Quill Work

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TECHNIQUES

Although there are any number of different ways to use dyed porcupine quills in applique work, the three main techniques are sewing, weaving, and wrapping. The most common one, sewing, consists of attaching the prickles to the surface of leather clothing by means of entwining them between two parallel rows of sinew (or thread) that have been stitched onto the top layer of hide. Weaving, perhaps the most complicated of the three methods, is basically a process of creating bands (about 3" wide)that can be used as they are or sewn onto clothing or other articles-by interspersing the quills with a threaded warp and weft as a cloth strip is being made. (Another type of quill weaving is used in basketry.)

The third-and simplest-of these processes, wrapping, involves winding the prickles around thin strips of rawhide (or other material) to come up with small pieces of quillwork that can be used in crafts such as jewelry-making.

Now these brief definitions can in no way fully depict all that goes into each one of these methods. But, to judge by the lack of useful literature on the subject, copiously written instructions can hardly teach quillworking, either! According to the experts, to get the real lowdown on quillworking, you either have to go to an Indian museum or trading post and carefully study examples of it firsthand (as did Christy Ann Hensler, the woman featured in the accompanying sidebar) . . . or you need to find a quillworker who'd be willing to teach you how to do it.

However, don't be overly discouraged if neither of these options is open to you, because MOTHER's staffers have tracked down detailed instructions for the basic wrap technique. And while this method is around these nocturnal bristle-bearers get their supplies of stickers from road kills. (Caution! If you plan to do this, first check with the local authorities to make sure that using the hide of such dead animals is legal in your area.) When you find one of these "highway statistics", haul it home and either skin it, or neighbors willing-hang the carcass outdoors for a few days to let it ripen before you pluck it.

If you take a moment to examine such a hide, you'll notice that quills come in a variety of sizes-from the short, delicate ones behind the head to the long, fat ones on the tail-and that there's a brambling network of tiny, soft guard hairs surrounding all the stickers. If you grab a handful of these greasy little hair tangles when you're plucking, you'll be able to pull out several of the stiff' prickles at one time. So once the porky skin is soft and its quills are loose, take as many quills as you'll need (or at least pluck for as long as your nose can stand it!). Basically, for the wrap technique, you want the longest and thinnest ones you can gather so that you can get more wraps per inch.

Now that you have a good idea of the makeup of a quill, here's how to prepare for use prickles that are fresh from the hide. (Of course, you might not need to follow all of these procedures if you've purchased rather than plucked your quills. In that case, simply employ whatever steps you need and skip the rest.)

[1] Cleaning: Place your quills in a large pot of soapy water. Heat (but don't boil) the stickers for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring them around with a wooden utensil. Then remove them from the water . . . drain them . . . and set them out to dry. Repeat this process two or three times to wash off as much of the lanolin as possible.

[2] Etching: Put the cleaned quills in a pot or pan and cover them with a mild solution of citric acid (such as the concentrated lemon juice available at grocery stores). Stir the quills around a bit and allow the acidic liquid to break up the waxy surface of the prickles (so they can be dyed more easily). Once this is done, rinse the quills off and let them dry again.

[3] Dyeing: Figure out how many quills by no means t fanciest, showiest quillworking skill, it is accessible and easy to do! You can use wrapping to make a couple of small decorative strips that, for instance, could be stitched onto a plain leather watchband to add pizazz and color to a favorite timekeeper. Or you could use the knowledge of this rudimentary style as a jumping off point from which to go out and explore other, more intricate, quillworking procedures on your own.

Just carefully study the following drawings and directions . . . gather up the proper materials . . .and start "quilling".Then, with enough time and stick-to-itiveness, you'll find yourself in touch with an esteemed, yet little known, American Indian tradition!

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