn by abride at Michilimackinac was praised by editor R. G.Thwaites as Mrs. Baird reminiscences about the wed-ding garment worn in 1819: "The skirt reached abouthalf-way between the ankle and the knee, and waselaborately embroidered with ribbon and beads on boththe lower and upper edges. Above this horizontaltrimming were rows upon rows of ribbon, four or fiveinches wide, placed so near together mat only a narrowstrip of cloth showed like a narrow cord. Accompany-ing this was worn a pair of leggins made of broadcloth... the embroidery about three inches from the side edge.Around ihc bottom the trimming is between four andfive inches in width. The moccasins, also, were em-broidered with ribbons and beads." Baird noted matsimilar ensembles· were worn by the bride's Indianmother, and two women traders of French and Ottawaextraction .

, III

. - trade cloth-dress was maile Hum 3'4 yarils of wool-----------------------..u.-WOMEN'S LEGGINGS

. .The female woodland Indians wore leggings quiteSimilar to those of the male. Generally, women'sleggings were listed as being short, only coming up tothe knee and held in place with garters. In the harsh",:inter.months, women would also wear the long leg-gings over the knee to further protect the legs. Thefabrics used were stroud, ratteen, duffle and penistone(Jacobs 1967: p. 49).

Leggings were made from half a width of strouddoth blanket during the 18th century, which was thereaso.i for U1eshort style worn just over U1eknee. Thischanged after the Revolutionary War when tradepicked up and a demand was made for better and largerblankets.

In 1762, a Delaware woman was buried in herfinery including It ••• scarlet leggins decorated with dif-fe~nt colore.d ribands sewed on, the outer edge beingfirushed off with small beads also of various colors ..."This observation was made by John Heckewelder whostayed with U1eMohawk and Delaware Indians (Wal-lace 1985: p. 59).

"illustrations of Chippewa women in the 1820sshow leggings worn tight around the leg with a wing orflap on me outside trimmed in ribbons. The wing oftencurved slightly inward at the ankle. The leggings werepositioned just inside the top of the.moccasins (Ameri-can Heritage 1970: pp. 30-49).

The following are some illustrations of some vari-

16

tI..

I"

II,II .

r

FIGURE. 12WOMEN'S LEGGINGS

18th Century Styles

SIDE SEAM CENTER SEAM

"I

tBack of legging

Tight fit toshape of leg.

Tie garter justbelow knee.

Wing- 2 flaps

18

;~•

ations of the woman's leggings as used by these respec-tive tribes:

FIGURE 13I

MIAMISTYLE

POTAWATOMISTYLE

FIGURE 14

Miami Style - These leggings were made frommatching or contrasting wool (i.e., same as the skirt oranoLhcr color) or of broadcloLh. They were tube-shaped fitting just below the knee and held in place witha garter. Although it depended upon the size of the legof the wearer, the average size is 22" around and about15" long. The selvage edge is placed at the top and willnaturally be hidden by the skirt when worn. Theleggings are sewn into a tube so that it snug fit isobtained. Ribbonwork is applied to the outside of theleggings and around the hem and bottom. As withskirts, beads are sometimes used as edging and silverbuttons applied above the ribbonwork in a variety ofpatterns such as diamonds, stars, clusters, etc.. Delaware Style - Inthis style, the leggings are sewninto a tube so that a flap is made to which ribbonworkis applied. A flap about 3" wide is sufficient, and a ]"

-------------------------------~

I

ribbon binding may be applied to edges and then beadsused as a decorative trim if desired. Again, they arekept in place with a garter.

FIGURE 15

Ojibwa Style -These are a tube fitted and narrowedat the ankle with tapered wing flap. They were oftenembellished similarly to those of the Miami and Pota-watomi styles with ribbons and beads. This style waswell illustrated by Peter Rindisbacher in a painting thatwas done in the 1820s.

