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Your Civil War Uniform Does not Have to Look 100+ Years Old
By Paula and Coach McCoach
http://www.civilwaruniforms.net
Civil War soldiers did not want to look "tattered." The custom was to look as neat and clean as possible. Remember, when they first got their uniforms, the uniforms looked new. The soldiers of the Civil War liked being tidy. If they had rips and tears in their uniforms, they would sew them up if they could. Being in "tatters" was not a sign of being "cool."
I recommend that you keep your Civil War Uniform looking as clean and trim as possible depending on what you want to portray unless you want to portray a particular campaign where they were ragged. If not I would want to keep my uniform in good shape, and I would not wreck my new uniform right from the start. If you really want a tattered uniform, find one on a blanket.
Even at the end of the war, they were issued new uniforms. Lee's army looked better at the surrender than at Gettysburg.
Remember you have invested a substantial amount of money in your Civil War Uniform. I am passionate about mine being accurate and a correct reproduction. I would not intentionally tear or rip my uniform to make it look worn. Why destroy your uniform after you have spent so much time and effort getting it "right?"
Putting a patch on your pants, jacket, shirt, etc. is an accurate way to fix a hole or tear. But, I am careful not to put too many patches on my uniform, as I don't want to look like a walking quilt! I suggest you keep an eye on the number and size of the patches you are putting on your uniform, to be sure it looks appropriate. I would not put patches on just for effect. The Civil War soldier would try to match the patch to the color of the uniform fabric.
An interesting subject among reenactors is the topic of smell. I don't feel that to have an accurate impression, you have to smell like you have not taken a bath in months. Soldiers of the Civil War tried their hardest to smell good and be clean. They would wash themselves as much as they could in streams, rivers, etc., but remember hygiene in those days was not what it is today.
Plus, think of your fellow reenactors and maybe your own popularity or lack thereof, if you smell really bad. The Civil War was pre-deodorant days. Some guys think the worse you smell, the better your impression, but I would not go to that extreme. You can't diagnose smell in original photos.
My last comment on staying neat and clean as the soldiers of the Civil War wanted to do is about hair. Most of the men who fought in the Civil War ran the gamut - crew cuts to long hair. I think they cut their hair for hygiene hair to keep the lice down. I would think in the summer they would cut their hair more and in the winter they would have longer hair to keep warm.
The same would go with beards. A lot of this had to do with would depend if you had access to water, razors, etc. I would think in camp they would be much better groomed than on campaign.
In general, they were not sporting long ponytails or long hair very often. Long hair was less common than medium or short hair. Look at original photographs. As I have said many times, if you look at original photographs, you will see that the hairstyles of the day were neat and clean and short for the most part.
Coach McCoach has been a Civil War reenactor in the 4th North Carolina Infantry, 2nd Virginia Regiment, and 21st Virginia Company B. Coach has received the "Authenticity Award" from these companies several times for his Civil War Uniform Impression. Coach's Civil War uniform designs have been seen in the movies GETTYSBURG, Antietam Visitors Center, ANDERSONVILLE.
For more information, contact coach@civilwaruniforms.net or go to http://www.civilwaruniforms.net
2005 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the contact information is included to coach@civilwaruniforms.net and
http://www.civilwaruniforms.net
About the Author
Coach McCoach has been a Civil War reenactor in the 4th North Carolina Infantry, 2nd Virginia Regiment, and 21st Virginia Company B. Coach has received the "Authenticity Award" from these companies several times for his Civil War Uniform Impression. Coach's Civil War uniform designs have been seen in the movies GETTYSBURG, Antietam Visitors Center, ANDERSONVILLE.
