The Pueblo peoples are Native Americans living in the Southwest, mostly in New Mexico. Pueblo is a Spanish word meaning “village,” and there are 19 pueblos in New Mexico, each with its own unique culture and traditions. You can learn more about them on the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website.
This off-the-shoulder dress, called a “Manta,” is a typical style for women of the Hopi and Zuni Pueblos. Traditionally, it was made of dark colored wool or cotton blankets. Some of the blankets had fancy red woven borders. Here is one example in the National Museum of the American Indian:
Other blankets were white with elaborate multi-colored borders. Here is a beautiful example in the Penn Museum:
Here is how the Manta looks when it is worn by a Pueblo woman.
Maxine is wearing a modern version of the Manta. I have chosen a festive Southwest print for the dress. A colorful woven belt and soft boots complete the look. This outfit will work for just about any Hitty-size doll, since you can adjust the gathers at the waist to fit. It can also be lengthened or shortened if you choose. Traditionally, the Manta was knee-length.
Download the Native Pueblo Manta Dress Here!
I am looking forward to seeing all the outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members.
Native Pueblo Manta Dress Instructions
Materials:
Cotton fabric
Felt
Silver beads for belt
Needle for hand-sewing
Sewing thread to match fabric
Straight pins
Craft scissors for cutting out pattern
Scissors for cutting fabric
Iron and ironing board
Fabric marking pen
Size 4/0 snaps
Fray-Check
Ruler
NOTE: Please supervise children and take safety precautions when using an iron or a sewing machine.
STITCH DIAGRAMS:
HAND SEWING VS. MACHINE SEWING
This tutorial will focus on hand-sewing techniques. If you are a beginning sewer, it will probably work better for you to hand-sew the pieces together. However, if you feel like your machine-sewing skills are up to the challenge, go for it!
CUTTING OUT PIECES
Download and print pattern. Cut carefully around the outline of each pattern piece with craft scissors (save the good scissors for fabric so they won’t become dull). Arrange the “Pueblo Dress” pattern piece on the cotton fabric so that the print is in a flattering position. If you have stripes, make sure that that the stripes are aligned parallel with the pattern piece. Pin pattern in place. Cut out the dress from the cotton fabric.
Cut four pieces of the “Boot” pattern from felt (two for each boot). Cut one “Belt” from felt.
FINISHING EDGES
Mark the three dots on the back of the dress with a Frixion or other fabric marking pen. Clip to the dots with scissors.
Place the dress on a paper towel. Apply Fray-Check along both center back edges and along the top edge. Apply some to the cut edges where you clipped to the dots. You don’t need to put any on the bottom edge because it will be finished with a hem. Allow to dry thoroughly before sewing.
Thread a needle with a single layer of thread. Tie a knot in the end. On the wrong side of the fabric, fold down the back edge above the clipped dot. Hem this in place.
When you get to the edge, fold down the next section along the top edge of the dress and continue hemming. To hem the circular area in the middle, ease your stitches to follow the curve.
Continue hemming until you reach the dot on the opposite back edge. Press the hemmed edge flat after sewing.
GATHERING WAISTLINE
The waistline has two rows of gathers. Start at one center back edge. On the wrong side of the fabric, use a double length of knotted thread and take a backstitch at the edge. Gather in a straight line along the waist line. NOTE: You could use a single length of thread if you prefer, but a double thread is less likely to break.
Make a gathering stitch in a straight line all the way to the other center back edge. Leave about 2-3” tail when you cut off the thread.
Make a second row of gathers about 1/8” above the first one. You will be adjusting the gathers to fit the doll’s waistline, but first, you need to sew the center back seam.
CENTER BACK SEAM
Fold right sides together and align the center back edges. With a single layer of knotted thread, sew a backstitch along the seam line.
Press seam flat, then press seam open. Use just the tip of the iron, so you don’t put any creases in the dress.
ADJUSTING WAISTLINE
Turn dress inside out and put dress on doll. Pull all four gathering threads together and adjust gathers to fit waistline.
Remove dress from doll. Make a knot in each row of gathers. Then tie the two ends together in a square knot. Clip off extra threads.
HEMMING BOTTOM OF DRESS
Fold up 1/8” on the bottom edge of dress and press with the iron. Then fold up another 1/2” and pin in place.
Starting at back seam, hem all along bottom of dress, removing pins as you go. When you get to the place that you started, tie a knot and cut the thread. Press hem. The finished dress is now ready for a snap closure.
SEWING ON SNAPS
Snaps come in various sizes such as 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0. The larger the number, the smaller the snap. I used a size 4/0 snap, but if you have trouble sewing on such a small snap, you can use a larger snap.
Separate the two pieces of the snap from the card. These little snaps are slippery, so handle with care, or they may get away from you! Each snap has a “Ball Half” and a “Socket Half.” The Ball Half of the snap has a thinner edge than the Socket Half.
Make a knot in a double length of thread and insert the needle close to where you want the place the Ball Half, on the wrong side of the front dress flap corner. Bring the needle up through one of the holes. Sew twice in this hole, then move on to the next hole. The stitches on the opposite side will be visible, so make them as small as possible. Keep sewing around the snap until you have sewn twice in all four of the holes. Then make a knot and clip the thread.
Make a knot in the thread and insert the needle close to where you want to place the Socket Half, on the right side of the back dress flap corner. Bring the needle up through one of the holes. The Socket Half should be facing up to receive the Ball Half of the snap. Sew twice in all four holes of the Socket Half. Then make a knot and cut the thread. That’s it! Snaps can be a bit tedious to sew on, but they work really well for clothing on small dolls.
SEWING THE BOOTS
Place two of the Boot pieces together. Use a double layer of knotted thread and insert the needle in between the layers of felt to hide the knot. Start sewing at the top of the Boot using a whipstitch.
Continue sewing around the bottom of the Boot and all the way up to the other top edge. Knot the thread and bury it between the layers of felt.
Repeat these steps to make the other Boot.
SEWING THE BELT
Cut out the Belt from felt. Try it on the doll. It should have about 1/2” overlap. If there is more than that, you can trim off the excess. Arrange the beads along the Belt until you are satisfied with the pattern.
Use a double knotted thread to sew the beads in place. When you get to the end of the Belt where the snap will overlap, turn under 1/4” and secure with a couple stitches.
Sew the Ball Half on the wrong side of the Belt, on the overlapped edge. Sew the Socket Half of the snap on the right side of the Belt, close to the edge.
Now you have completed the Native Pueblo Manta Dress. Maxine will be wearing hers on June 11th, 2022: World Doll Day. Hope you have plans to celebrate!
I have done my best to make the instructions complete and accurate. If you have any corrections, questions or comments about the tutorial, please Contact Me. And if you want to be informed when I add new patterns for Kitty Friends clothing or accessories, please Subscribe.
