Re: [h-cost] Native American fiber sources
The original "sinew" was from the deer. Modern day is wax dipped cotton. North eastern and western are said to have used cedar. It was stripped, dried, pounded and then shredded, then woven. Cherokee used mulberry but this may be after 1600s as I don't believe that mulberry is indigenous to the Americas. Birch bark was used in the north east as well. A native bark skirt of Baja http://tinyurl.com/yach7xh -Original Message- You can get everything you need from animal sources, even without wooly sheep. Sinew makes a good cord, and NA's were known to use it. Bark was also used, but I don't think in pounded form, such as you find in Africa and Polynesia. Kim -Original Message- On Sep 30, 2009, at 9:18 AM, cbellfl...@aol.com wrote: I wonder whether bark-based fibers or pounded-bark cloth might have been possibilities. If Native Americans made cord (which I'm sure they did) then there must have been *some* sources of fiber available. I ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Native American fiber sources
> North eastern and western are said to have used cedar. It was stripped, > dried, pounded and then shredded, then woven. I think you're right about that. -- Carolyn Kayta Barrows -- “The future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed.” -William Gibson -- ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Native American fiber sources
otsisto wrote: You can get everything you need from animal sources, even without wooly sheep. Sinew makes a good cord, and NA's were known to use it. Bark was also used, but I don't think in pounded form, such as you find in Africa and Polynesia. Kim I remember one of the local "Ranger Shows" at Yellowstone talking about Indian dogs. They used to pull travois before horses became common, and their undercoat made fabric. Anyone who has one of the long haired breeds like Husky knows that you can practically make two other dogs out of the hair they shed every time you groom them. The Ranger said that the particular breed had died out or been interbred so much with those brought in with the settlers that you can't identify them specifically any longer. Even now there are people who will spin and weave you something from your dogs shed hair for a price. I saw a lovely big bag like a pilgrim's script made from the undercoat of a Labrador Retriever, so having long hair isn't a requirement. Having a nice thick undercoat would be the way to go. Wanda ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume