Seminole Patchwork Patterns in Pekinese Stitch

Pekinese stitch was the TAST stitch this week, a very satisfying and easy stitch.

Except for the lettering which is 2 strands of floss, I used all 6 strands of cotton floss for this week's page.  The boldness of the design and the way the stitch works  called for a thicker thread.  I chose to work the loops fairly tight and really like how it turned out.

The date of August 14, 1842 was the end of the 2nd Seminole War and the beginning of the tribe's removal from Florida to Oklahoma.  The Seminole are known as one of the 5 civilized tribes.

The Seminole women have some gorgeous patchwork patterns that are used on their native clothing and are worked in bands in bright colors, most often seen on the women's skirts.  Most patterns have a meaning, from the top:

• rainclouds (I used variegated blue and love how it turned out)
• fire
• broken arrows 
• rain  (bands of rain, just how it does rain in Florida)
• river