Civil War Women: Their Quilts, Their Roles, Activities for Re-Enactors (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Miss Angelina Grimke exhibited considerable talent for a female as an orator: appeared not at all abashed in exhibiting herself in a position so unsuitable..." (more)
Key Phrases: Civil War, New York, Kansas Troubles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Brackman's second book on quilting and the Civil War (after Quilts from the Civil War) introduces the reader to nine women who lived in that era and for each includes quilt designs of the time that they might actually have stitched. Suggested activities for reenactors and an extensive bibliography of original source materials make this book of interest not only to quilters but also for American history and American studies collections in public libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Hands-on projects adapted from nineteenth-century quilts are combined with fascinating historical accounts of the period, giving this unusual book its widespread appeal among readers of many interest groups. The Civil War experiences of nine women are profiled-from abolitionist speaker Lucy Stone to freed slave Susie Taylor King to Confederate spy Belle Edmondson. Each woman is matched to a quilt that she might have made herself, as featured in nine projects, each with complete patterns and instructions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: C&T Publishing; illustrated edition edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571201041
• ISBN-13: 978-1571201041
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #323,185 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #42 in

  Books > History > United States > Civil War > Women

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For the Lady Reenactor, November 11, 2000

By	Mary Z. Cox (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I want to meet Barbara Brackman, the author of this beautifully put together quilting/history volume. So many books for reenactors are one dimensional, but Civil War Women is multimedia like in its approach. Each chapter tells the story of a real Civil War era woman to give you a feel for historical setting. Then she presents a historically inspired quilt that she feels would be the type of quilt that woman could have quilted. There are directions for these quilts which are mostly appliqued. Then she offers a suggested activity for a lady reenactor. The color plates in this volume are clear and breathtaking and there are many black and white historical photos that I found instructional. I learned many new things, such as an explanation for the bloomer reform dress, that caused me to consider impersonations that I had not thought about before. I have heard some local ladies criticize the author's selection of quilts as being too Union--but I personally found their designs refreshing and a nice alternative to Baltimore album quilts. The quilts that are my favorites are: Tobacco Worm, Seven Sisters and Democrat Rose. I enjoyed reading about Lucy Stone and her "poodle" husband. I am currently musing over the reenactor activity suggestions. The womens' rights orator and the letter writer both seem creative and do-able impressions that could be accomplished by a single reenactor. I really believe that this volume would be a great candidate for a companion CD that could have some video how to's and print outs of quilt patterns.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting mini bios, lots of living history ideas, November 20, 2002

By	"seasidewanderer" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

For those interested in learning more about the various roles that women played in the Civil War, this book is a terrific starting point. For those interested in ideas of civilian living history activities, this book has some great ideas for women Civil War reenactors who want to do more than sit under the tent fly until their man returns from battle. For those interested in making a quilt inspired by old-fashioned patterns, this book contains some beautiful projects and good instructions. For those interested in faithfully recreating historically accurate quilts, this book is not for you.

After reading Barbara Brackman's wonderful "Quilts from the Civil War," I anxiously awaited "Civil War Women"--expecting another book on recreating historic quilts. Ultimately, I appreciated "Civil War Women" for what it was--a book containing interesting stories about the lives of women abolitionists, newspaper reporters, spies, plantation wives, nurses, government clerks, refugees and soldiers' wives. In the book's nine chapters, Brackman focuses on describing the life of one women from each group, and then discusses others in these roles. Numerous photographs and engravings help take the reader back to the 1860s.

I especially loved the suggested activities for reenactors: a quilting bee, giving a stump speech, collecting signatures for an album quilt, smuggling contraband, staging a bazaar, to name a few. Brackman reprints a speech given by Amelia Bloomer and excerpts diaries discussing quilting bees and fairs, which help to provide primary sources for these activities. Even those not involved in living history might be inspired to try some of these activities for a different old-fashioned party.

For a book with a quilt on its cover that primarily has been marketed in quilt shops, however, the paucity of original quilts was disappointing. Of the 30-some quilts depicted in "Civil War Women," only a quarter are originals. And although Brackman describes the project quilts as being inspired by originals, in many cases, she does not depict the originals so that the quilter interested in authenticity can determine where accuracy left off and inspiration took over. Unlike the reproduction quilts in "Quilts of the Civil War," which many times appeared very similar to the originals, these quilts just don't quite look like other historic quilts that I have seen from the period.

Had this book not clearly targeted reenactors, I would not complain about the quilts. But for those involved in living history for the sake of public education rather than because they like "theme camping," authenticity is important, and the suggestion that reenactors can create good reproduction quilts by relying merely on this book does a disservice.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Re-enactor's delight, May 26, 2001

By	Carol H. Miller (www.Quilt University.com) - See all my reviews

This book contains 9 projects adapted from period quilts. These are linked rather whimsically to 9 women of the period. There is no evidence that the women profiled actually made quilts like these or, in fact, ever made any quilts at all. Ms. Brackman has used a little creative journalism, what the TV people like to call the docu-drama approach, to connect nine women who represent particular types and quilts that women like them were making. If your love is for historical trivia, about women or the Civil War period, you will likely find this book fascinating. Each chapter ends with a series of activities which could be used by re-enactors or by history teachers. There are numerous etchings and photographs of the period.