Making a Shawl

[Andreadoria]

Hi ladies.

I have been asked to make a Native America Butterfly Dance shawl for my cousin's 2 young daughters they are both under 5. I am thinking to create it so that they can grow into it. If you all have any suggestions I would appreciate it to make it easier. I am getting measurements from mom from fingertip to fingertip and and length neck to tushy and tushy to calf.


For those that do not know what it looks like I have attached a link to a dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHfMubf-EuA


Any suggestions as to what to use for the fringe ...I want to use a pink based color fabric and rainbow fringe I am thinking of using floss does that sound good.

The Girls want embellish it themselves

[Isabelle Warwicke]

I think any kind of decent cording with a good swing to it would work. You'll have to cut the lengths out and sew the ends on one side into a tape. You could attach that really easily to the shawl.

[Cruisewench]

try this http://tinyurl.com/c7t8lo the whole website is full of native american craft supplies

[Lady Anisette]

I've also seen 1/8 inch ribbon used. That gave a really nice look to the shawl.

[Andreadoria]

Thank you All for the great Ideas. I might mix it up with ribbons and fringe

The girls really want one and want to dance at the next PowWow.

I told their parents wait till I take them to fair and they want to be fairy princesses..as it is they tell their daddy they are princesses already

[DameGoode]

Wow! good luck making that one! That is a lot of work! That would take me a year to make, at the very least.

[rosefaeries]

You want chainette fringe for the shawl or the thin ribbon. I wouldn't mix the two on the shawl. It doesn't look good out on the dance floor.

Do not use floss. It will not work. You need either ribbon or the chainette fringe.

You can buy the chainette fringe either by the yard or by the spool. If you use the spool fringe, you will need to cut the fringe to length, seal the ends by melting them (it works better than fray check) and use a thin crochet hook to put the fringe on with.

Buy a high quality fabric. This is not something you want to be stingy on. Cheap fabrics will not move right and will look worse out on the dance floor.

Embellish or decorate the shawl before you put the fringe on. This is very important.

The shawl does not have to be rounded. Many of the fancy dancers here use square shawls that they fold in half before draping them over their shoulders.

The shawls need to extend wing tip to wing tip. I usually made my shawls a finished 60" square. This worked for both traditional and fancy dancers. (Adults and older teens.)

See if you can find back issues of Whispering Wind Magazine. There will be articles in how to make regalia in there. The website also has trading post links for additional resources.

http://www.whisperingwind.com/

http://www.crazycrow.com/ I have bought supplies from Crazy Crow in the past. No problems with them to date. Though, I haven't purchased anything in the last several years.

http://www.eaglefeathertrading.com (http://www.eaglefeathertrading.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=EFTP) They have a good selection of items and patterns.

I used to make and sell regalia. Let me know if you would like more specific instructions. I should still have the instructions I wrote for the cultural workshops. I can look for them Saturday.


I have fringed an adult dance shawl in less than an evening. This includes cutting the fringe to length, putting the fringe on the shawl, knotting the fringe and melting the ends of the chainette to prevent it from unraveling. This is for a simple fringe job, no fancy knotting.



Here are a few other links for you.

http://www.crazycrow.com/crafts/shawls.php A starting point for instructions.

http://www.powwows.com/ I haven't checked it out yet, but it looks promising.

http://www.nativetech.org/ You might be able to find some other information through here.



Hope this helps.

[Andreadoria]

WOW!!!

RoseFaries, Thank YOU!!!

I will not mix ribbon and fringe, nor use floss.

My logic was cause they are tots the under 5 years old and probably only need a new one later on when they are older.

60" square sounds good. Do you think it would be tooo big for them. I know the 3 yr old is tall for her age (and they both are the pink sisters they love all things pink).

I was definitely going to use a good fabric I was at a loss for the fringe not any more thanks to you.

I will post pic's when I am done.

[rosefaeries]

Yes, 60" square is too big. That is the size I made for women and older teens. I apologize for not making that clearer (my brain hasn't fully rebooted after stopping a mountain bike with my face. Not seriously hurt, I just get things mixed up and have some bruising. Yes ,I have been to the dr and had a CAT scan and a facial scan.)

Measure them from wing tip to wing tip (finger tip). Add on the hemming allowance. I usually used a hemming foot because it was faster. I was also making average 2-3 adult shawls a week, so speed was important to me at that time.

If the girls have big growth spurts, add an extra few inches to your base measurement.

If you make the shawl in a square, then the girls have the option of dancing traditional style also. The square shawl is a bit more versatile.

One spool of fringe will be enough to make the shawls for the girls. However, this will mean that they will each have the same one color of fringe. You can get two shades and mix the colors a bit. I have used that method to get some very nice dramatic effects in the past.


Try not to get light colored fabrics for the shawls. Once they are fringed, they are not washable or dry cleanable. The fringe tangles very badly. If the shawls need to be washed, the fringe can be removed and put back on after the shawl is cleaned.

Depending on how I feel tomorrow, I will go through the packed stuff in my storage room and see if I can find the handouts I used to teach shawl making.

You can also try contacting the local school to find out if they have a Natives program or Indian education . If they do, talk with the coordinator and see what regalia making resources they have available. There may be someone there locally that can walk you through the process in person.

[Andreadoria]

You are sooo Helpful...Thank You!!!


Wow !! stopping a mountain bike with your face ouch!!!

So glad you were not to hurt. But take it easy Please and don't d that again PLEASE!

I did that when I was a kid and had to have my front teeth put back in that was a big ouch.

I am definitely going square in the shawl design and probably 2 colors on the fringe. With a bit extra for growth. I was thinking purple or something like that...yeah dark it will more that likely be wreck if it is light colored.

As for Native American info I am still in NYC I am limited and I am pretty good at replicating what I see. Years of costume work with touring companies from my dear missed old job working at a college theater.

I am going to go for the fabric next week at the nearest Joann's, or I can go to the fabric district in Manhattan but there is never parking in the city lolol

Again you are being so helpful...I told my cousin I would make them jingle dresses if they want. When I finally move there I will probably be making loads of stuff for them.

A while ago I made some beautiful leather medicine bags with fringes. I like to try my had at new things