Documenting My Ojibwe Wool Strap Dress

After discovering Eastman Johnson's paintings and the dress he used in his famous "Hiawatha" painting were housed at the Depot Museum in Duluth, MN, I made an appointment with the head of Ojibway Studies and was given full access to this garment pictured in the painting to the right.

I took many pictures, counted every stitch and was even allowed to tape the entire proceedings.

I was very impressed by the delicate bead work done to this dress, especially the leggings, of which there were actually two pairs.

The dress was constructed of red and blue Stroud, or "List" wool, made in the town of the same name in England.

The wool had a white edging caused by the dyeing process and was favored by Native Americans for this reason.

The only resource I know of for this material today is Crazy Crow Trading Post and I have provided the link here.

All of the ribbon work on the sleeves and leggings were done in silk ribbon, and the leggings lined with a calico cotton fabric at the cuff.

The dress was ribboned with cotton twill tape and decorated with number 10 seed beads in white.


There were also legging ties, (garters), and a sash, all worked in wool blanket that had been unravelled, the beads being woven in but strung on sinew thread.

Examining this garment was the highlight of my life at the time, and with the knowledge gained I was able to faithfully recreate two wool strap dresses of my own based on this research.

I could not afford stroud wool at this time, so had to settle for lesser grade suit and blanket wool, but the results have been most satisfying and I look forward to eventually obtaining stroud wool and completing this project properly.

Back showing the all important red placard that gives structure to the garment.

Also note the ribboning is colored cotton twill tape.

Detail of front bodice beading in white no 10 seed beads in thunder bird pattern

Leggings showing silk ribboning and note small ribbon trailers at the edge of the cuff

Hand Sewing My Ojibwe Wool Strap Dress

Standing Wind Woman

The finished Dress

My family is originally from Grand Portage, Minnesota. In the search for my Mother's Grandmother, I came across this collection of paintings by Eastman Johnson, painted in Grand Portage around 1856. He was most famous for his rendition of "Hiawatha", a painting he painted with the use of Grand Portage regalia created for this purpose by local women.



I then asked for and was given access to study the dress featured in the famous "Hiawatha" painting.






The following is how I actually constructed the garment completely by hand.

First I laid out all pieces on the wool I had purchased for this project. Surprisingly, when laid out, there was only a small square scrap left over....

 

The garment itself was a simple 34" wide rectangle seamed on the right side and folded over at the top about 8 inches, the length runs from selvage to selvage, if this garment was made of stroud wool there would be a white band at fold over and hem selvages.

A Ribbon accent and stabilizer was added at the neckline and a seam sewn across the front from armpit to armpit one inch below the fold over edge.

I then stitched ribbon around the edges of the back placard and shoulder straps.

The placard is centered on the back overlapping the fold, (and therefore securing it in place), The fold in the back overlaps about 4 inches, in the front it overlaps 8 inches. I then attached the straps to the back placard....

This shows the proper placement of the straps

Then I attached the straps to the front, which I had already ribboned and decorated prior to this. There is also a seam made from armpit to armpit about one inch down from fold over continuing through the ribboned neckline area before the straps are sewn down, the straps extend 7 inches past the fold over.

This also shows an additional ribboned strip on the back fold over under the placard for additional stability that is hidden by the placard when sewn.

I then cut out and layer ribboned the sleeves...and the strap that goes across the chest and joins the sleeves in the front.

Ribbon edging on sleeve, folding to the inside 1/4 inch.

The sleeves are then temporarily attached at back and the cuffs joined by rolling around the wrist and while wearing, then stitching down in place to a tapered fit that allows easy removal while wearing.

The front strap is also applied while wearing so it rides across the collar bones.

Sleeves laid out for proper matching...

The sleeves are then joined in the back by various means, sometimes just tacked at the top or joined by ribbon closure. or simply seamed together for a jacket look.

Expect to heavily bead the jacket cuffs and edges so it gains weight and hangs properly.

Bead work begins on leggings...an ongoing process....

