How to Sew an Indian Apron Dress for a Girl
Native American tribes throughout the country wore a wide range of clothing items. Many of the women's dresses had an apron at the front. When making a Native American costume for Halloween or any other costume event, a girl's apron dress is a good and authentic choice.
Instructions
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Obtain a pattern in the appropriate size for the girl. When looking at patterns, try to get a pattern that is slightly larger than the child's dress size because pattern sizes are often a little smaller than clothing sizes in the store. Patterns are available in craft stores or through online stores featuring Native American clothing. The apron dress usually includes a cape for the back and an apron front, which is then tied shut over an underdress. Patterns will vary based on the tribe. Fabrics can vary from cotton to buckskin.
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Pin the pattern paper to the fabric according to the directions. Some pieces will require pinning to a folded edge to open it up for full sizing, while other pieces will need to have two or more pieces of fabric cut. Start with the underdress pieces; keep the pieces for the apron separate from the underdress.
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Cut the pattern out of the fabric. Cut through both the pattern paper and the cloth at the appropriate sizing lines.
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Pin the fabric pieces so the right sides are together, according to the pattern's instructions. Typically, sleeves are added first, if the pattern has sleeves. The dress is then sewn up the side seams. Always sew from the inside of the fabric with a 1/4- to 1/2-inch seam allowance.
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Sew the apron. The apron part of the dress usually goes over the underdress as a separate piece. If there is a cape with the dress, sew the cape as well. Capes are often part of the Native American apron dress and usually make up the back part of the dress.
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Add decorations as desired. Native American apron dresses often have decorations such as shells, jingle pieces or feathers. Some tribes also added beadwork or ribbons to the dresses. Embroidered or beaded designs are common to Native American dresses, but vary in design and style depending on the tribe.These are optional, but add authenticity to the outfit.
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References
Resources
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