Garden Plants and Native American Textiles

If you missed my last post, I've just finished decorating my sunroom and adjoining area as we head into the days of what's likely to be an Indian Summer.  I've used several collected Native American decor items, including textiles. This post is about the textiles created by the Native American people, and their use of the precious garden resources indigenous to their land which help them create their beautiful works of art.

Most folks are aware that blue jeans were originally dyed with the extracts from the indigo bush plant. Through years of tradition and experimentation, long before written recipes, people have used natural dyes for ornamentation of textiles and their bodies.  Native Americans taught early European settlers how to use plants as natural dyes. Various parts of a given plant can produce a number of colors, and additional natural materials can be added for mutations in color intensity.

Historically, the resources on the land of the Navajo people were not taken for granted. Nearly every natural resource available was used to its fullest extent, including plants as foods, herbal medicines, and natural dyes. Dyes for cottons and wools were extracted from plants indigenous to the land. The sample below is a perfect example of how Native Americans used their plants for their textiles. I purchased this framed sample at the J L Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, AZ.

As you can see from the photo of the sample above, each strand of colored yarn in the partially woven textile leads back to the plant from which its color stems.  Do you have any of these plants in your garden?

You can learn more about the use of natural dyes from plants on this excellent source from the USDA Forest Service:  Native Plant Dyes. It includes a chart of many colors and the various plant(s) that can produce those colors. The link is also embedded in the caption of the photo collage I've assembled, below.  These are the same plants as pictured in my sample above, only in their natural, growing habitat.

USDA: Charting Natural Plant Dyes to Native American Textiles

As I noted in my previous post, my husband and I traveled through parts of Navajo Territory of AZ and UT several years ago. As part of our visit through Monument Valley (UT), we took a back road grounds tour with one of the locals. What a fascinating trip, full of local, natural wonders!

As part of that chartered trip, we were invited into the home, or "hogan", of an elderly Navajo woman, who demonstrated the art of weaving a rug. This was not a contrived set in some stage; this was an actual home, a sacred place to the Native American Indian.  While many Native Americans have moved to trailers and simply constructed single story homes, there are some who still live the traditional way in hogans. This simple structure is made of mud, wood, and hay, with a doorway facing east, to ensure morning sunlight and blessings upon the home. At the center is the stove, with its exhaust pipe exiting through the apex of the ceiling of the structure, surrounded by a wooden frame and chicken wire.

Native American hogan, in Monument Valley

The elderly matrons of Native American society are honorable women, entrusted with teaching younger women homemaking traditions, among other rituals. As we entered the hogan, our hostess was sitting in front of her work in progress, rapidly combing wool with her hands. The dirt floor had hide rugs scattered throughout.  The walls were adorned with various finished textiles as examples of her work, along with numerous woven baskets.

The photo below shows the interior of the hogan walls a little better, as well as the woman's looms, hanging (dyed) woolen yarns, and raw materials strewn on the floor. Older, more traditional looms would not have the steel, supporting pipes you see here.

Though wrought with gnarly knots of arthritis, her hands still appeared nimble as she carefully threaded her weaves.

Her tools were few and simple, as she tightened each strand with a tug and a comb.

Later in our trip, while at the trading post where I purchased my sample, I was utterly amazed at the assortment of textiles on display, many of which were antiques. I remember being told a single rug could take anywhere from 2 months to 2 years to complete, depending on its size.

J L Hubbell Trading Post, Ganado, AZ

It was only after this trip, while at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, did I purchase a small book on the Navajo rug patterns.  Some patterns have become more easily identifiable and obvious to me since trying to educate myself on the various motifs (Two Grey Hills, Tec Nos Pes as just two examples). More modern textiles somewhat blur traditional patterns (and colors), and it makes it hard for me to discern most patterns. Aniline, or synthetic, dyes became available to Native Americans once the railroad systems were built in the late 19th century.  As with most crafts, there are traditionalists and there are those who prefer innovative techniques that modern technology provides.  

