Surrounded by Beauty: Bandolier Bag Technique

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Beads sewn on leather using the Lazy Stitch were strung on a prepared thread of animal sinew. The sinew, with a hard pointed end, was passed through small holes in a piece of tanned leather, The sinew, and the awl that made the holes, never passed entirely through the skin. The curving floral design on the straps was made by stitching the beads directly onto the cloth. It is believed that French nuns in Quebec taught this technique to the Ojibwe artists. The style of the flowers was probably influenced by folk art that European settlers brought with them to the New World.