::Natures Gifts Symbolised in Native American Counted Cross Stitch
By: Julia Wigham::
Anyone familiar with Native American culture knows that they hold fast to their traditions and spirituality. When choosing a Native American counted cross stitch design you will most likely find depictions of the people, animals, and other items that are important to them.
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.
Other spiritually important items are the peace pipe and the medicine wheel. The pipe is used in Native American ceremonies as they say a prayer to the four directions. The medicine wheel is used either literally in the patterns or symbolically with the pattern enclosed in a circle representing the "sacred hoop" or "cycle of life".
Some of the most beautiful Native American cross stitch patterns you will find are those that show the dancers in their traditional regalia. You might find a Sun Dancer or Fancy Dancer, which used hand stitching and beading to complete their regalia. Seminoles of Florida have used cotton pieces to make clothing for themselves, and also as a means of earning a living. Many designers create cross stitch patterns using this Seminole border.
Other items used to adorn regalia were beads carved from bone, hooves, horn, turtle shells, and wood. These would be used both on common and ritual items. Regalia would also include teeth and dyed, flattened porcupine quills used for necklaces, chokers, or breastplates.
By the early 1800's they began to use larger glass beads, known as pony beads after the animals the traders rode. Smaller seed beads in a variety of colours became easily obtainable in the late 1840's and allowed more intricate designs to be worked in Peyote stitch. The inclusion of seed beads in a Native American counted cross stitch design follows on from this tradition.
Julia Wigham is an experienced writer and co-founder of Patterns Patch cross stitch forums. An online cross stitch club whose subscribers get free: patterns, articles and tutorials. Visit our colorful => cross stitch blogs today!
