For months, Christmas has seemed forever away. And then after COVID-19, a stressful election, and other issues, it’s nearly here with barely time to mail gifts to loved ones faraway.
That can mean shopping in stores wearing masks. Or buying online and sometimes getting messages, “Your order is lost or delayed.” Or making gifts.
Years ago, friends in Northwestern Canada taught me to make interesting jewelry with porcupine quills. I’d run out of quills until my older son and kids and I drove along a northern Minnesota highway this summer and saw a huge dead porky along the road. My kind son stopped, swatted the animal gently with my extra shirt, and collected many loose quills. I was resupplied.
I posted that photo in an earlier blog and people asked to see pictures of finished products. Of course, the first picture is the animal itself. Preparation involves (carefully) cutting off both ends of the quills. Take care because the sharp pointed ends easily poke and stick to anything. Native people somehow discovered that when both tips are removed, the quills made from fingernail-like material are hollow. Using small bones for needles before trappers brought trade goods, Indian people managed to bead, sew, or string projects into quilled baskets, jewelry, or sew on garments.
I recently made quill necklaces and earrings in assorted colors. Traditionally, the more important the person, the more quills are involved. I also make double strand necklaces but those require more time to match quill lengths so they hang just right between the moose hide or other separating leather bits between sections, etc.
In future, I may try more complex designs again, but for now I had fun creating these single strand necklaces and earrings. I was amazed to see on Etsy that even natural quills go for a high price.
That means I’ll never drive past a dead porcupine along the highway again. In fact, somewhere there exists a photo of me chasing a live porky along a far northern highway gently swatting it with a shirt to collect loose quills but doing it no harm.
Most people like receiving gifts that tell unusual stories. Quill necklaces and earrings should qualify. (In that earlier photo above, I also collected and wove willow branches into MANY wreaths of all shapes and sizes for income–but that’s another story.)
Please tell us the most unusual gift you have made or received. What craft would you like to learn that you haven’t tried yet? Thanks for commenting, and please enjoy EACH remaining day leading up to Christmas!
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