does any one here know how to sew beads to buckskins or suede, I've been trying and just haven't found the skill. Can I sew the bead patterns to a stiff cloth, maybe double sided iron on? or something like that. and then sew and glue that to the leather? I haven't been able to find any free tutorials just several series of books or magazines to purchase. I guess I may have to buy some but as hoping to find help without spending a bunch, thanks, ray
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sewing beads on buckskins or suede
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shootrj2003
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look online under indian beading there are tutorials available,I did this and it works but I'm not sure it's correct;I got beading needles,beads and beading thread from A.C. Moore and Michaels,then i insert the needle throught the leather put five beads[color depends on your pattern]on,5 beads is about 3/8'' long,so at the end of the beads go back through the leather so they lie in a flat line without bunching or looseness come back 2 beads come up though the leather around the thread between the beads back through and back again[so that you've sewn the thread to the leather and you have now come back on the bead side],now, run your needle thruogh the 3 beads holes from where you last came through the leather to where you first put the needle in the leather now go back through the leather and start another row tight against the row you just did.This gave me a row of alternating colors 3/8'' wide along the edge of a flap, you could modify to make lines or patterns by changing where your thread ends up and by the colors and placement of the beads I am not a beader and I just plugged my way into it and it worked.
I had to read it a couple times but Ya, I use the same technique as shootrj.
What he's describing is a lazy stitch on thicker hides.
Unless you have paper thin buckskin you DON'T stitch through the hide. You just turn the needle and go through a thin layer of hide, the needle doesn't go through
What he's describing is a lazy stitch on thicker hides.
Unless you have paper thin buckskin you DON'T stitch through the hide. You just turn the needle and go through a thin layer of hide, the needle doesn't go through
Depends on the tribe - virtually all Crow beadwork, including lane, applique, and Crow stitches, all go through the leather rather than just partway.
Also not going all the way through is best ONLY when using real brain/smoke tan or German tan - on modern commercial hides that method can be problematic due to the grain being broken and the beadwork thread thus pulling through the leather )not a good thing!).
While sewing to the leather is nice(with the right type of leather) sewing to tightly woven cloth such as canvas or wool and then attaching that to the leather is well documented for at least the western tribes of the post 1800 period.
The books are best for going into detail on the various stitches and styles, but this site a good start: http://www.nativetech.org/glasbead/glasbead.html
FWIW - I've been beading for about 45 years and learned directly from various NDNz, it is also in part how I make a living.....
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You want to use the correct size of beads and bead colors for the period in history your looking for! Bead size will dictate the size of needles and thread (or sinew) to use!.....there is a lot of late 19th and 20th century Reservation period beading out there today, so research patterns for the period you are looking to acheive!
Rick
Rick
shootrj2003
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THAT is the part I missed-thank you-that would have saved me all that ugly exposed thread on the underside which is why I wasn't sure about being correct,I'll do better next time thanks.This has become very informative and answered a lot of questions for me.I gave a little and recieved a lot!
FWIW - As I noted above having exposed threads can be correct as well - here's a beaded Cree coat showing lots of exposed threads....this is on cloth but the same thing shows up on lots of beaded leather - it all depends on tribe and time perod......shootrj2003 said:
shootrj2003
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yeah,I hear ya',even the threads look kinda cool on that work,thanks for the larnin'
I'm no expert on this subject so I'll venture what I know and others might be able to put on a date and place.
The threading needles used today- I don't know how far back they date. As I understand it an awl was used to make a small hole halfway through the leather, You started the hole, then bent or doubled over the leather a little and ran the awl through the middle of the leather and then out. That way no stitching was seen on the other side. Sinew was used to sew on the beads. Sinew when dry is like a string of rawhide so one end of the sinew was left dry and became the "needle" that is, it was stiff enough to run through the hole made by the awl.
Does this sound like a lot of work??? Sort of. I did it on a pair of mountain man moccasins- the type with a single line of white beads around the toe. It wasn't really that hard to do and since the beading is on the toe the toe can be reused on another pair if a new sole piece is needed. As I said, I only read a book (maybe two) on the subject. Others likely have better information.
Also, there seems to be confusion on what is a "seed bead". I think there was a variety available in large to small sizes but the term "Seed Bead" originally included slightly larger beads than what are now considered seed beads.
The threading needles used today- I don't know how far back they date. As I understand it an awl was used to make a small hole halfway through the leather, You started the hole, then bent or doubled over the leather a little and ran the awl through the middle of the leather and then out. That way no stitching was seen on the other side. Sinew was used to sew on the beads. Sinew when dry is like a string of rawhide so one end of the sinew was left dry and became the "needle" that is, it was stiff enough to run through the hole made by the awl.
Does this sound like a lot of work??? Sort of. I did it on a pair of mountain man moccasins- the type with a single line of white beads around the toe. It wasn't really that hard to do and since the beading is on the toe the toe can be reused on another pair if a new sole piece is needed. As I said, I only read a book (maybe two) on the subject. Others likely have better information.
Also, there seems to be confusion on what is a "seed bead". I think there was a variety available in large to small sizes but the term "Seed Bead" originally included slightly larger beads than what are now considered seed beads.
I can date "needles" as trade goods here in MN on the St.Peter River (now Minnesota River) 1794.
The memuors of Peter Pond, he claims to have been the first white trader to a band of Dakota Souix.
The memuors of Peter Pond, he claims to have been the first white trader to a band of Dakota Souix.
A well researched article on seed beads and their sizes.......
http://www.northwestjournal.ca/IV2.htm
as for iron needles - they go back to the earliest days IIRC they were found on the LaSalle shipwreck dated to the late 1600's. or the RMFT era they show up as early as the 1809 trade list as does "cloth" thread.
Yes sinew was used and continued to be used even into the late 1800's. In manny cases when using the applique stitch the main thread through the beads was sinew but the sew down thread was cloth.
http://www.northwestjournal.ca/IV2.htm
as for iron needles - they go back to the earliest days IIRC they were found on the LaSalle shipwreck dated to the late 1600's. or the RMFT era they show up as early as the 1809 trade list as does "cloth" thread.
Yes sinew was used and continued to be used even into the late 1800's. In manny cases when using the applique stitch the main thread through the beads was sinew but the sew down thread was cloth.
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