OJIBWASTYLE

1-----22"':;_~ -----<

Ankle measure +2'foreasy removal

FIGURE 16

These styles were also worn by the Kickapoo,Illini, Peoria, Shawnee, Huron, Ottawa, Mascouten andother tribes around the Great Lakes in the 18th and 19thcenturies.

Of further note is that, according to Sir WilliamJohnson in 1755, "Women's scarlet hose with clockswere in demand." Often, military issue cotton stock-ings were presented to tlie mdians and used in place ofstroud leggings. __:,.

19

rI-

I

INDIAN WOMAN 1745-1760

View of an Indian woman of the French and Indian War period shows herutilizing the white man's trade shirt in a plain white or solid color with wrap-aroundskirt or petticoat and center seam leggings.

r' tY' Hair - Tied in a single braid behind her head

Silver Ear Wheels - Five (5) hanging from each ear. -

Ruffled Linen Shirt - Worn over skirt held at neck with 'silver brooch;decorated on each shoulder with 1/2 inch ring brooches

Finger-Woven Sash - Tied at the waist over the shirt

1/ Quilled Knife Sheath and Knife - This hangs from the sash

} Wrap-Around Skirt- Made of wool stroud and decorated with silver ring1~ brooches at hem and single strip of wool braid or silk folded over the hem edge

Center Seam Leggings - Constructed of matching or contrasting colorand decorated with silver brooches on each side of the seam, then tucked intomoccasin tops

Moccasins - Center seam moccasins with wing flaps decorated withquillwork, tin cones and red-dyed deer hair fringe

,

FIGURE 17

i

FIGURE 17

21

I"

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f.. '".

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I ~ •• ;t.~·....,.. ~tI fi.

r:\

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,.,

INDIAN WOMAN -18th CENTURY

I'1,,

In the early days of the fur trade, Indian women received calico or linentrade shirts;' The fabric was from India or Engtand where they tried to imitate thebrilliant India prints. The shirts were given, as part of the gift giving policy of thesuperintendent of the fur trade, The shirts', when worn by the women, were wornforspecial occasions in the early 18th ceritury. Later in the century', the shirt wasnearly always worn as part of the woman's 'en-semble. The shirt was oftendecorated with silver brooches of 'various sizes, trade .beads were worn inmultiple layers around the neck and finger-woven sashes added color and shapewhen worn around the waist. These shirts were worn by women from the easternPennsylvania Delaware to the Huron of Quebec, the Shawnee and Miami of Ohio. ' . . . .-----......... - ....and Indiana as well as the Indian women living in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois andMinnesota.

Hair - Tied back in.club fashion behind the nape of the neck~, -, - ,'"c-

SlIve; Ear Wheels - Onei(f)'_'in each ear':1. t .

" '",m\

Calico Trade Shirt - Cotton or linen fabrics with large Indian prints

Silver Ring Brooches - Worn on the shoulders; and larger cut broochesworn on the lower front and hem of the shirt

Trade Bead Necklaces - These, along with a silver cross of Lorraine,, worn around the neck

Blanket or Matchcoat - Worn,'over the shirt

Wrap-Around Skirt - Made of wool duffle or stroud and decorated withsilk ribbon or wool braid trim on hem and silver ring brooches in diamond patternsjust above the hem - Petticoat made of cotton, chintz, silk or linen could be worninstead

Leggings - From wool stroud with wings decorated with two colors of silkribbon running parallel oh wing edge and around the ankles

"

Moccasins - center seam, one-piece moccasins with ears or wing flapsdecorated with two colors of silk ribbons

'., ,

FIGURE 20

24

,', " .... - .

