Be an Indian!

Easy Thanksgiving
Dress-up

Little Ladies Squaw Dress

Festive T-Shirt Dress
Boy’s Indian Shirt/Pants
Black Powder Gun

by
John and Theresa
Powers

©Joyous Home
2008
 Supply List
2 T shirts about 2 sizes larger
Use colored shirts or Tea stain after S Q U A W
sewing! Tea stained dresses look nicer!
Brown Fringe Trim ~ 1 yd Dresses
Colored embriodery thread
Chalk marker

Measure for your daughter’s length past the first shirt. Remember that you
will need about 3 inches for a fringe in front, so meausre beyond that. Cut just
enough off the bottom of the second shirt you want to use for the extension of
the dress. We will show you how to use your leftover top in the “Little La-
dies” section if there is enough left, so don’t throw it out!

To attach the bottom to the top, turn the cut bottom piece inside out and in-
sert the bottom with the finished part up, raw edge down, wrong sides will be
together. Pin the raw edges. You may want to stand with the shirt up against
you so that it will hang free and you can pin smoothly.

Measure about 2 inches up from the finished part. Now you are ready to sew
it on. Sew with a colored zigzag stitch all the way around. (middle)

(bottom left) Take your chalk marker and measure in about 1 1/2 - 2 inches,
marking lines clear around the dress from the neckline to the end of the top
part of sleeve; then from the bottom part all the way around to the bottom of
the dress or visa versa. You do NOT
want to sew across your extension line.
You need to stop when you come to it,
lift the needle and continue UNDER the
fringe and down. This way your dress
fringe won’t get sewn down the side.

Now for the fun! Cut 1 inch intervals all

the way around. Be careful not to cut
into the stitch!

31 The School Room


Squaw Continued
Now you are ready to tea stain the dress. Make a big pot
of tea, and soak at least 8 hours. Make sure the dresses are
completely covered in the pot. After, rinse the tea out and
dry.
Embellish with brown fringe at the collar and bottom of
the dress. I used a chalk line under the collar and sim-
ply held it along the line with a nail stick while sewing.
Stop right at the fringed seam. Use a straight stitch with
matching thread. You are finished!
Boy’s Indian Shirt and Pants
This is very simple. The
shirt follows the same
technique as the squaw
dress. You would chalk
a line down sleeves and
seams that stops about
3” from the finished hem
of the shirt. Sew. Then
chalk around the base
at the 3” mark. Do not
sew through side seams.
Fringe, tea stain and em-
bellish the collar.
For the pants, use 2 sizes larger of plain pa-
jama pants. You will have to cut the bottoms
of the pants to leave just a bit more for the
child’s height. Fit them by pinning down the
pants while on the boy. Mark the pin line with
chalk. Sew and fringe down both sides. We
found that the draw string pajama pants work best for this project. We then
serged the bottoms where we cut with bright red thread for a finished look.
You can also zigzag the bottoms. Wasn’t that a simple costume to make!
Boys Blackpowder
Gun
To make this gun you will need some
woodworking equipment. This is a
father-son project so get Dad and have
fun.
32
Tools: Wood glue
Jigsaw Two 1 1/2” finishing nails
Scroll or Coping Saw One 3/4” rounded head nail
Drill with a 3/4” Spade bit Small can of stain
Sander/sandpaper (coarse and fine) Black paint
/ Clamps Small can of polyurethane
Supplies: Template provided
One 4’ 1x6
One 18” 3/4” Dowel rod
Step 1. Trace and cut out template
pieces provided, tape them together and
then trace twice onto the 1x6 piece of
wood. On one piece DO NOT trace
the hammer.
Step 2. Cut out both pieces with
jigsaw. Use a scroll saw or coping saw
to cut out the hammer. Then glue both
halves together with wood glue and
clamp.
Step 3. When dry, cut out for
trigger with the scroll or coping
saw.
Step 4. Drilling for barrel: The
template has extra wood where
the center line was drawn. You
need the extra to drill down as shown. Remove excess material after
drilling, and now sand all edges and corners making them even and
rounded.
Step 5. Nail the rounded head nail (for
the sight) onto the end of the dowel, leaving 1/4” extended. Paint the
barrel black and stain the stock of the gun.
Step 6. Glue and nail barrel into place. Apply 2-3 coats of poly-
urethane to gun, allowing it to dry between coats.
You’re finished! Enjoy boys!
 Trace 1
remember to only
trace the hammer
on one piece of
wood

The School Room

33
 Trace 1

The School Room

34
T-Shi
rt
Dresses

Your daughter
should be able
to do most of the
work herself. Take
the leftover top
part of the t-shirt
you cut for your
squaw dress. Measure
the waist and length of the child
you are making the dress for. You are
going to gather the waistline so make sure to
leave a several inches beyond their waist measurement. You want
to use two pieces of fabric for the skirt. This makes placing the t-
1 shirt more accurate.

(1): RST, pin and sew ONE side

seam of the two skirt pieces
together using a 1/2” seam. (2)
Open flat RS down and divide
the required hem by two. Fold
the hem once and iron all the
way around, then the other half 3
and iron again. Turn skirt to RS.
(3) Using pins, pin the ribbon
all the way across the hemline.
2 Using matching thread, sew
ribbon and hem in place on RS,
with a straight stitch. (4) RST,
sew the other 1/2” side seam.

(5) You now need to run the 5

gathering stitch either by hand
or by machine around the top
part of the dress. This is just a
long stitch, completely around.
Leave the tails about 6-7 inches
4 so you can pull them, which will
gather the top.
Continued.. Sewing the dress together

Take the top part and mark
straight down under the
seams of arms. These lines
will match up with the
seams of the skirt.
The next step is where
mother may need to help
you.
Match the chalk mark-
ings under the arms to the
seams on the side of the
skirt and pin in place. You
then need to ease the top
around between the seams
so there are no pulls or
lumps. Pin as you go.

Matching the shirt with the skirt that is gathered can be tricky.

RST; you need to put the top in as shown upside down.

I checked the placement of the shirt after pinning and before sew-
ing by turning RS out. Turn back carefully and sew together using a
1/4” seam. Take out the gathering thread.

Turn right side out!

You are finished! Wasn’t that
a simple way to make a quick
dress? I bet you will be making a
lot of these!

Preparing your fabric:

Soak any colored fabric to test for bleeding. If the fabric runs, keep squeezing the water through until it’s
clear. Let dry and iron.

Terms:
RS ~ Right sides
RST ~ Right sides together
WS ~ Wrong side
WST ~ Wrong sides together.

©Squaw/Gun Project; Joyous Home, LLC 2008; Seasons at Home Magazine®

No part of this project may be reproduced or distributed in any manner,
including but not limited to commercial or personal purposes, without my
express written permission or license from us to sell our projects. Permission is only granted to
the purchaser of this ebook, to reproduce/trace and make as many as you wish for your own
immediate family.
www.joyoushome.com 303-814-6877
Disclaimer: We suggest painting the end of the Blackpower gun bright orange for your child’s
own safety. Due to various state laws, please make the gun project at your own risk; although a toy,
it could be mistaken for a real gun. Joyous Home will not be responsible for injury or repercus-
sions resulting from the use or design of this toy.