Patchwork Kettle Holders

"Children may learn to make patch work by beginning with kettle holders and iron holders and for these purposes the smallest pieces of calico may be used. These holders should be lined with thick white muslin and bound all round with tape at one corner there should be a loop by which to hang them up. Blower holders are very convenient for the use of servants to save their hands from scorching when they remove the blower from the coal grate."
---Eliza Leslie's "The American Girl's Book", 1831/57, page 301

Quilt Updates

I've been cutting scraps and seaming them for my autograph quilt (the winning design being the hourglass).  The block is basically "broken dishes", ie, it's a four-patch, with each of the four squares divided into two triangles.  Based on the dimensions of inspiration quilt, I'm aiming for 6" finished blocks: I've been cutting 6.5" squares for the white blocks, while the triangles are halves of 4" squares.

The general organizational scheme.

By my count, the original quilt is 15 by 15 blocks: 112 pieced hourglasses and 113 plain white ones. Now I just need to find 113 friends! And, maybe, cut and piece the other 96 blocks.

Sixteen down, ninety-six to go!

I've also been slowly whip-stitching my 3/4" hexagons, using all the fabric scraps that are too small for the autograph quilt (ie, less than 4" square).  This work is highly portable, so it's one of my favorites for commuting.

Many tiny hexagons. This is a long-term project.

Hexagon or Honey-Comb Patchwork

Here's one of my on-going projects: a hexagon patchwork quilt.  It's to use up all the little odd pieces left over from sewing garments.

The inspiration is a quilt in Eileen Trestain's collection, which I encountered while taking her class at Marge Harding's Century of Fashion Conference in 2015.  The original had 1.5" hexagons arranged into rosettes, which in turn were arranged in concentric circles with a dominant color in each ring. Two white hexagons separated each rosette.  While Ms. Trestain's quilt was dated c.1830s-1840s, an almost identical design--albeit with a striped background and only one intervening hex--shows up in this 1870s quilt at the Met.  The International Quilt Study Collection and Museum has another like it from the 1820s-30s, with what appears to be a chintz medallion at the center.

Hexagon patchwork is still used today, under the names "English Paper Piecing" or "Grandmother's Flower Garden". A description of the method appears on page 300 of Eliza Leslie's The American Girl's Book (1831, page 313 of the 1857 edition).  It even calls for arranging the hexagons into rounds of colored calico, with white hexagons at the center of and between each ring.

The method apparently remained a patchwork staple from (at least) the 1820s into the twentieth century, as attested by the many surviving quilts with hexagonal pieces in various arrangments: rosettes (and another), concentric "rings" of color, stars, and even random; these quilts could also get rather complex (even recursive) and may be organized in lines or around a central motif.

Book Review: Civil War Women

Civil War Women by Barbara Brackman stands out from her other selections in that it's explicitly aimed at reenactors.  As with Civil War Sampler and Facts & Fabrications, Civil War Women uses the device of quilts to explore women's lives during the Civil War.  Where this book differs is in the depth of each story and the historical provenance of the designs.

In another departure, instead of pairing each story to a block, these chapters each feature an entire quilt project (so you can't do one of each and end up with a sampler at the end).  Additionally, a sample reenacting activity is included with each chapter--so after you've read up on Confederate spies such as Lizzie Powell and Belle Edmondson, you can devise an impression smuggling goods and information.  The accompanying quilt to this chapter, of course, is a secessionist design inspired by the Confederate flag--one corner of which makes the cover illustration for this book.

With only nine chapters to cover, more room is allowed to each story and project; instead of half a page of history, you're getting four to six pages, and consequently more fun detail and period quotations (and images).  The projects are all based on originals, and come with the usual templates and instructions. Between the history and the patterns, there are a large number of beautiful original images included.

The activities suggestions are also a welcome addition.  We civilians are often overlooked in mainstream reenactment planning, so ideas of accurate activities in which to engage while attending existing events is helpful.  The proposals require varying levels of preparation, participation, and sanction--from sewing a tobacco pouch for your sweetheart to running a charity bazaar.  Considering the book's focus, it is not surprising that 5/9ths of them involve sewing in some capacity, but there are also ideas for speech-making, writing and more.  [Break From Review: For additional ideas on civilian reenactment activities, see Liz Clark's "Value-Added Events"]

Stars: 5 Stars
Accuracy: High. Researched, cited, & full of period illustrations.  All the quilts in this book are period appropriate (but mind which side you're meant to represent).
Difficulty: Varies from simple ("Kansas Troubles", "Free State Album") to complex ("Rocky Mountain"/"Crown of Thorns").  An advanced beginner could certainly make some (but not all) of the designs, but an absolute quilting novice would likely struggle.
Strongest Impression: A well-researched and well-cited book.  This would be a great introduction to reenacting for the quilter, and a valuable resource to the reenactor who's looking to incorporate quilting into her impression.  As with Civil War Sampler and Facts and Fabrications, the seamless inclusion of original images and quotations makes this book a good introduction to those intimidated by primary sources.