44 



This method is more common in Ungava than on the Labrador 

 coast. If white boot tops are desired, the leg portions are 

 further scraped with the ti"Cdkut until the dark outer membrane 

 is removed. The tongue or instep is cut out and treated the 

 same as the legs. It is stitched on to the notch cut in the boot 

 leg (see Figure 1, No. 3). The combined leg and instep skin is 

 now folded and the straight seam sewed, a single stitch for winter 

 boots, but a double seam for waterproof boots (see Figure 1, No. 

 2). It now remains to sew the uppers to the soles of the boot. 

 The leg and instep piece is soaked on the under part to make it 

 pliable and easier to sew. The sole piece is cut large to allow 

 for the gathering at the heel and toe. An allowance of some 

 4 inches is made in the length and 5 to 6 inches in the "round." 

 In gathering the sole to the upper, the seam is started at the 

 side where the sole and tongue of the boot come together. The 

 sole is gathered in by taking three stitches in the place of one, 

 one stitch in the bottom part, then one in the tongue, and then 

 one in the bottom again; about an inch of "whip" stitching. 

 Proceeding with the "gathers," take two stitches in the bottom, 

 one up through and the second down through, and a third in the 

 tongue. This stitch, the a"l'ox stitch, holds until the round of the 

 boot is made to within an inch of the tongue again; then the 

 "whip" stitch is used for about 3 inches around the heel, then 

 the triple stitch again, allowing a longer stitch than at the front 

 of the boot (see pattern of tongue and sole, Figure 1, Nos. 3 and 



4). 



The top portion (see Figure 1, No. 1) is a straight strip 

 about 1 inch wide folded. The two ends are sewn together, 

 then turned down over the boot, raw edge up, and sewn with 

 an "overedge" stitch. In the space thus formed the drawstring 

 is placed. 



The Labrador boot lacks the ankle straps of the Alaskan, 

 but is reinforced at the back in the heel by several lines of stitch- 

 ing. This answers the same purpose of bracing up the sides and 

 of keeping the form of the boot. 



After the sewing is completed, the boot is shaped with the 

 a'xkau'dlut. This is a straight stick about 3 feet long with a 

 little rounded top levelled at each edge. It is put up the leg 



