Customer Reviews

How to Make Cherokee Clothing

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

By no means should this review be taken be taken to mean that by offering this opinion I am casting dispersions on the other reviewers' thoughts, but this book is a joke, through and through. As a fan of what I perceived this sort of book to be (I love W. Ben Hunt's books), I thought this would be similar both in content and in style. The reality of this book is that it is basically a collection of disjointed and poorly executed line drawings, with scant text rife with typos, and color illustrations that appear to have been drawn in by hand... by a colorblind toddler.
If you're truly interested in recreating traditional Native American clothing, then invest in a book by W. Ben Hunt, specifically "The Complete How-To Book of Indiancraft" (which is much more culturally aware and politically correct than the anachronism in the title suggests), but don't waste your time or your money with this pathetically executed book.
All told, from such a beautiful culture and a proud and noble heritage, Cherokee people of today can do much better than this. The author should be ashamed of having produced such a poor "tribute" to to the people he purports to be his own, and could certainly have done better by admitting his utter lack of artistic skills and referring people to observe Catlin paintings and give it a whirl on their own.

I bought this book for the sole purpose of showing people what not to make. There does not appear to have been any significant effort at true research in the production of this book. It reminds me of the instructions given to grammar school children in the 1950's for a Thanksgiving play. The Indian Craft books written by W. Ben Hunt and Bernard S. Mason, although somewhat outdated and require additional research for correct application, are far more useful to someone interested in developing skills in Native Crafts.

This book is just a golden nugget of knowledge.

The author does something very unique in this book. So often, the old ways are either impractical or illegal. Thus, the author offers contemporary methods to achieve a similar look.

Case in point, it is illegal in FL, AL, and much of the South to harvest black bears. So, the author shows how one can craft a medicine man (shaman) outfit using common materials other than black bear. The result of it all is pretty similar! And, the techniques are down-right genious and just plain crafty. In another project, the author shows how one can use a chicken and turkey feather combination to give the appearance of heron feathers (which is illegal to have in your posession).

My main regret is that the author, for whatever reason, did not go into greater detail as to other items such as time-periods, clothing changes (i.e., turbans) and the such. Indeed, I see where a 2nd edition could be done that has even more craft items, greater detail, and even a source for where one can buy hard to obtain materials. If the publisher also offered a website link, a CD-version software accompanyment, or the such....that would be even better!

I was a bit disappointed in that the author did not cite his sources. He did not note at what period in time the Cherokee used certain items. In some cases, he seems to mix western Cherokee with eastern Cherokee but passes them off as being all-in-the-same. His models and representations are lacking. The drawings are a bit childish and his sewing patterns truly need much help. Overall, the book is plagued by the authors dis-organized and hap-hazard way of jumbling varoius period pieces in one chapter (or section) with every piece being treated as equally used and valid traditional wear. Truly, the Cherokee are a broken peoples (i.e., from the original Cherokee we presently have 3 federally recognized tribes, nearly 30 state recognized tribes, and over 100 non-recognized tribes that cover nearly 20 states in all), knowing the author's knowledge and experiences would help considerably so that a learn'd reader could ascertain what is valid for them and their needs and what is not.

Either way...it is a great book as it stands now. Anyone that is Cherokee...you owe it to yourself to buy this book so that it can be passed down from generation to generation. Partial/jumbled knowledge saved is better than an organized library of knowledge lost to the sands of time.

Mr. Sizemore knows firsthand the how to and why of traditional Tsalagi dress. His instructions and illustrations are clear and large. The resulting garments are both utilitarian and confortable. Thank you, Don.

The drawings are not aesthetically pleasing in the least (the illustrator only has one arm), but taken exclusively for their information, they get the job done. Sizemore does substitute cheaper, commercial available materials for historical (pre-18th century) materials (e.g. suede instead of brained-tanned deerhide, yarn for beadwork) -- what one might use for school plays or the like -- but anyone interested in creating quality clothing can substitute the more natural material. Appearance aside, this book contains a wealth of accurate information about Cherokee clothing. Sizemore has been a great resource to the Eastern band, and this book has a well-earned spot in many Cherokee family's libraries.