I

FIGURE 20

25

CAPED

.By the 1820s many of the Indian womcn wereobserved wearing a caped shirt or blouse embellishedwith many silver brooches over a petticoat trimmed inribbons of various colors. An English artist namedGeorge Winter came to Indiana in 1837 and made apictorial record of the Miami and Potawatomi Indiansliving along the Wabash and Eel rivers. Winter de-scribes the "toute ensemble" of Frances Slocum, acaptive living among the Miami in the followingmanner: "She was dressed in red calico shirt figuredwith large showy yellow and green folded within theupper part of her metacosbe or petticoat of black clothof excellent quality. Her nether limbs were clothedwith fady-red leggins, winged with green ribbons, andher feet were moccasinless." (Winter 1948: p. 176)

The caped shirt that was worn by the Huron ofQuebec as well as the Miami, Shawnee, Potawatomi,Menominee and Illini tribes was based in part on aEuropean drop sleeve trade shirt. As with that particu-lar style, the shirt was composed of a loosely fittedbodice reaching to the abdomen and often covering thehips. These had long blousy sleeves, with a fitted cuffthat buttoned or tied at the wrist with a ruffle over eachhand. The women added a large over-the-shouldercape-like collar that shows up in many forms in mu-seum collections and paintings (Winter 1948: PlatesIX, XIV, XVIII, XIX).

Some capes consisted of one large ruffle drapedover the shoulders with a one to three inch secondary

,

!

SHIRT

ruffle sewn to the bottom of the first. Others weremodified further with an almost V-shaped yoke thatformed the nucleus of the cape to which long pieces offabric were sewn. At the neck opening, a smaller pieceof fabric was gathered and stitched forming a fold-overcollar (Cranbrook #2212). Other variations includedseveral ruffles stitched together lengthwise and gath-ered to a circular neck band that was in tum stitched tothe neck opening. The sizes of the ruffles varied greatlyeven among members of the same tribe (Indiana His-tory Bulletin 1966: pp. 132-135). The ruffle edgesappear to have remained plain until ribbon was used inthe mid-19th century (Conn 1975: p. 71). Cuff rufflesranged in widlh from one to two inches and wereattached by folding tiny pleats of the ruffle (instead ofgathering it) and hand-stitching it into the cuffs.

The origin of the shirt with large cape is not clear.It is likely that they developed from a similar style seenin men's hunting frocks. Hunting frocks worn by Indianmen 'and caped-shirts of similar style worn by Indianwomen were worn frequently after the RevolutionaryWar (Harrington 1987: Personal Interview).

Shirt embellishment was very important to theIndian women. Silver brooches of varying sizes wereused on the capes of the shirt and placed in several rowsaround the front and the back. The wearing of largenumbers of brooches on the bodice was fashionable,quantity being a measure of status and wealth.

SHIRT WITH CAPE 1780-1845

Several variations of this caped blouse or shirtbegan to appear in paintings and journals from theHuron at Quebec to the Miami and Potawatomi ofIndiana and Michigan. The Menominee of Wisconsinand the Shawnee of Ohio also wore a similar style.Several variations of the shirt with cape are shownbelow.

Materials needed: 4 yards of 45" linen, cotton, orchintz in either plain or block print.

1 - Construction: Make body of shirt based on the18th century style shirt (See the section on Men'sClothing for the complete pattern).

2 - Cape Construction: Cut 3 pieces that are 6" wideby 15" long and sew the three pieces together forminga ruffle that is 45" in length. Then,

3 - Cut 4 pieces that are 4" wide by 15" long for thebottom ruffle and sew the four pieces together forminga ruffle that is 60" in length. Gather the 60" ruffle to fitthe 45" ruffle and sew together forming a 9" long cape.

Gather the top of the ruffle to fit neck edge of shirt andpin and sew.

Options: Ruffles forming cape may be of any sizecombination or a third ruffle can be added for morefullness. Variations of the shirt with cape are seenthroughout the George Winter Paintings of the 1830sand from museum pieces in the Heye Foundation inNew York, the Milwaukee Public Museum, ChicagoField Museum, Cranbrook Institute and the DetroitPublic Museum to name a few.

Another option is to add a half-circle yoke to theback of the cape center.• Using the Basic 18th Century Man's Shirt Pattern,

you may use these variations: (1) No fold-over collar(optional), (2) Use a round neckline, (3) Add cape witha 4" yoke, and (4) an optional stand-up or fold-overcollar with the addition of a detachable cape tied in thefront with ribbon.

