The best magazine
- The Seminole people descended from the Creeks, Native Americans from Alabama and Georgia. They settled throughout Florida in the 1700's but were forced from their territories through wars with the United States military. Survivors retreated into areas around the Everglades. When white settlers set up trading posts in the late 1800's, the Seminoles traded animal pelts for cloth and other goods. Women sewed multi-colored clothing known as patchwork that would later be showcased on dolls sold to tourists.
- By the 1920's, Seminole women had been making palmetto dolls for their children for at least a generation. With the tourist boom in Miami, the women turned to doll-making as a way of earning a living. Seminole villages attracted visitors with exhibitions such as alligator wrestling, handmade crafts and beads. The hand-crafted dolls dressed in colorful patchwork clothing became a favorite among tourists. Today, dolls are made and sold on six Seminole reservations throughout the state.
- Traditional Seminole dolls are composed of fibers from the palmetto tree; they continue to be popular as Florida souvenirs and collectibles. The earliest dolls were carved from wood; they are no longer made and are considered a rare find. The cloth bodies and heads of the palmetto dolls are stuffed with dried fibers from the plant, while the wooden dolls had one-piece, cone-shaped bodies with carved heads. All dolls are dressed in bright, multi-color, patchwork-style clothes.
- Palmetto dolls are still made by Seminole women the traditional way. They cut down palmetto plants and use the dried fibers to stuff the doll's head and body. The stiff fibers make the doll stand. Then they sew on eyes and a mouth, and make hair with cardboard and black yarn. Patchwork clothing is usually made with sewing machines and sewed on last. The wooden dolls were carved from cypress wood; their features were painted on their faces and their clothing hand-sewn.
History
Tradition
Types
Crafting
Source: ...