Any cradleboard teachers here?

[DakotaPikey]

hello again beautiful peeps. It's been awhile, but your wonderful advice has kept me pretty damn busy i must say. So NOW.. I'm about to embark on something a little more.... INVOLVED... So could ANYONE out there give me the guidance on how to start a lakota cradle board? I'ma see some gooood sisters out in Fort Peck in a few weeks to help me hands on ('sup sis!), but like I've said before, I'd LOVE to hear the various opinions so many pros have here, it's so valuable. So, here's a smallish list of questions:
1) what's the best material to bead on for the cover.
2) what's the shape and guideline measurements of what I'm beading on so I can at least cut it out and get a head start.
3) what's a great lining for the inside? a comfy practical one to get some good use in.

The way i was taught beadwork is that I have to give away the first item I make of ANYTHING (like first medallion, first hair ties, first mocs, FIRST CRADLEBOARD), so this cradleboard will more than likely not stay with me, but be gifted at a considerable giveaway I'm having next year (hence all the beading prep). I would love your experience and input here! Once again, much respect.

Pilamayaye, na hanhepi waste yuha pe!
PEACE!

[godaddybacks]

nothing

let me think, bro. lol.

[OLChemist]

Here's a thread on one way to make a cradle. To make a soft cradle omit the frame and foot piece

http://www.powwows.com/gathering/gen...le-anyway.html

Whispering Winds, Vol 27, No. has Richard Green's article on Cheyenne Cradles, which are somewhat similar.

My last one was used for holding a cousin's baby for christening. I added a second removable back pad to the cradle that can be taken out and washed.

[wyo_rose]

Watch out! You know what happens when you make a cradleboard!! (you know...a baby may just show up unexpectedly!)

Anyway, those directions ROCK, OLC!! I'm not familiar with the Lakota/Cheyenne/Arapahoe style, but now I see how they get the baby bag on the frame.

I've been thinking of making my daughter one (Plateau style) out of her pink baby Pendleton. I want to weave a willow shade, but don't have a teacher for that. I'm emailing my cousin in Alaska who's an expert weaver, but it's not the same as having someone show you in person.

[Czechy]

If you are doing a fully beaded cover, you can bead on canvas. If partly beading, then use buckskin.

My understanding is that the Lakota did not traditionally use the lattice board framework for their cradles although some of their neighbors did, like the Cheyenne.

Lakota cradles also tend to have a square decorated tab at the back top of the hood.

The cover was tied together and not laced down the front.

The cover is basically a long rectangle sewn around another rectangle shaped piece of rawhide which serves as the back.

An article on Lakota cradles,
"Lakota Cradles" by Rosemary Lessard. American Indian Art Magazine, Winter 1990.

[OLChemist]

My understanding is that the Lakota did not traditionally use the lattice board framework for their cradles although some of their neighbors did, like the Cheyenne

Yeap, but then the collectors wanted the frames. And hey, if you put the frame together backwards it hangs on the wall more easily. Hence market forces give you Adam Smith's cradle board, LOL.

Nowadays, some folks think a cradle has to have a frame.

Lakota cradles also tend to have a square decorated tab at the back top of the hood.

And is it my imagination or have those gotten bigger, to show off more beadwork:)

[Czechy]

Here's some pics, just for kicks....

[wyo_rose]

OHMIGOSH! Next week during the Shoshonean Reunion here they're having a willow cradle hood workshop. I signed right up! I'm so EXCITED!!!!

[Kakeeya]

My former (lakota) father in law made my son a cradleboard. It was pretty cool made of buckskin and sewn onto boards that also had the wooden prongs? It also had a belt attached so I could put the cradleboard on my back and carry my son. I really liked it but when I put my son in it, he was soooo heavy to carry, wish I had pics to post. I only have one of my son in the board when he was about 9 months old/young.

I make plateau style babyboards for my nieces and family. Usually just the bow is beaded and sometimes beaded appliqued floral designs on the front.

[wyo_rose]

Where's that person that needed a pic of a Saskatchewan cradleboard? Here's the link:
The Diocese of Saskatchewan - Photos - Women at Red Earth with cradle board.jpg

[wyo_rose]

After the first day of the workshop, all us Wind River girls are LOST!! There hasn't been any weaving going on on this reservation in generations. The Nevada and other out of state ladies knew what was going on with gathering willows and other basket weaving skills, but the rest of us where like, "hold on! when do you gather the willows? what do you do with them?"

Getting started on the shade was SO confusing. I hope I get a second chance to start again cuz I missed a stitch.

These are some pics to show what we're doing:
CONTENTdm Collection : Item Viewer
Cradleboard - Picture - MSN Encarta
Traditional Shoshone Buckskin Cradleboard - Avis & Arthur Dunn (#01) - Twin Rocks Trading Post
Beads to Buckskins

I'm so psyched. I want to quit my job and make cradleboards full time.

[wyo_rose]

CONTENTdm Collection : Item Viewer

Here's another pic. I'm using this as my reference library!

Actually none of these show the EXACT style of cradleboard/shade that we're doing. There are many variations. The teacher had some NICE examples and some vary tribe to tribe and some were different but made by the same person.