Amusements -- Juvenile literature; Children's literature; Games -- Juvenile literature; Handicraft -- Juvenile literature
Although this shirt and the moccasins and leggings that go with it are
so simple to make, you are almost sure to need the help of your mother
or governess in planning and cutting them. The shirt is the size for a
child of seven or eight, but it can easily be enlarged so as to fit a
boy of twelve or fourteen. It is made by the pattern shown in Fig. 44,
which is drawn on the scale of one inch to a foot. One large chamois
skin and two of medium size will be needed. Double the large skin
lengthwise to cut the upper part of the shirt. This should be ten inches
deep and a yard wide. Cut at the centre a slit about nine inches long
for the neck. The ends form the sleeves. Lay the two smaller skins
together and cut from them the lower portion of the shirt. The back and
front are alike, each measuring nineteen inches wide at the top,
twenty-two inches at the bottom, and fifteen inches deep. Make a pencil
mark at the centre of each lower edge of the upper part and one at the
middle of the top of both of the lower pieces. Turn up an inch at each
lower edge of the upper part of the shirt and baste the doubled edge of
one side against the top of one of the lower parts, keeping the pencil
marks at the middle of each together. Sew the edges together over and
over with No. 90 white linen thread. Join the other side in the same
way. The overlapping edges of the upper part of the shirt should be
kept on the right side. Sew the sides of the shirt together with a row
of backstitching, four inches from the edge. The edges are cut into a
fringe four and a half inches deep at the ends of the sleeves and three
inches on the sides and bottom of the shirt. The edges of the upper part
which hangs over the lower are also cut into a short fringe. Work two
narrow bands of bead embroidery round the neck, and if you like you can
also work a band half way down the lower part of the shirt and one near
the lower edge just above the fringe. They are made in this way: Thread
a No. 11 needle with white linen thread and make a knot at the other
end. Start at the right of the neck close to the edge. Bring the needle
through to the outside of the shirt. String four beads, press them down
close to the shirt and bring the needle through to the inside. This
makes a stitch which runs up and down at right angles with the neck
opening. Bring the needle out again on a line with the place where it
went in and close beside it, string four more beads, bring it up and run
it in again just at the left of where the work began (see Fig. 45). This
simple stitch is the one that is most used by the Indians in
embroidering their buckskin shirts, leggings and moccasins. String
different colours, according to the pattern. Several designs for this
work are shown in Figs. 46, 47 and 48. If you wish to decorate the shirt
still more, cut strips of chamois about a quarter of an inch wide and
five inches long, pierce a row of holes, two together, at intervals of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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