Frances Emilene McNeely Marking Sampler

I never met my Great Grandma but think I would have been fascinated to hear her talk about her life's story and the times in which she lived. Frances Emilene McNeely was born in 1862 in a little rural community of southwest Missouri. She grew up during our country's Civil War and the Reconstruction years that followed...how exciting and sometimes terrifying those times must have been for a little child to experience.

I created my marking sampler in her memory using antique alphabet charts from the 19th century. She was an expert needlewoman so I like to imagine that she began her sewing skills working on a sampler something like this one.

I unfortunately don't have a photo of my Great Grandma but am lucky to own an old salt cellar that belonged to her. I keep it filled with cinnamon sticks instead of salt but I don't think she'd mind! I also have her English ironstone pitcher which is a real beauty. These are treasured items in my home and are of course very special to me.

I hope you are lucky enough to be stitching on something that makes you smile and is close to your heart!!!

Happy stitching!
Sandy

A Carte De Visite From My Civil War Soldier

I know that many of you enjoyed the three "My Civil War Solider" posts I did back in May of 2011 as they are still my most popular posts to date. I thought you might like to see the carte de visite (French for calling card) that my son recently posed for while he was in Gettysburg, PA. The photographic process used in this photo was the same process used for photographs made during the American Civil War...I think the result is striking!  Of course you could never tell from his face, but Zach actually enjoyed every single minute of this experience!

Happy stitching!
Sandy

Housewife For My Civil War Soldier

A few years ago I happily found a reprint of an original United States Christian Commission pattern for making a Civil War era housewife (sewing kit). The Christian Commission was an organization very much like the Sanitary Commission with the added function of ministering to the soldiers' spiritual needs as well as their physical ones.


The patterns were distributed on the home front by the Christian Commission so that women and children left behind could make these housewives for their beloved soldiers. Included in the instructions were the following words:

It is said by many soldiers and sailors that a well-filled house-wife saves them from Five to Fifteen Dollars in cash. It enables them to mend their clothes, sew on buttons, &c., and thus preserves what would soon be destroyed, and have to be replaced by new. Beside this, the moral value of one of these little articles is often unspeakable... The following is the most simple, convenient and serviceable style we have seen...Housewives, thus made, are much more convenient and serviceable than comfort bags.

I have made several of these housewives for my son and his reenacting friends and many have told me that the Christian Commission had it right...they work extremely well and are very handy.

What I find especially interesting is that the original pattern called for an elastic cord fastener. I had no idea that elastic was even around in the 1860s but it was actually patented in 1820 by an Englishman, Thomas Hancock. When I make these for myself and my "modern" day friends, I don't usually include the elastic cord because I like the finished look much better without it. But my son and his friends always get the most authentic version I can manage, calico button and all!

That's the last of my Civil War postings for now...I hope you have enjoyed them!

Sandy

Hand Knit Scarves For My Civil War Soldier

A few years ago, I took a knitting class and learned just enough to realize that knitting needles are definitely not my needles of choice. I did manage to master the lowly garter stitch and now every so often find myself knitting scarves whenever I need something to keep myself mindlessly occupied.


Luckily, my son can use these scarves in his Civil War reenacting so at least my efforts are not in vain! Here in California we don't have much use for wool scarves but once or twice a year I wear one myself when the weather is exceptionally cold.

During the American Civil War, women and children on the home front knit many different kinds of items for the soldiers, including mittens, gloves, stockings, caps and scarves. I am amazed that little children of six or so years of age could knit stockings that would put me to shame. I can only imagine how many thousands of scarves were lovingly knit at home for all of the husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers away fighting in that terrible war. It's heartwarming to think just how grateful those soldiers must have felt when they happily received those precious items from home.

Sandy

Nine Patch Quilt For My Civil War Soldier

My son, Zach, is an avid history student who loves to reenact various eras from America's past. One of his special interests has always been the Civil War so I decided to make him a reproduction United States Sanitary Commission quilt based on an actual surviving quilt I saw in one of my quilt books.

I used the dimensions for a "Sanitary Commission Nine-Patch" given in Barbara Brackman's wonderful book Quilts From the Civil War and then tried my best to copy the colors used in the original piece. My quilt was sewn entirely by hand but soldier quilts of the period were often machine sewn since these went together faster and therefore got to the men quicker.

I decided to tie or "tuft" my quilt instead of hand quilting it because this was a common 19th century way to finish a utility quilt. Hospitals were in desperate need of these cot sized quilts so women made them as fast as they could in order to help comfort their sick and wounded men. Because of this, I'm sure that more than a few were put together quickly by tying. Women and children on the home front (both sides) worked selflessly to keep their soldiers supplied with quilts and other necessities but it was the United States Sanitary Commission that stood second to none in making sure these treasured items ended up in the places where they were needed most.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will be sharing a few more Civil War projects in the coming days so until then.....

Happy stitching!
Sandy