How to Make a Shirt Out of Deerskin
Navajo clothing such as skirts and shirts were initially made with deerskin hides. The soft skin is generally lightweight, weighing approximately 2 to 3 oz. and is purchased through leather or deerskin suppliers. The hides are sold by grade, with or without hair and by the square foot. A-grade hides do not have markings, holes or irregular shapes and cost significantly more than B- or craft-grade deer hides. Commercially tanned B-grade deerskin often have scrapes and holes; however it is also usable by positioning patterns in the solid areas of the skin. Deerskin shirts are also often finished with beaded fringe insert trims as well as decorative stitching.
Things You'll Need
- Deerskin hide
- Shirt pattern
- Dressmaker's chalk
- Leather shears
- Leather cutting knife (optional)
- Waxed nylon thread
- Artificial sinew thread
- Compound needle feed walking-foot stitching machine
- Sewing machine
- Leather sewing needle (optional)
- Rotary leather punch tool
- Fringe trim (optional)
- Leather hand sewing needle
Instructions
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Constructing the Deerskin Shirt
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1
Choose the preferred side of the deerskin for the shirt's outer shell prior to transferring the pattern parts. If you are working with A-grade hides, one side has a smooth grain and the opposite side has a soft suede side.
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2
Transfer the shirt pattern parts onto the deerskin with dressmaker's chalk. The shirt pattern generally consists of two sleeves, two front panels and one back panel. Include seam allowances. Decorative shirts have front and back yokes, a v-neckline as well as front pockets and sleeve cuff openings for beaded fringe trims.
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3
Cut out the pattern parts with leather shears or a leather cutting knife. The weight of the deerskin hide determines the cutting tool. Grade-A, 2 to 3 oz., lightweight deerskin hides are cut with shears. This tool is used to cut hides not heavier than 8 oz. Cut heavyweight hides with a leather cutting knife.
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4
Thread your machine with waxed nylon thread. Another alternative is to use artificial sinew thread which is a flat waxed polyester thread. It is also waterproof, rot proof, stretch resistant and has a high tensile strength. It stitches into the skin without cutting or splitting the hide. Heavy sinew thread strands are separated into single thread strands.
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5
Stitch the deerskin parts together with a compound needle feed walking foot stitching machine. This type of machine is generally used to stitch lightweight skins such as elk or deer skin. The walking foot gently pushes the skin as it is stitched. Another option is to work with a sewing machine using a leather sewing needle.
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6
Leave the sleeve cuffs and bottom hem undone or finish with a decorative stitch or fringe. Fringe is sold by the yard and can also be made with deer skin by cutting vertical rows ½ inch apart leaving a 1-inch border edge for stitching.
Decorative Whipstitch Finish
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7
Punch evenly spaced holes into the deerskin with a hand held rotary leather punch tool. The whipstitch works well on hems, v-necklines or cuffs.
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8
Thread a leather hand sewing needle with waxed thread. Pass the threaded needle through the hem's punched hole and pull a few inches through. Pass the needle through the next hole.
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9
Move to the next stitch hole, starting from the same side as from the previous stitch. Push the needle through. The whipstitch has a circular stitching motion and appears slanted. Keep the stitches approximately ¼ inch apart.
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10
Pull the thread tautly as the stitch passes over the edge of the leather piece. Continue repeating this section's steps 3 and 4 until the whipstitched hem is complete.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Whipstitching is also used to join two pieces of fabric.
Deer skin does not fray like fabric textiles.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit deer image by Joan Stanton from Fotolia.com
