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How to sew a loom beaded strip onto buckskin?

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RedBear

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I do not know how to quill but I know how to use a bead loom and various other beading techniques. I know it's not historically accurate but I would like to add decoration to some of my things. Any help welcome. Thanks.
 
I'm about to sew some strips on a buckskin vest I'm making, I want to sew the beaded strips onto a buckskin strip and sew That onto the vest. That way the threads on the loomed strip are protected from wear, and I can remove the beaded/buckskin strips later if need be. I have no experience doing this, but my warp threads are hemp, and weft are artificial sinew. Good luck on your projects and We'll both see what the Forum consensus is, George.
 
I have been trying to figure out this very thing. I have a loom that I have been practicing on. I am wanting to add the beads to various bags and sheaths that I make doing leather work.
 
I've read Sioux Quill and Beadwork which is good. Written by Carrie Lyford. In the Great Lakes area every bead was attached to the leather but on the Plains they would put three or more beads on the string and then attached. The sinew thread went "inside" the leather. You sort of bunch or fold the leather so the needle can go inside it. Bead patterns change with time and tribe and gender Garments worn by men had different patterns that those worn by women. THEN, when everyone got sent to Oklahoma and mixed up, styles changed once more.
It is pretty interesting. Also Whispering Winds magazine- check it out.
If you wear puckered toe moccasins, set them up so you can reuse the toe/vamp if it is beaded.
 
Most early beadwork was simple blocks of color. Real complex and tribe specific stuff was later when seed beads became common.
We are also handicapped by museums. They have ‘Sioux’ or ‘Crow’ piece. While collected from that tribe Indians could marry via capture or just camping together women from a differnt tribe. Added to the fact people met and traded, often if two warriors groups met instead of a fight they were likely to have a smoke and trade clothing before heading in different directions. Or a warrior might take clothing from a kill in a fight as a trophy.
Lastly women were proud of their work. And most tribes had a women’s society that was similar to warrior societies. And they loved one upping the other women. Designs might be added that were adapted from something the woman saw at a mixed camp.
Then along comes anthropologists and buys or is gifted the clothing and off it goes as the product of the tribe he got it from.
That messes up our attempt to ID a piece as belonging to a particular tribe style.
 
If you want beads on buckskin, just skip the loom and bead right to the leather. It'll save yourself the work and be more accurate to boot.
 
Right on skin is as easy as loom
The last with #5 ‘pony beads’
 

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