Liliia Zdor and her team* talk about needle cases

“This needle case is used for storing sewing needles, especially when traveling. Both women and men use such needle containers, which are made from a small metal tube. In the past, they were made from the wing bones of large birds. The metal needle holder is attached to the belt. A metal thimble is also attached to a ring. Small rings on the ends prevent the thimble from getting lost. The strap is made from the smoked covering of a yaranga (tent). Such a smoked covering does not absorb moisture. These types of needle holders were used by both coastal dwellers and reindeer herders. Some women use leather covers to protect their fingers from getting cut by threads. These protective covers are sewn from leather to match the size of the finger. Today, most people use factory-made threads for sewing clothes. However, some still use threads made from animal sinew for sewing fur outerwear and for covering the yaranga.

The thread is made from the back tendons of an animal. When the animal is cut open, the meat along the spine is removed together with the tendon. The tendon is then carefully scraped off the meat with a knife and laid out flat to dry. Once dried, the sinew is gently pounded with a hammer to separate it from the surrounding tissue. The sinew is then split into individual fibers. Two fibers are twisted together to make longer threads. Threads are also made from the leg tendons of reindeer. The meat and tendon are removed from the bone, and the tendon is peeled off and dried. The dried tendon is also loosened by hammering. Threads made from the leg sinews are stronger than those from the back.” (Video in progress)

* Liliia Zdor, Galina Etul', Irina Gyrgol'naut, Irina Nutetgivev and Mark Zdor.

Recorded 2024.