26

FIGURE 21 -DELAWARE STYLE BLOUSE IOpen Front Cape with 4" Ruffle, Ribbon Trim and/or a Line of Brooches

Documented from an article wriucn by Ty Stewart on Oklahoma Delaware Women's Dance Clothing based on interviews with Delawareand Mrs. Nora Dean (Touching Leaves).

FIGURE 22 • POT AWATOMI STYLE BLOUSEYoke Style with Solid Front Cape featuring Brooches of all sizes and shapes.

Brooches were usually let in rows and blouses were often covered with silver brooches; sometimes with umany as 350 3/4" ring stylebrooches arranged in 6-8 rows on the front and back of the cape.

Pouwatomi Style {rom the George Winter Painting, 1837.Based on an 18()(Js style POTAWATOMI BLOUSE in the Milwaulcu Museum.Made a/red calico that is trimmed with black and green ribbon. (circa 1890)

27

Ir

FIGURE 23 &24· POTAWATOMI (Wisconsin)• MENOMINEE STYLE BLOUSE (1820s)from !he Denver Art M us~um. Made of calico with ribbon trim.

Al!hough the ribbon shirt and blouse were made of European cloth and incorporated European ideas of clothing construction such asga!hering, separate cuffs, gusselS, ete., !he simple binary cut maintained principles of native garments,

28

31~-4 yds. MATERIAL (4s) 8yd5. -asRIBBON I

Cut cape ruffle and sleews first

24'-/----1

I SLEEVE Nw~ ~ cut 2 ~

i ~ N-~II. II.~LI. II.;:) i :v~

// 8~

//

NECK RUFFLE

/A:NECKGUSSETS B: SLEEVE CUT 2 OF EACH

""C: SIDEFIGURE 25

CRANBROOK BLOUSEMiami .

29

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)

CHEMISE

FIGURE 30

low front draw-string neckline

--gussets --\7

11 a..,.5

!~H

As illustrated in Figure 30, the construction of atypical chemise will require 3 '1/2 to 4 yards of un-bleached muslin, cotton or linen gauze.

1-Cut both layers of fabric at the first dotted lineforming the back of the neckline

2 - Cut the top layer of fabric at the second dottedline, forming the front neckline '

3 - Cut the body as indicated on the dotted line4 - Place right sides together and stitch the triangu-

lar pieces to the straight sides of the body. Sew the sideseams up to 12" from the top.

S - Sleeves have a narrow fold-over hem at thewrist and casing made 2" above the wrist by running a10" piece of bias tape on the wrong side of each sleeve,A hole is made at the seam to run the drawstringsthrough.

6 - Make the gussets. Sew to sleeves - stitch thesleeve seam from wrist to gusset. Gather the top of thesleeve and stitch to the body.

7 -With the wrong side of the bias tape to the rightside of the neckline, start at the center front of the neckand pin bias tape to the edge and stitch.

8-Press the tape to the inside of the body and hemin place. Insert 1 1/2 yards of twill tape for use as adrawstring at the neckline. Then hem the bottom of thebody:

1-4"1 '13~ 10~," "," ., \ .... , ." I

,, \ - - I ,, , 7" ,.... ,/

, ~SLEEVE i~ , .... __ ", ,

J'It~ , \ cut 2. 'Iii, \, I

wristI ,J 36N _II

J~ I" +

" "same

'1 I' as'I , \

above, I \, , , ,, I \, 1\ I 1" \I~ I \I I , 1I , I, I , , gusset

I SELVAGE 1-8Y

34

FIGURE 31

35I, '

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/

SILK RIBBONAPPUQUE

The Rankin Ensemble is the earliest dated remaining example of silkribbon applique and may be seen in the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay,Wisconsin. This wedding dress and shawl belonged to Sophie Theresa Rankin,a Menominee woman. The intricate applique on the sides and hem of the skirtand shawl is combined with two inch silk ribbons placed horizontally, a fractionof an inch apart, creating a skirt almost entirely covered with ribbons, revealinglittle of the wool beneath. The ensemble illustrated three techniques of ribbon-work: Solid strips of Ribbon, Folded Ribbons and Cut-Work Applique.

