Hello friends! It’s TJ from Studio Mailbox and I’ll be your host for this First Friday post. Since we’re celebrating National Quilting Month around here I thought I would share some amazing cultural inspiration with you.
Last month my family and I escaped Minnesota for a long weekend in Florida when we stumbled across an Indian Village.
Some of you might know I’m married to a German which has turned me into a big fan of all things with bavarian, alpine, or chalet style. We notice the German flag everywhere which was what caught our attention as we were driving through Big Cypress National Preserve. “Mom! The German flag,” screamed my son. It took me a minute to realize he was talking about a black, red, gold and white flag. “That’s not the German flag honey, that’s the German flag with an extra white stripe…let’s investigate!” As it turns out the flag belongs to the Miccosukee Indians.
I had no idea what a treasure I was about to experience but it turns out that the Miccosukee are famous for their patchwork. Their women’s skirts have bright horizontal stripes that are made up of the most intricate pieces. Some of the squares were smaller than my fingernails! Many of the skirts had multiple rows of rick-rack. I have a particular affinity for cultural dress so all my loves in the world were colliding at once when I got to experience the amazing sewing skills of the Miccosukee. We were especially fortunate to be there while a young woman was working and demonstrating this craftsmanship:
Their traditional dolls boggled my mind. All the skill and beauty of their unique clothing except in miniature. I also loved how these toys were made by utilizing local materials, with the heads being made from coconut husks. This immediately made me think of corn husk dolls that are made up here on our prairies.
I strongly recommend a visit if you’re going to be in the Miami area. For those not headed to Florida anytime soon I found this cool book that might get you inspired from afar:
Patchwork: Seminole and Miccosukee Art and Activities
Wishing you all a wonderful March filled with quilted wonder.
Traditional clothing on display in a chickee, an open-sided house thatched with a palm frond roof.
TJ Goerlitz is a mixed media artist who pretends to be a seamstress whenever possible. Come connect with her on her site, Studio Mailbox, her Facebook page, or in Pinterest. Join her on the first Friday of every month where she shares her latest sewing tales with the readers of The Sewing Loft.
Comments & Reviews
Love the connection of History and patchwork…..I’m going to try to find the book in the library…since I’m not going to Florida. However, I’m going to the warmer than normal west coast, and will check out the First Nations people that live there.
Have a wonderful trip and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you find tons of inspiration!
I am a Floridian and when I was a little girl I always had one or more of the Seminole or Miccosukee dolls in my possession. Unless I am mistaken back then the doll bodies were made from a fibrous material gathered from the sabal palms. I am lucky enough to have several pieces of clothing made by the Miccosukees–a skirt and jacket that were worn by my daughter when she was wee and a jacket that belongs to me. It is amazing how the pieced bands of their clothing are made. You should try making a band sometime. It really isn’t difficult but it is extremely time intensive. I lived in the Miami area for 30 years. Always loved to see the Seminole and Miccosukee women and girls in their colorful garments when they came to town to shop. Miss seeing them now we have retired to the north central part of the state.
Oops, the fiber for the dolls I had as a child came from palmettos rather than the sabal palm. Don’t know about those made today.
What a wonderful childhood memory! That must have been so special to have authentic dolls as a kid. This was the first time I had been to Miami, I loved it! Thank you for taking the time to comment and connect.
Oops, I just went and did a little research. The fiber for the doll bodies came from palmettos rather the sabal palm.