J L Hubbell Trading Post, Ganado, AZ

The textiles I was able to see while immersed in the culture were mostly traditional, and expensive, as one would expect of most hand-crafted items of this caliber and all in one location. However, I really wanted to be able to take home at least something small, so I carefully sifted through stacks of smaller items until I ultimately selected a runner that is now in my sunroom.

Looking for one of my own at J L Hubbell Trading Post

I like studying auction catalogs with Native American articles, as much for the education as for the interest in acquiring an item every now and then.  I have purchased a few Native American handbags, mostly created for the tourist industry in the early part of the 20th century, but I also have a couple that I've acquired through reputable auctions that were used by their original people.

If you're interested in Native American - or any other regional antiquities - but traveling to the source is not exactly within your budget, I would highly recommend finding auction houses that specialize in items that you collect or are interested in learning more about.  Many reputable auction houses allow viewing their catalogs online, where you can rely on the juried descriptions (as opposed to eBay sellers' descriptions, which are not always reliable). Many of these houses are now hosting their auctions online also, and you can get in on the action - just beware of all the buying details for things like added fees (buyer's premium, shipping, storing) - if you explore this route.

For Native American antiquities, Wes Cowan of Cowan's Auctions, in Cincinnati, OH, is an American anthropologist, auctioneer and antiques appraiser of high regard.  You may know him from his appraisals with Antiques Roadshow and appearances on television.  His specialties include Native American and Western Art, as well as other Historical Americana.  By following his website and his auction catalogs, I have invested a good amount of time learning many characteristics that denote various Native American tribe arts and crafts, in addition to what travels I've logged. You may find it a helpful resource too.

If you are also interested in Native American arts and crafts, and have additional resources you reference and like to share, please send me an email.  I'd love to hear of other notable sources.

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Indian Summer in the Sunroom 2014

After the 4th of July, I was ready to switch up the sunroom and tone down the patriotism you saw here. Before we are into the throes of decorating for fall and its holidays, there is that period that is often referred to as "Indian Summer".  Technically, it is known as "a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather, occurring after the end of summer proper" (Wikipedia). I am going with the idea of an Indian Summer in the sunroom for the next couple of months.  I'm using much of what has grown to become another fairly extensive collection of mine - Native American decor. It's not entirely pedigreed, but it's certainly a melting pot of examples from Apache to Zuni, and many in between.

Indian Summer in the sunroom - vintage Native American rug addition

I have a keen interest/fascination with Native American art and artifacts which comes, in part, from my heritage. My paternal grandmother was part Native American Indian (Cherokee), so there is a trace of that in my lineage.

My regional location and its history indicates we live in a riverbed area that was pre-historically inhabited by the Paleo-Indian and Archaic People.  After being excavated for the first time ever in its documented history, our adjacent lot landscape renovation in 2004 revealed several flint articles that are, most likely, remnants of tools used by the Paleo-Indians.  They have become my conversational 'rock' collection that you see pictured below.

Native American 'found' flint artifacts from landscape renovation

These artifacts are seen as they were found, only cleaned with a simple soaking of water. As you can see, they are in various shapes and sizes, which led me to much online research and consulting with a few locals in the know of such things.  It appears I have an assortment of drill bits, scrapers, and fragments of various other hand tools that show signs of having been tied to wooden handles at some point. Some are smooth, others are chiseled, all of them amaze me.

My mother's influence also impressed my interest in Native American history from as far back as the early 1980s.  I can remember her having a strong interest in the spirituality of the Native American people and their teachings.  She also loved the color purple, and I gifted her the artwork you see pictured (below) from a local artisan at that time.

Native American wood artwork

The cloaked Indian artwork was returned to me after my mother died, and I love how it reminds me of her in a sort of melancholy way. I also received a dream catcher that belonged to her, and placed it under a cloche in the sunroom (below).

