Civil War Reproduction Quilt

 I can finally post the pictures. This is the Civil War Reproduction Quilt.......I sent it down south to its new home in Lakewood, California, with Don and Judy Payne. Let me see....about three months of stitching, give or take a few days, I suppose....probably at least 250 hours of more stitching time.

 Really fascinating making something like this with actual poems and words from their ancestors.  It's  as if the words were alive again.

Tons of smaller squares set in brown earth tone strips. Fussy little things......but the quilt still came out to be about a small queen size, or large double quilt.  Way fun.

Civil War Panel

Civil War Panel finally put together with 40 squares.  No detailing, no embroidery just yet...there often would be names stitched into the quilt. But at last I have it at least in one piece. Hasn't even been ironed. And I stillhave to tea dye it, to darken the whte patches. I want it to look rather old, if at all possible.

                                             More detail  of squares, set in plain   background.

Letter following written by Eldress Nancy Elly Moore , Nov. 7th, 1863. (She was admitted to the Shaker covenant in 1830at the age of 23 as an Elder of the church. At the time, Shakers kept detailed accounts of busiess transactions  and community activities. Nancy kept a journal about the civil war. The Shakers were self sufficient and successful community. They had well established gardens and orchards and were known for their hospitlity....something the Union and Confederate soldiers took advantage of.Nancy collapsed of a stroke in Nov. 1889 and died just before Christmas that same year. Her journals are amazing.)

"Mercury at 3 degrees. Clear and beautiful day this 7th of Nov. Today Brother Patterson J. was out at the town of Franklin, Kentucky. While there he saw the dead bodies of wo guerillas, who had been shot by Federal soldiers of Col. Johnsons company. They having learned that a company of guerillas were scouting round near town, started out in pursuit, and met them but a short distance from town. For of the Federals fired at them killing two men and one horse. A good many man who were acquainted recognized one of  the dead bodies to be that of George Milligan, who was formerly ( before the war commenced), one of our near neighbors and a bitter enemy to believers. We have been informed several times since he has been engaged in the rebel service of his threats, totake vengeance on Shaker Town. But outside of helping to burn our Depot, he has failed in carrying thenm into execution, until now, in his own work he is suddenly put beond the reach of being able to injure us, as a people. We dreaded him as much as any other rebel or enemy. But now we say Amen , so let it be.A goodly number of Sisters were engaged today gathering dried beans from the garden for winter use."
   (From Diary of a Civil Wr Quilt Diary, by Rosemary Youngs)