Image: Kara Mastin

When a quilting friend heard about Kara’s project, she went through her stash and came up with reproduction fabrics and patterns used at that time.  The resulting quilt was large, but worth the effort Kara put into it.

She uses it for her bed and plans to take it to college with her.  Yes, she got an A+ on the project!

(At Meandering Threads, see more information about Kara’s Civil War quilt and one she made as a gift for her music teacher , who retired.)

Photo by Kara Mastin

Post from: Blisstree

Civil War Era Quilt by My Granddaughter

Image: sxc.hu

Along with writing them down you can:

• Make quilts and wall hangings with photos, related scenes and activities, or fabrics from family clothing.
• Develop scrapbooks about family events.
• Preserve documents along with photos in collages, books, and on fabric.
• Write books that relate family stories and add illustrations.  I’m working on a picture book about my Uncle William “Buffalo Bill” Mathewson.
• Develop fiction stories inspired by those of your family.  The life of  Great Great Grandmother Cynthia, who lived during the Civil War era, would make an exciting novel.
• Create a shadow box with mementos such as buttons, beads, jewelry, and awards.  For instance, I’m putting together a collage of my uncle’s military metals and memorabilia.

Do you have any techniques you’re using to preserve your family heritage?

Post from: Blisstree

Crafting Your Family Heritage

The premise that quilts contained symbols and secret messages for slaves escaping along the Underground Railroad of the pre-Civil War and Civil War era is met with differing opinions.  However, research continues with some saying there definitely were quilts that aided and others who maintain it’s all a folk tale.

Diane Grenier is a quilter who spent two years researching Underground Railroad quilts and has created a reproduction.  Learn about her own fascinating journey in Heidi Kratzke’s story, “Underground Railroad Quilt” threads way to freedom.

Other stories relating to this topic:

Hidden in Plain View – A Favorite Quilt Book

The Runaway Quilt (An Undergound Railroad Novel)

The Underground Quilt Controversy

Quilters Celebrate Black History Month

Student Makes Quilt Depicting Slavery & the Underground Railroad

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Underground Railroad Quilts – A Great Fascination

As she showed me the pictures she’d taken of her quilts, I thought, “That’s it! I’ll have a quilt photo instead of the question mark.”

We selected the one she made as a school project for American Studies, a quilt based upon Civil War designs and history.

This may be the picture we use for other sites as well.

(I’ll have to post the photo at another time.  Granddaughter and I can’t figure out how to get it on this post!)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

A Quilt for My Social Media Photo

 Time travel is on my mind this week since that’s the theme for One Book Two Book, where I co-blog with Karen  Weideman.  We’re tying our weekly themes in with Camp Weary Parent this summer to bring readers, young and older, books and activities to enjoy.

How about a time travel quilt?

This phrase, time travel quilt, brings to mind so many possibilities….activities for children, ideas for quilts, topics to write about?

*Pretend it’s a Magic Carpet Quilt.  As the children sit on the quilt they can pretend they’re going to many lands and eras.  Possibly some of them will be suggested by patterns in the quilt or fabric from specific eras.

*Look to see where the various fabrics came from in a family quilt.  Then research and tell stories about the people who wore them (if the pieces are from clothing) and the times and area in which they lived.

*If the quilt was made by a relative or ancestor, learn more about that person.  If they’re living, ask them questions.

*Write a story about the quilt and the people who are represented by it and actions that shaped them.

*Make a quilt using reproduction fabrics from a specific era or different eras.  My granddaughter recently made a quilt with a Civil War (US) theme for a school project.  She researched the ladies who made quilts for the soldiers and the fabrics they used.  One of her mom’s quilting friends gave her some reproduction

Let these ideas serve as a springboard to creativity and originality of your own.

Time Travel Posts at One Book Two Book:

Travel Through Time with the Magic Tree House Books

One Book Two Book Ties in With Camp Weary Parent

(Amazon image; click on picture for details)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Experience Time Travel with a Quilt

 My love of children’s and young adult books has flowed over to One Book Two Book, a blog for book lovers and readers at here at b5media.  As a children’s author as well, I find writing this blog with Karen Weideman very fulfilling. 

At One Book Two Book, I can share my love of reading and writing and hopefully inspire youngsters and adults to enjoy the same.  I also share my stories with youngsters in schools through substitute teaching and author visits, as well as writing workshops.

Here at Quilting and Patchwork, I’ve mentioned children’s books involving quilting as the story theme and hope you’ve enjoyed them if you had a chance to read them.  In some of my writing for children, I include the craft of quilting, and have a quilting scene in my book-in-progress, Papa Goes to War.  (This is a Civil War era middle reader loosely based on my family history.)

Stop by One Book Two Book and let me know what you’d like to find there.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting & Patchwork Blogger also Co-Blogging at One Book Two Book

As I’ve researched my children’s book, Papa Goes to War, concerning the Civil War era, I discovered that women then, as now, made quilts during times of disaster.  Quilters have responded to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Iraq/Afghanistan War by providing quilts for bed coverings and comfort.

 During the Civil War, women made various items for the soldiers away from home.  Among these were quilts for the soldiers bed rolls.  Chief among the organizations collecting quilts and distributing them to soldiers on the battlefield and in hospitals was the Unites States Sanitary Commission, somewhat like today’s Red Cross.

The Commission coordinated many of the clothing and bedding collection activities.  This organization was begun in New York at Cooper Union or Cooper Institute.  Their Soldiers Relief Circles met throughout the Union, generally once a week.  Ladies also did this sewing at home, too.

(In my book, Papa Goes to War, Mandy, her grandmother, aunt, and several other ladies got together to work on quilts for their menfolk.  A scene takes place at the sewing/quilting session.)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilts in Times of Disasters