                   

    

Traveling throughout Navajo Territory in the Western US several years ago, along with visits to Washington, DC's Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, further piqued my interest in Native American art and artifacts.  Having a few pieces of turquoise jewelry from the 1970s, I happily added to my collection in our travels, picking up both newer pieces by modern craftsmen as well as vintage pieces.We stopped at the national historic park site of the J L Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, AZ. It is there where I purchased some vintage jewelry, as well as a local, artisan-made Native American runner in an authentic Navajo rug pattern. It came with a signed photo provenance of the artisan who crafted it.

Traditional Navajo runner, Hubbell Trading Post

With my love of vintage and antique items, I've come upon several authentically crafted Native American items through estate sales and auctions. The rug in my leading photo in this post (sunroom) is from an estate sale. The rug was originally displayed in the estate as a wall hanging, with a rod pocket sewn from muslin attached on the back.

My collection of Native American smalls includes woven baskets - from a large, primitive figural olla.....

Primitive, Aztec olla basket

...and vegetable-dyed, hide-covered woven gathering basket....

Gathering basket with vegetable-dyed hide bottom

....to several smaller, shelf baskets.

Pottery pieces and textiles include those made not only for their originally intended function...

Primitive, Native American water jug

...but also with distinctive and artistic Native American beauty and symbolism.

L to R: Apache beaded handbag; pottery and Quanah Parker Comanche bust; beaded pouch, petrified wood and child's moccasins & bracelet

The color scheme in the lower level of our home is conducive to several styles, Native American design being one of them. The open design of the main hallway and living space in our home, including the kitchen, is one continuous color (a pale peach), with white trim and dark wood floors. Our breakfast area furniture, just outside the sunroom, has cushions covered in a pattern that coordinates with the Native American style.  In the photo below, you can see glimpses of that fabric, looking from the sunroom toward the front door.  The wall color looks buttery in the photo but is truer to a peach. Extra toss pillows in that same fabric float among the outdoor furniture situated in the sunroom.

From sunroom:  coordinating Native American textiles on breakfast furniture cushions

My style is, overall, what I like to call traditional with a vintage fusion. I use the term fusion loosely as, for me, it can infer several styles. Fusion may come in the form of French, Asian, or in this case, Native American traditional elements, all of which I like, and even more so when layered with age and history. I prefer to keep my options in decorating open to various styles, and displaying my collections in rotations allows me to move easily in and out of the cultural fusions I like. Dealing in vintage and antique resale also allows me to fluidly move among the styles I like.  When making purchases, I will usually buy items that appeal to me for one reason or another, knowing I can always defer the decision to keep or sell.

Moving into the latter part of the warm weather season, I'm happy with the Indian Summer look in the sunroom and my assemblage of Native American decor. The decor, along with the brick walls, the natural tones of the furniture coverings, and the outdoor shadowplay of the sun seem to give the indoor room a new energy.  The room feels more in its natural element with these latest changes.  I have an upcycled wind chime hanging near the far back wall of the sunroom which sums up the general feeling of the space with its letter-impressed messages: "Become the Sky", "The Wind Whispers Secrets", "Kiss the Earth", and "Dance Lightly with Life".

"The Wind Whispers Secrets" upcycled silverplate chimes in sunroom, by Cindy Kelly of ReLoved Creations

The sunroom is the best place in the house for me to relax and read, and/or listen to music. The ceiling and walls of windows keep things bright year-round, but the blinds between the panes filter and provide just enough privacy. After removing most of the decor that's been in the sunroom, in some cases several years, and starting fresh, the feeling of becoming one with the sky just got a whole lot easier. 

Are you in transition anywhere in your home right now?  Are you making small changes or in the middle of one or more big projects? Are you all one style, or do you prefer to mix things up?

Panoply's 2014 Patriotic to Indian Summer

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Sleuth Decorating - Your Opinion, Please!

