A True StoryThis quilt is a reproduction of one made during the Civil War by Palmara Mitchell of Missouri. At the time, Missouri was at odds with Kansas, and even though both were Union states, Missouri was full of Confederate sympathizers. One day, Union soldiers came by the Mitchell house and asked who their loyalty belonged to. The Mitchells didn't tell the soldiers they were from Kentucky and Tennessee. Still the soldiers refused to believe their loyalty was with the Union because they didn't have the Stars and Stripes displayed. The soldiers told Palmara and her family that if the flag was not displayed when they came back, the soldiers would burn the farm.
So Palmara went to her scrap bag and cut up several strips of turkey red, bright blue and white fabric and made this flag. It took her about three hours of hand sewing, and by the time the soldiers returned the flag was finished. She had saved the farm.
The quilt now resides in the Collection of West and Historical Museum in Missouri.
Project demonstrated by Barbara Brackman.
Fabric: (figure A)
four red 2" x 21 1/2" strips
four white 2" x 21 1/2" strips
three red 2" x 33" strips
two white 2" x 33" strips
one blue 12" square
one white 3 1/2" x 44" strip
Steps:
- Place a 33" red and white strip right sides together and stitch along one side. Open and press seam toward the red.
- Repeat Step 1 by stitching a white strip to the red strip. Continue until all 33" strips are used. When finished you should have a red strip on top and bottom with two white strips in the middle (figure B).
- Repeat the same process with the 21-1/2" strips. Start with the red and continue from there. The red strip should be on top and a white one on the bottom.
- You'll need a template to make the stars. You can make one in several ways. Trace around a star cookie cutter, copy a star from a coloring book or draw one. The only requirement is that one star must be able to fit inside a 3" circle, and 13 must fit within a 2" circle (figure C).
- Once the templates are made, cut out stars from fabric. Fold, 12" blue square from one corner to the other and press with an iron. Unfold and repeat for the other two corners. Unfold square again and place the larger star (3") in the center where the two crease lines meet (figure D).
- Next, place a star in each corner of the blue square and the remaining nine stars around the larger one in the center. Applique the stars to the blue fabric.
- Stitch the blue fabric to one side of the 21 1/2" fabric strips. You'll then stitch the longer 33" fabric strip to it. The flag is complete. Refer to figure B for reference.
- Now cut a piece of white fabric 1/2" larger than the flag. Place the flag and white fabric right sides together and stitch all the way around, leaving a small opening. Trim excess fabric and turn right side out.
- Slipstitch the opening closed and press.
Resources Quilts From The Civil War: 10 Projects, Historical Notes, Diary Entries
by Barbara Brackman (ISBN: 1571200339)
Click
here to order this title.
C & T Publishing Inc.
Website:
www.ctpub.com
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