Weaving

A distinctly beautiful craft of the Cherokee women is finger weaving. Before the introduction of yarn, the Cherokee people used the inner fibers of Indian hemp and fibers of the mulberry root to make thread for this type of weaving. Dyed by various native roots and barks, the yarn fibers were woven by the Cherokee women in the single and double weave styles. The single weave is an over-and-under method that produces plaid and checked designs. A wider variety of designs is achieved by the double weave method, which is done on a loom. With ten to two hundred strands at one time, the women can weave a multitude of colors and patterns. When completed, these long weavings are used for Cherokee clothing as belts or sashes and can be sewn together to serve as blankets or shawls. It takes three to four days to complete a belt, depending upon its length and width.