Mr. P. is mostly retired, but when he does leave the house for business, I waste no time in sleuth decorating. Recently at auction, I came away with a nice little side table with turned legs, and white marble top. I had two places in mind for it in the house, and I'd love for you, my readers, to weigh in and cast your opinion on its final destination.  I like to work out the visionary details before the reveal for Mr. P.'s sake, as any new look seems to settle better with him when it's complete.

I know you can visualize details if I describe them, which is what is hard for Mr. P. to do, and one of the reasons why I decorate sleuth-style. Now, should I place the side table in my bathroom?  This is how the bath is currently situated, prior to my bringing the table in: 

This is how the bath appears after I placed the 'new' old table in there:

Notice the white old-school stool is displaced.  It would fit under the table, but the wire basket would not.  I tried the wire basket on top of the white towel cabinet, but did not like the appearance.  Color and lighting in this bath is closer to the photo below, but shooting directly into the morning sun streaming into the window distorts both (in the above photo). 

I realize I could take out the small, white towel stand, but I prefer having unused towels not in the open air, so I may need another solution if the opinions say take out the white towel stand.

The second option for the table takes us to the kitchen!  The targeted wall in the kitchen is on the far end of the island in the photo below:

This is where you have to use your vision - I was running out of time, as I had an appointment to run to, and I was only able to get the table base in the space for the look-see, without the marble top.

I want, so badly, to have a plate rack wall in my kitchen, and either this wall, or an existing, built-in wine rack (never used) that's above a wet bar are my targets for that project.  For now, please envision either a plate rack on this wall, or hanging plates in a gallery or collage arrangement, with the table. I placed it such that I can open the pantry door without interference.

Okay, that's it for today's sleuth decorating.  Your input will be appreciated!  Should I place the table in the bathroom, the kitchen, or sell it? What would you do?

Behind the Curtain - the "Real" Antiques Roadshow

One of PBS' all-time, most-watched television programs is Antiques Roadshow (AR), and its 18th seasonal tour will be wrapping up with a stop in our home town, Charleston, WV, on August 16, 2014. While this is exciting, I have already been to two different AR program city tour stops, and I want to share with you a little about the "real" Antiques Roadshow - the proverbial "Oz behind the curtain" tour.

Mark Walberg, host of Antiques Roadshow, and I, outside of Pittsburgh restaurant (2011)

I love AR, but once you've been through the process, the true reality of the whole thing really is a little disappointing and anticlimactic. Perhaps I'm just still feeling a little scorned that my items weren't the talk of either the towns of Washington, DC in 2010, or in Pittsburgh, PA in 2011 {jk}.

Tickets are not sold to the Roadshow stops, but you enter your name early each year on their website for a chance at a random drawing, selecting your preferred city stop and time you'd like to have your appraisal of two items (max).  Sister M and I entered our names and were drawn in 2010.  Sisters M, J and I - all three - attended in 2011, with a little finagling. I am mixing photos taken from both cities to demonstrate the process clearly.

When you arrive at your city's venue near your designated time, the entry will look something like the photo below.

Entry to Antiques Roadshow city tour stop

You may find yourself going through a maze of various floors by escalators or elevators, but can get information if you feel uncertain or lost.

AR tour city stop information desk

There are signs along the course of the proverbial yellow-brick road to see Oz....

Signage, pointing the way at an AR tour city stop

And then you may see a welcoming sign, validating you are at the right place, at the right time...

Sign designating ticket time at AR tour city stop

Finding our spot to get in line at the AR tour city stop

Then, the waiting lines begin in earnest....

AR tour city waiting lines - in the midst

Here's what the waiting lines look like from an aerial view (below).  This is all BEFORE you get anywhere near the appraisers' tables. Outside of the black curtain is the main line, spilling over into another taped off line.  Two huge projection screens are visible in the line-standing waiting area. I'll explain what's inside those black curtains a little further in the post.

