3 - Brow Band, drops & / Or Beaded Rosettes

- HOW TO MAKE A NATIVE INDIAN HEADDRESS / WARBONNET ? -     

Brow Band:

After making the crown, decide whether you want the bottom edge of the brow band to be sewn to the bottom of the crown or if it is to extend below the edge of the crown. (See Fig. 9-1)

A beaded band positioned above the crown edge (Fig. 9-5) should be sewn with stitches made between the 2^nd and 3^rd rows of beads along all sides of the strip. For a beaded band that extends below the edge of the crown, the beadwork should first be sewn to a thin piece of leather. (Use the same technique as above to sew inside the rows.) This is how the historic pieces were made. The leather helps the beadwork maintain its shape and absorbs much of the sweat, all of which otherwise would get on the bead threads and cause them to rot. After sewing the beadwork to the leather, attach the brow band to the crown with a running stitch around sides and top border of the leather, going through both the leather and crown with each stitch. Many old pieces actually show that 3-5 beds were added to each stitch to give added decoration to the brow band. Edge-beading of this leather piece before it is sewn on was also a common practice. (Fig. 9-6 & Fig. 7-14)

Drops and/or Beaded Rosettes:

We recommend that you wait until the bonnet feathers are attached before sewing on any drops and medallions. Otherwise, the drops will get in the way. However, at this time, it is good to position the medallions where they will be (usually with approximately half of the medallion covering the end of the brow band), then use a pencil to draw a light line on the crown around the outside edge of the medallion. This will give you a reference line around which to place the feather slits. When finished, set the crown aside until the feathers are prepared.