Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	August 25, 2001 - Issue 43
	Craft Series - Hairpipes - Part Five
	by Lynne Sageflower Pennington

Women’s Breastplates

The women’s breastplates seen are different then the men’s. Where on men’s breastplates the hairpipes go sideways on women’s the hairpipe goes up and down. Northern style women's breastplates hang from the neck covering the front of the wearer. While southern style women's breastplates are hung over the shoulders covering the back and the front of the wearer.

	Women’s Breastplate #1
	The instructions I am going to give for this women’s breastplates the front is longer then the back. If you want to make them the same length then follow the front instructions for the back.			Southern Style
	Materials:
	5		30 hole leather spacers
	4		10 hole leather spacers
	10		2 ½ yd. pieces of leather cording ( 2mm)
	20		36" pieces of leather cording ( 2mm)
	480		glass crow bead of one color
	480		glass crow bead of another color
	190		4" hairpipe for front
	Instructions:
	Front
	1.		Tie a knot in each leather cording leaving a 6" tail.
	2.		Thread 16 beads on each leather cord alternate the colors.
	3.		Thread each 2 ½ cord thru the end 10 holes on each side of one of the 30 hole spacers. Then thread the 36" cords thru the middle ten holes of the spacer.
	4.		Thread 30 hairpipes onto the cording then thread the cording thru another 30 hole spacer. Make sure you slide the hairpipes towards the spacer.
	5.		Now Repeat # 5 twice again. Tie a knot in the 10 center hairpipe after the spacer to secure
	6.		Now you should be working only with the 10 end cording on each side.
	7.		Thread 10 hairpipes on each side then thread the cording thru the 10 hole spacers and knot each one after the spacer.
	Now measure from the top of your collar bone to the top of your shoulder blade plus 3 inches. Tie a knot at that point.
	Back
	1.		Follow all the directions for the front but from # 8 backwards. You will have one difference, instead of three rows of 30 hairpipes you will only have two rows. After you have threaded the beads on each cord tie a knot to secure. You should have another 6" tail.
	Add tin cones or cowrie shells to the cording tails to add interest. You can also make this breastplate longer by adding more section of 30 hole spacers and hairpipes.

	Breastplate #2 on this one the front and back are the same
				Northern Style
	Materials:
	4		16 hole leather spacers
	10		4 hole spacers
	256		glass fire polished beads ( one color)
	256		glass fire polished beads ( another color)
	8		2 ½ yd. leather cording ( 2mm)
	8		36" leather cording ( 2mm)
	64		4" hairpipes
	72		1 ½" hairpipes
	32		Silver 1" tin cones
	Instructions:
	1.		Thread each piece of cording thru the small end of a tin cone, knot and pull up into the cone.
	Front
	2.		Place 4- 2 ½ yd leather cords on each side then place the 8 36" cords in the middle. Then follow this pattern for each cord: 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors, 4" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors
	3.		Thread the cording thru a 16 hole spacer.
	4.		Then follow this pattern: 2 bead-alternate colors, 4" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors
	5.		Then thread the cording thru another 16 hole spacer, At this point tie and secure the middle eight rows after the spacer.
	6.		Now you will be just working with the four end cording on the right and left. I am going to call this section the middle section.
	Middle Section ( shoulder part)
	7.		Follow this pattern on both sides( right and left): 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors, 4 hole spacer, 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe,2 bead-alternate colors, 4 hole spacer, 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors, 4 hole spacer, 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe, 2 bead-alternate colors, 4 hole spacer, 2 bead-alternate colors, 1 ½" hairpipe,2 bead-alternate colors
	8.		Now follow # 5 thru #1 backwards. For the back section.
	There are many variations on doing a women’s breastplate. The two I have just given are the basic ones. Have fun and create your own.