Arena waiting lines setup for typical AR tour city stop

There are a multitude of volunteers designated with jobs of trying to entertain the crowds while waiting, and those huge screens are continuously projecting previously recorded airings of the AR programs while you wait. Volunteering through your local PBS station would be another way to try to get to AR in your town.

Huge projection screens with programs running for attendees while waiting

Once you make it past these "outside the black curtains" lines, each attending person is funneled into a "triage" table. It is at the triage table that your collectibles are categorized, so it pays to know, in advance, the type of category and/or the AR appraiser names of who typically appraises an item you are bringing so you can "suggest" it.  If your item is a cross-collectible, you risk getting a less-than-accurate initial assessment at the triage table, so try to have a pretty good understanding prior to this point.

AR "triage" table

From the triage table, you receive a ticket for each item being appraised, and you herd into another line.

Triage category ticket

What you see in the photo below, within the circle of blue banners, is the set you are familiar with seeing on the television program - that is Oz behind the curtains!  All of the lines outside of that circle designate the triage categories - Dolls, Paintings, etc.  Once you have your category ticket, you circle the wagon of blue banners to find your next line (there are signs and volunteers everywhere).  At this point, you either split from your party, or all stay together and go to each station together. Photos are not allowed from the triage point and beyond, but the photo below was taken (in Pittsburgh) where my vantage point was entirely outside the arena, looking down, through a glass structure.

AR city tour stop television program set (behind the curtains), with waiting lines surrounding 

The next photograph is inside the constructed set I mentioned earlier. This is the cordoned area visible in one of the photos above, near where the big screens were entertaining folks standing in line waiting, at the beginning of the process. It is the holding area, or green room, for those attendees who are selected to be videotaped with their items. When invited here after an appraisal, one does not know if it is to be made fun of for bringing a fake, or to be delivered great news of "the" item that caught the appraiser's eye in a good way.

Holding area, or green room, at an AR city tour stop

In spite of any negative overtone I may have projected in this post, I love Antiques Roadshow, and so do my sisters.  We had a blast (both times for M & I) going to DC and Pittsburgh for our appraisals.  We made each trip a buying trip and sightseeing event for ourselves.

Panoply sisters outside of Pittsburgh AR appraisal ring

We even did a little star-gazing at each city.  Each time, we stayed at the hotel adjacent to the appraisal site, anticipating that the crew and appraisers would likely stay there also.  We were right each time, and both times we saw plenty of foot traffic by the AR appraisers, conversing with each other, and heading out for meals.  We even ended up eating at the same restaurant as Mark Walberg and Marsha Bemko.  That's how I ended up with a photo with Mark (at beginning of post).  Surprisingly, he's not very tall!

Mark Walberg, host of AR, and Marsha Bemko, executive producer of AR, heading out for a meal

If you pick up a copy of Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes  (Amazon), there's a whole lot more insider information, quite apart from what I shared in this post.  It's a fun book, and very informative.  It's a must-read, in my opinion, if you plan to attend an AR appraisal event anytime.  My number one takeaway and piece of advice if you plan to go?  Plan to have fun in the experience, and take an item either: a) that you hope to learn more about than you already know or b) that has unique family history/story that you can share with the appraisers that may be of interest to them and/or others.

"Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes" book

Have you ever been to an Antiques Roadshow tour stop?  How was your experience?  Were you surprised and/or let down by the "Oz behind the curtain" phenomena?  Please share!


NOTE:  This is a no-ad blog, and no sponsorship was provided for this post.  All opinions and photos are mine, strictly for my readers' pleasure.

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Basement Purge: Pt V in a Series of Getting Organized

As my mother used to say after I would complain of hard work, "no rest for the wicked".  Today is Sunday, and I have spent eight hours in my basement, beginning the major purge and reorganization of STUFF.  I keep telling myself it has to get worse before it gets better.

