Kaylee in her tradition clothing: kuspuk & mukluks. Ever heard of a kuspuk before? I found this great explanation of a kuspuk on facebook
A kuspuk (/ˈkʌs.pʌk/) (from Yup'ik qaspeq;Iñupiaq: atikłuk) is a hooded overshirt with a large front pocket commonly worn among Alaska Natives. Kuspuks are tunic-length, falling anywhere from below the hips to below the knees. The bottom portion of kuspuks worn by women may be gathered and akin to a skirt. Kuspuks tend to be pullover garments, though some have zippers.
Though kuspuks are traditionally a Yupik garment, they are now worn by both men and women of many Native groups, as well as by non-Natives. The garment was originally made of animal skin or gut and was worn over a fur parka to keep the parka clean. As stores became more common in Bush villages, kuspuks began to be made of calico grain sacks. Kuspuks are now generally made from brightly printed cotton calico, velvet, or corduroy trimmed with rickrack. Today, kuspuks are often worn as a blouse with pants.
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kuspuk/391513100986663?fref=ts#)
I will attest that kuspuks are very comfortable to wear and they're fun to make. As soon as I arrived in southwest Alaska I wanted to learn how to make my own kuspuks (thank you Fanny for your lessons). In May 2014, I finally finished making a kuspuk for Kaylee. I was going to post a tutorial on how to make a kuspuk, but, uh . . . it's been a year now, so I'm going to admit to myself it's not happening.
A kuspuk (/ˈkʌs.pʌk/) (from Yup'ik qaspeq;Iñupiaq: atikłuk) is a hooded overshirt with a large front pocket commonly worn among Alaska Natives. Kuspuks are tunic-length, falling anywhere from below the hips to below the knees. The bottom portion of kuspuks worn by women may be gathered and akin to a skirt. Kuspuks tend to be pullover garments, though some have zippers.
Though kuspuks are traditionally a Yupik garment, they are now worn by both men and women of many Native groups, as well as by non-Natives. The garment was originally made of animal skin or gut and was worn over a fur parka to keep the parka clean. As stores became more common in Bush villages, kuspuks began to be made of calico grain sacks. Kuspuks are now generally made from brightly printed cotton calico, velvet, or corduroy trimmed with rickrack. Today, kuspuks are often worn as a blouse with pants.
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kuspuk/391513100986663?fref=ts#)
I will attest that kuspuks are very comfortable to wear and they're fun to make. As soon as I arrived in southwest Alaska I wanted to learn how to make my own kuspuks (thank you Fanny for your lessons). In May 2014, I finally finished making a kuspuk for Kaylee. I was going to post a tutorial on how to make a kuspuk, but, uh . . . it's been a year now, so I'm going to admit to myself it's not happening.
Here are some kuspuks I have made before and since making this one for Kaylee.
