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Article By: JuliaWigham
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Natures Gifts Symbolised in Native American Counted Cross Stitch
Native American counted cross stitch designs are popular in the United States and around the world. The patterns are of Native American people, of many different tribes, and animals. Many different traditions and objects of spirituality are portrayed.
Native Americans highly respect all living things - plants and animals alike. They believe that nine animals travel with a person throughout their life, transferring their strength, bravery, or guidance. These animals are called totems, and are believed to communicate with the person and act as a guardian spirit.
Items representing animals important to the indigenous American natives, including bears, coyotes, cougars, ravens, wolves, eagles, and the white buffalo, are often a part of the Native American counted cross stitch designs. Specific items, like eagle feathers, are usually present either in the headdresses of the clothing being worn or incorporated in some other manner.
Besides eagle feathers, you might find charts with a peace pipe, which was smoked for ceremonial and spiritual uses. The peace pipe was also used in prayers to the four directions - North, South, East, and West - the divisions of the Native American medicine wheel. The medicine wheel represents the circle of life - north (white) for old age, west (black) for adulthood, south (red) for childhood, and east (yellow) to depict the beginning of life, or infancy.
Native Americans have used stitchery and beadwork throughout their history. In their traditional ceremonies, like the Sun Dance, they dress in traditional clothing. One tribe, the Seminoles of Florida, have used different sized scraps of fabric - from tiny to large - to create cotton patchwork clothing to either wear or sell. Some Native American cross stitch patterns include this Seminole patchwork as a decorative border.
In days gone by they carved beads out of bone, horn, hooves, turtle shell and wood for use on ritual items and clothing. They also drilled holes in animal teeth and dyed flattened porcupine quills to wear as neck chokers and dance regalia breastplates.
After Europeans spread throughout the country by the 1800's, Native Americans began trading for large glass beads, known as pony beads. In the 1840's, small, colorful seed beads became available which allowed for creating more intricate designs on their regalia. Recently seed beads have been used in Native American counted cross stitch designs, allowing the stitcher to merge the two crafting traditions.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
About the Author
Julia Wigham is an experienced author and co-founder of Patterns Patch cross stitch forums. An online cross stitch community whose members get free: patterns, articles and tutorials. Come to our lively => cross stitch blogs right now. Click here for other unique 'counted cross stitch' articles.
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