The wedding took place in 1802 and the style is a Type Three appliquedescribed in more detail above. According to Rachael Pannabecker, whoresearched this piece thoroughly, the attendants at the wedding had similaroutfits as well, all being finely developed silk applique skirts.

The outfit is worn in the following manner according to Dr. Nancy O. Lurieof the Milwaukee Public Museum and is 'currently pictured in this manner.

SHIRT - Variation of a jacket or short govyn made of beige colored linenwith a reddish block print design, edged with braid or ribbon in a deep red tone

SKIRT - The wool skirt is wrapped around the waist and gathered by handand held in place with a wool sash. The ribbon applique panels that match areplaced on the left side of the body and pinned in place. The skirt reached half-way between knee and ankle. The wool was blue

SHA WL - The shawl similarly decorated is not worn, but instead drapedover one arm and carried with ribbonwork facing outward. The wool was brightred with blue, red, yellow and white ribbons

LEGGINGS - Wool sewn into a tube and fitted to leg with ribbon appliquewing flap and hem

NOTE - This ensemble has been pictured in a number of publications showing the skirtwrapped around the body with the ribbon applique center front and the top half of the skirt pulledover the upper half of the body. It also has been featured with the shawl draped over the headas a cape. Dr. Lurie has determined this to be a misrepresentation of the correct way in whichthis ensemble was worn. This is the first publication to feature the entire ensemble correctly worn.This outfit was personally examined by the author in 1987.

FIGURE 39

46

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47

..»

--' -.--------------------~--------

,.

RIBBON-SILKSKIRT ·62"square

BLUE WOOL

, .._. v-.-IUUUI._

nand --spaced" apart

<X'"<><XX~X>O

sew

2 rows cut -applique

SHAWLS4"square

RED WOOL

I(

IX LXI~ I~ ~

I) LX IX IX~I'i

1m 2''" RIBBONS rYfxI) I.. I'i I'XI'X

IX

I.. IX<><=:><>0 IYI'i><><><><x'><XX"><><X""

Foldedzig zagribbon

3rowscut-

applique

1,

2 rows large diamond shaped-art applique

FIGURE 40MENOMINEE SKIRT AND SHAWL 1802

48

like a narrow cord. Accompanying this was worn a pairofleggings made of broadcloth ... the embroidery aboutthree inches from the side edge. Around the bottom thetrimming is between four and five inches in width. Themoccasins, also, were embroidered with ribbon andbeads. Then we come to the blanket ... with mostelaborate work of ribbon; no beads, however are usedon it."

Baird also noted that similar ensembles were wornby the bride's Indian mother, and two women traders ofFrench and Ottawa extractions, Theresa Schindler andMarie La Fremboise. While Baird did not clearlyidentify the construction techniques used in doing theribbon embroidery, her description coincides closely tothe Rankin garments illustrated in this book (Panna-becker 1986).

Evidence of Ribbonwork in the 1830s

Two portraits from the 1830s George Catlin collec-tion provide visual documentation that silk appliquehad made its way into the eastern plains and prairies. Afull-length portrait of Nahweerecoo the wife ofKeokuk, a Sauk Indian, was painted in 1835. Widebands of ribbonwork are clearly evident at the horizon-tal hem and left vertical front of the wrapped skirt. Thehorizontal piece contains multiple rows of equilateraldiamonds common in shingled work. A second paint-ing shows two Menominee men sketched at Prairie duChien in 1835 or at Green Bay in 1836 wearing blanketsbordered with silk ribbon-applique (Hassrick 1981: pp.62,87).