...Author: by Paula and Coach McCoach
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Timely help for free quilting stencils
About Quilting Dutchman's Puzzle is an all-time favorite traditional quilt block. I'm showing an example of a quilt here, rather than the block itself, because this pattern's color value arrangement is split vertically, and deviates from the norm, with a dark background in one half of the block and a light background in the other. The pattern walks you through the construction of two quilt blocks, and although they have the same components, they're sewn together in different ways. Make 35 blocks to assemble a strippy-set quilt like this example (the pattern includes yardages). It's also a very good pattern for scrappy blocks (and a heads-up to Forum Block Party participants -- you might see this again at some point). ©Janet Wickell Dutchman's Puzzle Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 16:28:05. Permalink | Comment | Email this Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern Five Patch Chain is another block that can be used to create dramatic diagonal movement on the face of your quilt. All pieces are cut along the straight grain -- no stretchy bias edges means it's super easy to assemble. The quilt block finishes at 10" square, and I've included a layout example showing 18 Five Patch Chains alternated with Snowballs. ©Janet Wickell Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 18:05:31. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern This colorful version of the Double Nine Patch quilt block is assembled using a slightly different color value layout in the small corner nine patches than is typical of the traditional design. The block finishes at 11-1/4" square, and can be assembled quickly by strip piecing (most) rows. © Janet Wickell Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 20:17:40. Permalink | Comment | Email this Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern Lincoln's Platform is a traditional patchwork quilt block with a central area surrounded by continuous squares -- sort of a block with its own built-in border. This version of the quilt block finishes at 14" x 14", and can be assembled with quick piecing techniques. I've included a layout suggestion, with blocks sewn together in horizontal rows. © Janet Wickell Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 19:36:33. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange This Double Four Patch design is the second quilt block pattern for March. Stitched in focal fabrics of pink, rose and orange, it's sure to be an attention-getter. The block finishes at 8" square, and is simple to assemble. It's also the design we're using for this month's Block Party event in the Quilting Forum. Double Four Patch Pattern © Janet Wickell Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 11:16:29. Permalink | Comment | Email this Kicking Off Block-a-Day March I introduced a new block pattern each day last March, and plan to try it again this year. Now, there might be days I get behind, but I'll end the month with 31 new patterns. Day 1's quilt block is a variation of the design that's often referred to as Broken Dishes. Its center, made from four half square triangles, is the layout that typically comes to mind when we hear that name (although the color value layout shown here differs a bit). The block finishes at 15" square, and would make a fantastic scrap quilt. Kicking Off Block-a-Day March originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 15:07:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt In 1946, coastlines throughout Hawaii were hit by a tsunami generated by a massive earthquake in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Less than 5 hours later, waves as tall as 55 feet came onshore in Hilo and other parts of Hawaii, killing 159 people and devastating shoreline areas. Hopefully, residents will have plenty of warning to evacuate the coasts ahead of the tsunami expected from the earthquake in Chile. In Laupahoehoe, the focal point of The Tsunami Quilt, schoolchildren ran towards the ocean to pick up fish after one of the waves retreated, unaware that another would follow, and pull them into the ocean. Focusing on the losses at Laupahoehoe, Anthony Fredericks uses a family's history and tradition to explain the events of 1946 to children. Colorful illustration by Tammy Yee tell the story in pictures. Monument at Laupahhoehoe Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 11:16:35. Permalink | Comment | Email this 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern Are you ready to go smaller? At 5" square, perhaps this doesn't fit into most definitions of a miniature quilt, but it is half the size of the traditional Fool's Square block. The smaller size is perfect for a wallhanging and also makes a nicely-scaled baby quilt. Sew an alternate block between Fool's Square (a plain square, a Snowball, any five-patch) or sew them side-by-side. You'll find that color-play is best when side-by-side blocks are not identical -- make them scrappy or sew them in a couple of themes for best results. Janet Wickell 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:10:03. Permalink | Comment | Email this Make An Easy Pillow Cover I'm not big on sewing zippers -- I've had a mental block about them since about 1963. So I've avoided making pillow covers, because I like covers that can be removed when it's time to wash them, something that's critical when you have a house full of felines like we do. This quick and easy pillow cover method solves the problem by eliminating the zippers and replacing them with a simple, fold-over back. Start looking through your UFO bins for quilt blocks, and then grab some backing fabric. You'll finish this easy throw pillow cover in no time. Photo © Janet Wickell Make An Easy Pillow Cover originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:00:45. Permalink | Comment | Email this Thread Tips for Quilters Thread Tips is one of the many references inspired by readers when I asked what type of information everyone would like to see covered on About.com Quilting. Entire books can be written about threads, their content and their uses and the techniques required to sew with them, so treat this as a simple introduction. I hope it will help beginners become more familiar with the massive selection of threads available to quilters. Thread Tips for Quilters originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 17:58:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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