I started my purge in spring with my closet, and wrote about that here. With several blogger friends out there making major moves into new homes, whether temporary or permanent, I was motivated after taking a break, mostly preoccupied with landscape gardening.  It's getting too hot to do much more than deadhead and water plants, so to the basement I went.

The last view of my basement looked like this:

Pre-project appearance, main wall

This is a mix of my personal belongings - china sets, things moved into my present marriage in 2003 (including my two girls' things), and things for resale in our antique mall booth space. The photo below is mostly stuff for resale.

Pre-project appearance, middle of floor

What a mess!

To get this party started, I bought one commercial shelving unit from Sam's in early June. I put it together, thinking I would use it for all of my china, flatware and utensils. That is why the top shelves are smaller, and the lower three are for storing the tubs (three per shelf).

Commercial shelving unit

After hauling everything away from the wall and re-stacking things on the shelves, I quickly found that the items I stored on the unit were not uniform in appearance, and that bugged me.  Also, all the tubs and boxes I hauled into the middle of the floor bugged me, too.  I quickly surmised I needed the tubs for a uniform appearance, and most of the tubs were holding the oldest stuff, from 2003. Project scope creep. So I went on vacation.

Back from vacation, I bought two more shelving units, and put those together yesterday. I have pulled most of the tubs and boxes away from the wall, and I have begun going through EVERYTHING.

Shelving units, purging, reorganization in progress (see how that far left unit is not uniform??)

Today, I emptied nine tubs, which I will ultimately use for uniformity in reorganizing my stuff.  The two shelving units I put together yesterday are better fitting for the tubs, so I may (or may not) reconstruct the first shelving unit to match.  Uniformity.

Nine Tubs Emptied Day 1

I am using the shelving units to lay out all my stuff and help me put like things together.  I also reorganized several tubs and boxes that my girls need to make decisions on (keep or donate), and I have bagged and boxed many donations already.

Donations Day 1

Boy, oh boy, do I have a mess.  Did I say that already? Not only is the wall still a mess, but so is the middle of the floor.

Middle of the floor - the pile keeps getting bigger

And, to make matters worse, there's stuff under the stairs. It is 80% stuff for resale, so it needs to be gone through and reorganized too.

Under the stairs, and then some more.

If you look at that photo above with the three wall units in place, there's also a stack of boxes on the far right that has a my kids' newborn through school days (college included) stuff that needs to be purged.  I think it's time to throw away the macaroni tambourine my daughter made when she was in preschool, don't ya think? 

And the trash I hauled out today was two Hefty lawn size bags of, get this - mostly career-related seminar booklets, graduate school papers and notes, and business attire hosiery (yes, almost half a garbage bag full! Please don't tell me I could use them to store wrapping paper or some other crazy Pinterest idea. They're trash, probably dry-rotted after being retired for nearly eleven years).  It never felt so good to get rid of Teambuilding and Facilitation Workshops, Project Management and Myers-Briggs crap.  I know who I am, and I'm doing fine with managing my projects and facilitating my life and living.

Now, if I can just get Mr. P. to get rid of his four boxes of reference books, then I'll start to believe he's really retiring.  He's also got his dissertation that he did in 1972 (all hand-typed).  I'm hoping to pay Kinko's or some other place to scan and put it on (cd) disk for him.  Speaking of disks, I threw away lots of those 3.5" things - we don't even have a computer with a slot for those anymore. Turbotax 1996 and Lotus, lol. Oh, I almost forgot!  I found $35 - a lot less than minimum wage for the number hours I worked today, but it made me happy.

What a mess!  The project at hand bears repeating my sentiment.  I just hope I can muster the motivation to get this finished by September.  I didn't say beginning or end, and I didn't say what year.  

If you missed my related posts in this organizational series, you can find them quickly at these links:

Getting Organized - Part I of a Series (Paper)
Getting Organized - Part II of a Series (Bath)
Getting Organized - Pt III of a Series (Great Pantry Design)

Getting Organized - Part IV of a Series (Tableware)

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