Here the dress is assembled and hanging...a two inch ribbon added at hemline. Later I added a white ribbon to the selvage lines to imitate stroud.

My Sister and I in Grand Portage at the dock we grew up on, wearing my finished dress, well almost finished, I have done a great deal more bead work and added trade silver on this dress since then and one of these days I will take some pictures....I am also wearing a finger woven sash, garters and pouch made by Irene Rogers, world renowned finger weaving expert and teacher.



Here I am dancing with a Mic Mac Friend in Florida, note the sleeves and straps are fully beaded now....and how the front sleeve strap rides across the collar bones, extends over the shoulder and attaches to the sleeve.

Here is the original dress I made from blanket wool...I am holding my 1 1/2 point match coat and standing with my husband and fellow historian, Doyle

My Sister and I at the Grand Portage Monument and I in my blanket wool dress, perfect for a chilly day!

My Native American Regalia Ambitions

Grand Portage Treasure... Re-creating The Hiawatha Dress

My family is originally from Grand Portage, Minnesota. In the search for my Mother's Grandmother, I came across this collection of paintings by Eastman Johnson, painted in Grand Portage around 1856.


He was most famous for his rendition of "Hiawatha", a painting he painted with the use of Grand Portage regalia created for this purpose by the local women of the Grand Portage Tribe of Ojibwe.

It occurred to me that I am descended from a long line of expert hand seamstresses, and the woman who created the dress may very well have been my relation. I was also intrigued with the design of this garment, how did the sleeves work? Were they useful, or just ornamentation? The paintings seem to depict a usefulness, one even showing a family paddling a canoe with the sleeves on. These were more than just ornamentation, to be set aside at work time, as has been suggested.
 

I then found that the garment used in the painting was currently in storage at the Depot in Duluth, just an hour or so from my home so I made an appointment with the curator to photograph. and measure the "Strap Dress" depicted in the painting. After examining the garment I decided to recreate the dress myself, to see what this dress really looked like and how it was worn to honor my Heritage.
 

I used an Swiss army blanket as my "mock-up" as the material used by natives at this time was imported "Stroud" or "list" cloth from England. Re-created "stroud" wool costs more than $75.00 a half yard. I also was toying with the idea that this dress was originally made in deer hide and the wool blanket had the thickness that approximated hide texture and weight.

The army blanket was much thicker so the plans did have to be slightly altered, but I am very pleased with the results. 

I am wrapped in a 1 1/2 point Hudson Bay match coat in Hudson Bay colors of Red & Black. The white blankets shown in the painting represent the American Fur Company, which took over from Hudson's Bay around this time.

I later created the blue wool dress shown above that more closely resembles the historic garment. I am still working on the bead work for this garment and will probably never be done adding to it. 

My proudest moment was wearing it to the Grand Portage Powwow in 2006, and showing it to my Grandmother Lorraine.  

My latest project is to recreate the leather strap dress I discovered in the Chicago Field History Museum as well as the create the dress that my good friend Mia let me borrow and make a patten from and as if that isn't enough, I have plans to make a two hide dress from Elk hide also.

I do not know exactly why I started on this particular journey, I now have more than 15 years of research on just the clothing alone.

It seems there is an Old Spirit within me that keeps whispering to me to keep doing what I am doing. I have vivid dreams of details and events that keep me going when all reasons to do so abandon me. I am simply driven to continue whether I choose to do so or not. 

Maybe it is just the Spirit of my Mother, who taught me to hand sew expertly and carefully, giving me a great appreciation for natural fabrics and creating well tailored clothing. I certainly hope I do her justice in my endeavours.

During my quest, I have returned to my past and attended Native American Gatherings and Powwows, meeting wonderful people who I never would have met otherwise.

I certainly have benefited from the experience and it has made my life much fuller. This is a pleasant end in itself and I am grateful to all who have taken me in as Family and taught me things that have made my journey meaningful and fruitful.

Mia's Dress

Strap Dress