Preparing Skins/Material For Outer Wear

The Significance Of Creatures; 

The Inuit have sewn for thousands of years; they have made their own patterns in various sizes with skins that took patience and time to prepare. First the animal was caught by a hunter, the skin was carefully removed, and women in the village were taught to remove the blubber from the skin; which was used for the qulliq, wounds, and food. When the blubber is removed, they will hang the skin for days to dry.

Once the skin is dry- it is soften by a saliguut which is a tool that was used by Inuit women in the past and still is used today. After these steps are completed, the skin is now ready for sewing.
Every animal that was caught was all used up from bones to skin & antlers to fat; nothing was ever wasted nor thrown away. Every part of the animal was used for the matter of survival and for the respect of their land and elders.

                                               Watch & Learn how to Prepare Seal Skin

Traditional Thought of the Inuit

Women were taught very well with sewing, if their husband came home with frostbites on their face they were likely to be seen as a bad seamstress. Stitches on their sewing were to be perfect, close together that way their outer wear can be waterproof. If a family used clothes that were worn out or had holes in them, that met the man wasn’t a good hunter or the women isn’t a great sewer. This never really ment anything to me until my later years when I myself became a mother and a girlfriend to a hunter. Everything I was taught was based on their past and as I grew older, I finally really understood the real meaning of being a sewer. If I havn't learnt all these techniques from my mother or grandmother; I wouldn't have known how to use patterns, the sewing machine, and ofcorse to have patience with all my sewing.

Taught at a Young Age

Young ladies were taught at a very young age to be great wives & mothers, they watch their mothers sew various clothing, preparing and cooking meals, picking up blueberries, blackberries, cloud berries and water. They were taught how to skin birds, fish, seals, caribou's and other animals that were caught from the land. They were also taught carefully how to light up the qulliq and how to use the fat from the qulliq wisely.
Young boys were also taught at a very young age with hunting and how to cut up animals, make tools, and qamutiks. They were taught with great skill.
I have been taught many techniques about needlework, but none of which include all of the traditional supplies that were used by our ancestors thousands of years ago. Here are some images of patterns & sewing I have completed with seal skin and modern day material.

Mitts- Pualuk

My grandmother has given me a pattern of a 2-3 year old size mitts. I've sewn a pair of seal skin mitts for my daughter with pure seal skin and rabbit fur trimming which will keep her nice and warm.
When I first started sewing mitts; I was always told never to have a loose stitch, keep your stitched tight and close together, I never really listened; I was always in a rush to be finished. In my younger years I remember I was like the worst sewer in my class, But I kept watching my mother sew different mitts with various patterns, she always took her time in her projects. Thats where I got taught to be a great sewer; from watching and learning.

2-3 yrs old Mitt Pattern

From 2-3 yrs old Mitt Pattern

Kamik

Here are kamiks that were given to me for my daughter that I had to complete. These are very comfortable for a child because they are light weight. Altought I still don't know how to sew the real kind of kamiks that use bearded seal (bottom of the kamiks) called atungaksaq- which are very hard to find nowadays, I know how to saw the kamikpaks which are the inside layer for the kamik.

Seal Skin Kamiks with Hollow-full
& Material Kamikpaks

Seal Skin Kamiks with Leather Underneath

Hat- Nasaq

This Pattern was given to me from my mother inlaw, This was the first hat I have ever sewn for my daughter. This Pattern is used in many parts of Nunavut because it's easy to sew, and it doesn't take up too much of your time. My mother inlaw has given me many patterns that are simple and easy to learn. Much of them can be used in cultural/sewing classes across Nunavut.

  

Pattern for 6 month old Hat

Seal Skin Hat I made for my
daughter when she 6 month old.

Big Hooded Parka 

This is a pattern of a parka that was given to me from a friend of mine. This pattern takes time and patience to sew because all the pieces of the hood, I made my daughter a jacket with this pattern with modern day material along with hollow fill, cuffs, zipper and a strap of fur for the finishing touch. This pattern has many pieces compared to jackets/parkas I have sewn in the past, so it takes time to sew all the pieces together.

Pattern for A big hooded Parka
for ages 1-3 yrs old

Outcome; Back of the Big hooded Parka
 for ages 1-3 yrs old

Outcome; Front of the Big Hooded
 Parka for ages 1-3 yrs old

Their are hundreds of ways to sew clothing, many of which I haven't incorporated just yet. Sewing is a hobby that I got from my mother. My mother is a amazing seamstress and she has taught me very well. If I can get youth more involved in sewing both traditional and modern clothing, it would be great, youth would be that much closer to their elders and most of all the Inuit culture. Sewing is a good way to keep yourself busy, and it's also a great way to get together with other ladies who would like to learn this skill, it just takes time and patience to learn the basics.