In search of indoor entertainment during our recent visit to Boston - it was
really cold - we took the T across the Charles to Cambridge to visit Harvard's
Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology. I spent most of my time in the North American section where they have all sorts of interesting pieces, such as a pipe bag used by the Sioux chief Sitting Bull.
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| Pipe bag carried by Sitting Bull; beaded and quill on leather, leather fringe partially wrapped w/ quill, ca. 1883 |
Like so many of their other North American objects, such as baskets, rugs, and clothing, the pipe bag has a strong graphic design and bold colors.
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| Micmac birchbark box, ornamented with quillwork, 1850 |
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| Navajo saddle throw blanket, wool, 1885-1889 |
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| Seminole patchwork "big shirt," ca. 1900 |
I have reinterpreted the design of this Seminole "big shirt" for a quilt top. I originally intended to include the vertical stripes but decided I preferred the simplicity of exclusively horizontal stripes.
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| Sarah defending my new quilt top |
An afternoon's work and now I have a top to practice quilting with a long arm machine. Stay tuned to see how it turns out!
