Fashion designer Nan Blassingame, of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, sits in her swivel chair, working on a traditional dance shawl. Her hands move up and down as she knots blue strings of fringe into black fabric, making loops in the tiny holes lining the hem. The shawl is set to be auctioned off this weekend at the thirtieth annual Austin Powwow. For Blassingame, 42, making Native American fashion by hand comes easily. She first learned how to sew in a home economics class back in her hometown of Hammon, Oklahoma. But it wasn’t until her early twenties that she first learned how to make one of her most beloved pieces—a Native American jingle dress. Blassingame’s aunt gave her only one chance to get it down.…
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