Quill Work

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Along with your quills, you'll have to assemble a few other raw materials and tools. First, you'll need a small strip of rawhide that's about 1/4" wide and 3" to 5" long. If you can't find any locally, rawhide is sold by the sheet from any trading post. But a word about cutting it: Since this leather is practically as tough as tin, sometimes even a sharp knife or razor blade won't slice it. In that case, you may want to cut it with a pair of shears. (And don't try to make the material more pliable by wetting it, or it'll quickly become the consistency of mush!) Next, take out enough quills-in the shades you

want-to cover the leather (one quill yields about one 1/4"-long section of wrapped surface) . . . a pencil . . . a long, sturdy needle and some thread . . . and perhaps a small dish of warm water.

Make yourself a work area so that you can lay all these materials out. Now, place four or five quills either in the water bowl or, as the Indian people do, in your mouth (spear end out!) to soften them up so they'll be pliable enough to work with. While they're soaking, sketch a rough diagram of where you want each band of color to go on your piece of rawhide. After that's done, check your quills. If they still crack when you gently crunch them between your teeth, they're not quite ready. Wait till they give freely . . . and then flatten the quills either by pulling them through your clenched teeth (don't worry, they won't break) or by laying them on a tabletop and squashing them with your thumbnail or with a spoon handle.

Whew! Finally, you're ready to wrap! Pay close attention to each drawing and set of directions. And if-at any time-you find you're having trouble, put aside your rawhide and quills for a moment, and practice with a 3 "-wide piece of cardboard and 2"-wide (or so) ribbons until you master the steps. Then go back to your original materials. Good luck and happy quilling!

Step 1. Begin with the first quill about 1/4 inch from the bottom of your rawhide. Wrap the sticker to the right as shown . . . making sure each wrap is tight and completely flush with the previous one. Rawhide should never show through your quills on the back or front of your piece.

Step 2. When the first quill is nearly "wound out" (leave a little of the tip to work with!), lay a second sticker-follicle end up-on top of it. Then bend the remaining tip of the first spear over the new follicle end to hold it in place.

Step 3. Now, wind the spear end of the second quill over the "wrapped back" quill number one, holding the splice in place with your thumb as needed.

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