Inspiration can come from many things. When deciding on what to wear for the wedding, I first ordered a 2 piece dress. It cost a lot, well less than $200.00, but when it arrived, the material just made me go ..YUCK. It looked like a costume. At fist I though I would alter it, the reason I had someone else make it was a time factor. Then I realized, it wasn't the design, it was the material and the plastic pony beads.
So what to do. There are many variations of Native American clothing, and if I wore what my ancestors did in the spring and summer, I would get arrested. So I took out a picture of my Great Grandmother. She is dressed in Civil War era clothing. By the time cameras were invented, my ancestors knew, traded with, lived with, married and fought with the Europeans. They were in between New York and Boston and had the ability to trade for some good cloth, household goods and beads.
My Great Grandmother was two (maybe more) tribes, but 100% Native. She sits there looking pretty happy in here Civil War black jacket and lace collar, with ribbons in her hair. Matt looked at her and said , "That is definitely a native." She looks very different from the faces of southwest , Mexican or Plains peoples, the ones we see so much in photos. Yet, it is there.
So I took some of her flavor and the widespread ribbon skirt, and combined it. We will all have to wait to see how it works out (including me!)That led to Deanna not being able to find a skirt, so I will make one for her too.
How a picture of a lady wearing a dress that we would see on any lady walking the streets of American, inspired a Native wedding dress, is just the beauty of inspiration. It isn't an answer, but a nudge, a hint, a clue. I wonder what her wedding dress looked like. She married a Frenchman. No one seems to remember what he was like. Maybe some day I will know more, but for now , there is just a face staring out at me from at least 140 years ago.
Look around for inspiration, not answers, and the answers will come!
Peshaui Wequashimese
(C)2011 Triple Moon Goddess Gina, May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission
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