Women provided the whole family with clothing and footwear adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. They sewed clothes and shoes from processed reindeer skins and fur of other animals. For a long time, the only kind of thread for sewing was reindeer leg and back sinews — they were quite strong and, in their ability to withstand various loads without stretching or breaking, were not inferior to such modern analogs as nylon thread, fishing line or thin copper wire.
-thick dorsal sinews of female reindeer, which are better split into fibers, were best suited for sewing outer garments. Thicker sinews from the front legs of reindeer were suitable for sewing shoes. The thinnest threads for beadwork were obtained from the sinews of female reindeer and calves.
When sewing, sinew threads were moistened with water or saliva. When they dried, they tightened the seam, which increased the service life of the product. When clothes or shoes got wet, such threads did not stretch and the seam did not leak water.
Sami needlewomen used sinew threads not only for sewing together parts of processed hides, but also for embroidering traditional geometric patterns. The Sami decorative patterns differed in its content and execution technique. The various execution of the parts of the pattern can be attributed to the beliefs about the natural world. For example, blue wavy bead thread symbolized the surface of the sea. There are no knots in all beadwork embroidery on the product itself. From a technical point of view, tying knots of sinew is a rather complicated process.
In addition to sewing clothes and shoes, the Sami
used reindeer sinews for medicinal purposes. When treating large painful tumors
on the arms and legs, a thread of reindeer sinew was used. Notably, it had to
be made with the left hand. If the leg was sore, the sinew of the hind legs of
a deer was used, in case of a hand — the sinew of the front legs. If a woman
was ill, the tendons of a female deer were taken, if a man — the sinews of a
stag. 27 knots were tied on the thread. Then the sorceress touched the sore
spot several times with the blade of a blunt knife and recited the incantation.