	Cropped Short Coat/ Denim Vest
	My mom gets a catalog called Reverie( Cheyenne Outfitters). One day while my daughter and I was going thru she saw a cropped vest-style jacket. All down the front of it were hairpipe and beads. She asked me to make it for her. She wore it during Showmanship at her 4-H Horse show. I also made her a vest to match it incase the day of Showmanship was warm. I did the back decoration myself because it was plain. I also put a couple of hairpipes on the bottom of her pants hanging down.
	Here is how I made the jacket: I bought a black jacket from a Western Wear store.
	Materials:
	26		4" hairpipes for front of Jacket
	6		4" hairpipes for back of Jacket
	2		2" hairpipes for back of Jacket
	1		Silver concho
	52		silver beads (6mm) for front of Jacket
	16		silver beads (6mm) for back of Jacket
	33		pieces of thin leather natural cording
			leather needle
			Disappearing ink pen
	Instructions:
	The hairpipes are put on at a slight angle. Use the disappearing ink pen to help you do this.
	1.		Starting at the top, Measure two inches down from the top shoulder seam. Then two inches in from sleeve seam.
	2.		Take the leather cording and thread it into the material like you were hand stitching (about 1/4 inch). Put an overhand knot on the end.
	3.		Now thread a silver bead, hairpipe and sliver bead on it.
	4.		Then make another 1/4 inch hand stitch and put an overhand knot on the end after you slid the beads and hairpipe so they are note to lose.
	5.		Follow #2 thru #4 for the next 12 beads and hairpipes on the each side of the jacket. Place them 1 inch apart lengthwise.
	Now for the back of the jacket.
	1.		Measure 4 inches from the middle of the neck or collar on the back of the jacket. Thread one leather cording and stitch the concho on the jacket. Then on the tails of the cording thread one bead, 2" hairpipe and bead. Tie an overhand at the ends of the tails.
	2.		Now for the 6 back hairpipes, follow the same directions as for putting and placing the hairpipes as on the front, 3 on each side of the concho.
	You can do the same as I did to a Denim Vest as i did to the cropped jacket.
	Recently I made myself a jacket from Simplicity Pattern # 9453. I put hairpipes on the front lower lapel and the pockets.

	Here is other idea:
	Long Sleeve shirt w/hairpipes and conchos
	Materials:
	1		Long sleeve denim shirt with pockets
	9		button covers
	11		Conchos ( 1"x 1 1/4")
	10		2 1/2  hairpipes
	5		1 1/2 hairpipes
	13		pieces of 1 mm leather cording -15" ( natural color)
	1		piece of 1 mm leather cording-8" ( natural color)
	1		yard Leather Lace
			leather Needle
			Disappearing ink pen
	Instructions:
	1.		Take the conchos and cut small pieces of the leather lace and fill in the centers.
	2.		Take one of them and do the following: Take the 8" leather cording, tie a knot on one end, take one of the 1 1/2" hairpipes and thread it on the cord, then bring it thru the center of the concho. Thread another 1 1/2" hairpipe on it then knot the end.
	3.		After the conchos dry from gluing on the leather lace, glue them onto the Button Covers, set them aside.
	4.		Now take the 2 remaining conchos and half way between the shoulder seam and the pocket, sew them on the shirt.
	5.		Read the instructions for this step completely before doing it .Under each of the conchos in #4, use the disappearing ink pen to make marks on an angle in a semi circle for placement of 5 -2 1/2 hairpipes under each concho. You will need two marks one for the top of the hairpipe and one for the bottom.
	6.		Now that you have the marks in place. Thread 1 piece of the 15" cording  onto the Leather needle. Then insert the needle with the cording into the material like you were hand stitching.  Bring the cording back up into the material about 1/4 inch then put an overhand knot on the end.
	7.		Thread one of the 2 1/2 hairpipes on the cording, then go down into the material and come back up about 1/4 of an inch. Put an overhand knot on the end.
	8.		Repeat # 6 & #7 for the other 4 hairpipes. Then repeat the procedure on the other concho, on the other side of the shirt.
	9.		Using the 3 remaining 1 1/2 hairpipes, use the same procedure as # 6 & #7 and put them between the buttons down the front of the shirt. Skip place between collar button  and next one down.
	10.		Take all the concho button covers except for the one you put the hairpipes on and put them on the buttons of the shirt, leaving the top button on the front for the concho with the hairpipes.

The next article for the Craft Series will be on preparing feathers for projects like dance fans, etc.

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