How to Sew an Indian Dress

Historical Native American Dress

Native American customs and apparel are fascinating and fun. Attending events that feature Native American dress, such as pow-wows, reenactments and other historical gatherings, can be a great way to socialize with other people who share the same interests and who enjoy the same culture and customs. Dressing appropriately for these gatherings is important and requires some care. This article will give you some tips on how to sew a basic Native American dress.

Things You'll Need

• Large animal hide or calico cloth material Sinew or thread Needles Beads Elk teeth or other animal claws/teeth Scissors Ribbons Pony beads Bells

Instructions

How to Sew a Native American Dress

1. Begin by choosing your material. For the most authentic look, you should use animal hides. Good-quality animal hides, such as well-tanned elk and deer, are expensive--but well worth the expense in the feel and the authenticity of the final product. Two elk hides, or four good-sized deer hides, should suffice.

2. Choose your pattern of dress. The simplest and most common garment is a hide folded in half with a slit cut for neck and head, and another hide laid longways across the shoulders and arms with another slit cut for the head and neck. Cloth garments can be made in much the same way. Simplicity of design was the standard pattern for Native American dress.

3. Sew your dress to fit. In the case of the hide dress, you will sew up both sides to the underarms, then leave slits for your arms, then sew the shoulders, leaving the neck open. You then sew the hide that will serve as sleeves to the shoulders, and along the arms--leaving plenty of extra hide hanging down from the stitches to cut into fringe. If you are creating a cloth garment, the sewing can be standard dress pattern, keeping the design simple and loose.

4. Begin the creative work! Once you have your basic dress, it is time to add the details. Hide dresses can have intricate beadwork covering almost every inch of them. It is not necessary to become this detailed, but some beadwork is encouraged. Hide dresses will also incorporate animal teeth, claws, feathers, and other materials. Cloth dresses are usually less dramatic, and most of the color and pattern will come from the cloth itself, although ribbons and beadwork can still be incorporated.

5. Apply the finishing touches, such as pony beads, bells, fringe-work and other decorative details. Be sure to do an excellent job with your sewing as you are very likely to be dancing while wearing your dress. You can always check your design against authentic dresses by researching them online or using a book to help you.

Tips & Warnings

• Always do your research before beginning this project, and doing some sort of rough sketch is helpful.

Resources

• Native American Clothing