George Winter gives the first written detailed de-scription of ribbonwork in Indiana use by Miami andPotawatomi Indians (1837-1839). He also paintedmany portraits of the Indians wearing such garmentswith ribbon-applique borders. Tnhis published journal,Winter made various references to ribbon used onclothing: "Their leggins (potawatomi) are made likeladies pantalettes but the cloth, and are adorned withwings, or wide side stripes handsomely adorned withmany coloured ribbons ..." "Her nether limbs wereclothed with fady red leggins, 'winged' with greenribbons ...her blanket and petticoat were of good darkblue broadcloth, handsomely bordered with ribbons ..."

Winter also refers specifically to ribbonwork."Their nether garments were also made of cloth, hand-somely bordered with many coloured ribbons, shapedinto singular forms ..." "Her wrapper or otherwise pet-ticoat is handsomely checkered by various colouredribbons etc ..." "Two or three pairs of 'leggins' withhandsome borders, or 'wings' decorated with the primi-tive coloured ribbons, some sewed in diamond forms,others in straight lines ..."

Some of Winter's paintings were/published withselections of his journal in 1948 by the Indiana Histori-cal Society. Clearly, Winter perceived the materials ofIndian garments and ornamentation, including ribbon,to represent a significant use of economic resources.His reflections also constitute the earliest recognitionof the amount of time and artistic creativity involved inribbonwork (Winter 1948: pp. 137, 173, 176).

From a history of the state of Indiana published in1889 comes a description of Miami clothing fromThomas Roche who worked with Chief Francis LaFon-taine in the 1830sand 1840s. "On such occasions as theadoption dance ...the young Indian fops would appear intheir best, which was usually a frock coat with vest tomatch, leggings. upon which some artistic woman hadspent many an hour to ornament in diamonds, stripesand blocks of ribbon work with the edges trimmed withbeads. This ornamental work was always upon the flapor seam ... moccasins were the proper thing, trimmed tomatch the leggings. It

Some additional visual documentation of ribbon-work are:

1780 circa painting Of Sir John Caldwell whichshows silk ribbons of one color that form row after rowof embellishments on his matchcoat (Brasser 1976:Front Cover).

1788 painting of Quebec Indians by British officerThomas Davies shows alternate colors of ribbons onthe lower edge of a woman's skirt and two matchcoatsor blankets (Hassrick 1981: p.24).

1814 painting of two Ottawa by Sir Joshua Jebb inthe Peabody Museum showing ribbons on leggings(Fredrickson 1980: p. 111).

1830 leggings with cut applique belonging toFrancis Slocum, aMiami captive (Ewing 1982: p. 192).

1834 Juahldsgaw-Ojibwa woman holding cradle-board with ribbon work wrapping (Fredrickson 1980:p. 147).

There also exist a number of undated survivingexamples of ribbon work in many regional museums.Among these are:

Miami woman's shawl or skirt with a collectiondate of 1860 (Cranbrook Institute #2208).

Miami woman's shawl or skirt with a collectiondate of 1840 (Wabash County Museum).

.Potawatomi or Miami stroud cloth skirt or shawl,circa 1800 (Denver Art Museum #APw.l).

.I

If

1

PATTE~~S AND TECHNIQUESPatterns, consisting of a Single unit of design. were

often saved for generations. These were primarilymade of paper or birchbark (Skinner). Most of the workwas done beforehand on light cotton material such as

49

I'

!j

II

FIGURE 41,42 & 43- WRAP SKIRT

, rainbow selvage or ribbon trm- - - - - - - - - fOIdline - - - - - - - - - - - -

6O~;

right

- side a·! up a:a Ii

RIBBON WORK

40~/

Ribbon panel side owrlap

MIAMISKlRT-Cranbrook .1nstItute

50

calico, and the finished strip was applied to the gar-ment. Sometimes, where small diamond designs wereused, especially on smaller garments or blankets, thedesign was applied directly and without backing.

First, for the process of planning designs and read-ing from left to right in the series of sketches shownbelow (Figure 46), the first step is to draw a line on apiece of paper about one inch wide. This line shouldconsist of a series of pointed peaks based on the outlineof connecting otter tail designs. Repeat this series forthe length of your fabric. In this sketch, each side of theline is numbered 1 and 2. Now, cut the fabric along theline and reverse the pieces marked 1 (shown as lr).Always begin this type of ribbonwork with a straightribbon as shown in the second sketch.

The remaining sketches show how the design isbuilt up using only yourtwo basic patterns 1r and 2, andalternating first one and then the other until the finisheddesign shown on the far right is formed. This exampleis shown using seven ribbons, but any odd number ofribbons may be used. This is so that you will alwayshave a center ribbon to balance your design. Any color

Ir

FIGURE 44 & 4551

ribbon of the period may belused, but the first and lastare usually the same color, the second aqd next to lastare the same, etc. and the middle usually stands out incontrast.

The five designs shown in Figure 47A through 47Eare all variations of the same two basic patterns devel-oped in Figure 46. Here, however, instead of alternat-ing first one and then the other, we have changed theorder and entirely different patterns result. Each ofthese patterns have the usual 13 ribbons.

::.'

From communications with Dr. Nancy O. Lurie ofThe Milwaukee Public Museum, I have learned thatKathleen Abbass has worked with their extensive col-lection of ribbonwork clothing in making further stud-ies of itfor later publications. Much of the clothing thatI have personally examined is in very delicate conditionand hence much of it will never be publically displayedor handled by future researchers. Both the Field Mu-seum ofN atural History in Chicago and the MilwaukeePublic Museum are trying tofindways to preserve andprotectwhatfew examples remain cf thi« material. SH

° °° °o °00 00OO.'Jooo

00 00

buttons applique

r .,

2 lR

r

2 lR

A

2

FIGURE 46 AND 47

52

HAIRBOWt

The hairbow was worn by women in the GreatLakes Indian villages and has been used by Indianwomen from as far away as the Apache villages of theSouthwest It appears as early as the 17th centuryamong the Huron women of Canada and much evi-dence indicates that it was still being used by Indianwomen in the Great Lakes right up through the removalperiod in the 1830s and 1840s.

Of those found in museum collections, the hair-bows were made from an hourglass-shaped rawhidebase covered with leather or cloth and decorated withsilver or brass buttons or brooches. Ribbon ties wereattached and left hanging down the back, often 36" to50" in length.

A typical Hairbow may be constructed using thefollowing instructions: '

1- From heavy leather, rawhide or heavy card-board, cut out an hourglass shape that measures 4" wideat the top, tapering it 4" down so that the centermeasures 2" across and then tapering up 4" so that thebottom (the base) measures 5" wide.

2 - Cut out an hourglass-shaped covering consist-ing of two pieces of wool or leather (black, blue, red orbrown) with the same dimensions as the above plus 1/2" to 3/4" seam allowance all the way around. This will,form the cover.

3 - Sew both ends and one side of the coveringtogether at the right sides.

4 - Tum so that the right sides of the cover are outand insert the base. Then hand-stitch the remainingside closed by turning the raw edges inside.. 5 - Decorate all of the seams with edge beading,

using white 8r pony beads or lOr seed beads. Oldpieces show a 1/2" wide ribbon border around theperimeter, but this is not necessary although it will givea finished Jook to the piece.

6 - The next step is La apply 1/4" to 3/8" diametermetal spots using the design shown in this illustrationor something similar. These are sewn on through thetop layer or cover. Small silver brooches will substituteor may be used in combination with silver buttons. Asilver, German "silver," or pewter band is fitted aroundthe center part of the bow that is about 1/2" to 1" wide.

7 - A trailer portion may be made of one largeribbon the width of the bottom or a combination ofribbons to form one large piece. The trailer ribbonshang down the' back and extend to the calf of the leg.These are attached to the underside of the hairbow byfolding raw edges under and blind stitching. The trailercan be decorated with silver buttons and broochesspaced down the length of the ribbons, as shown. Andthe ends of the ribbons are cut into V-shapes fromwhich tin cones are attached.

53

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