# Just thinking "out loud" here....



## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

There is a thread out there about raising Turkeys. As Dh and I plan on getting about 20 or so this Spring, I was reading it.
Well, there is a post regarding the fact that Native Americans, of certain tribes, used the feathers to weave into blankets and such. Interesting, yes?
I've done a rather extensive search and can find almost nothing about how to do this. I found articles about the fact that it was done, pictures of surviving examples, but nothing about HOW it was done.
I'm assuming they used the down feathers, not the tail feathers, and some sort of thread or something, as a base, but that's all I'm coming up with...nothing about how they attached or prepared the feathers.

Anyone have a clue as to how this might be done?

I have no idea why this has me fascinated, but it does, and I really want to make one next year from our birds feathers, for dh. Being married to a man who is 50% Oglala Sioux, we have a few things about the place that are very Native. 
I think it would be very cool to make him a Turkey feather blanket to hang on the wall....:teehee:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well I would look at the tribes where wild turkeys are pretty common, here in Michigan that would be the Potawatomi or the Ojibwa, or out east. I don't know where else wild turkeys hang out but those would be the places I would begin with. Do you have any links or pictures? I would think the tail and wing feathers would have been used if they were actually used at a wall to the basket. It would have to be a sturdier feather.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

No tail or wing feathers used. They for sure used the downy body feathers..
Here's a link to a sort of article I found, http://www.nmarchaeology.org/help-wanted.html

Scroll to the bottom, they are actually just looking for donations, but they describe using a loom, and the body feathers.
Maybe If I send them an Email........


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Neat. When you find out, let us know.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Hawaiians do a lot of feather work. Currently, it's mostly feather hat bands and feather lei, but traditionally, they made a lot of capes and such: Hawaiian Feather Capes There is a bit of discussion on how they are made on that website.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the link!
From what I have been able to find, they used several different types of netting material, to fasten the feathers to. Yucca, the inner bark of Mulberries, and one other that I can't recall, but have the link saved.
Made a netting, on a loom, and somehow got those feathers on there.
Hotcatz, that link is great! as it describes basically the same process, now to sort out the "attaching" part......:goodjob:


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I'd be inclined to ply the feathers with two fine singles of wool.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

WIHH. not a bad idea. I wonder if I could hand ply two very fine singles, and as I go twist the ends of the feathers on? Then weave them onto the net base, feathers all to one side........
Hmmmmm, I can see this is going to take some more thought, but I think we may be on to something......:goodjob:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I was tanking they were using the feathers a the actual weaving material for the baskets. These are just decoration (not to belittle decoration)?


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I found an article on E-how. It says:



> The Choctaw developed a revolutionary method for using turkey feathers. They twisted them together to form string, which was then woven into blanket material. Although there is little physical evidence that remains from these blankets, written documents indicate that the feathers were stripped from the feather stem and twisted similar to cotton.


Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12082269_description-choctaw-blanket.html#ixzz2n9xO7yLQ

Sounds interesting. Hope that helps, Good Luck in your search!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

By George, I think I found it!!!:rock::rock::rock:

Well, not exactly, but this excerpt from this book has diagrams!!

http://www.jstor.org/stable/660179?seq=1


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Ah! I see on the New Mexico site that the body feathers are used for the blankets. That clears that much up. Now to look more closely at the book...

Thanks, hercsmama! I was really wondering about these blankets.


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