Civil War Blocks Enter the 21st Century

One of my favorite blogs is Barbara Brackman's Material Culture. Barbara is a quilt historian and fabric designer who shares regular posts about quilts, quilt dating and fabric. Some of my favorite posts are ones where she shows pictures of quilts gone wrong (Sunbonnet Sue, Lone Stars and More)

Do you ever feel a little out of whack?

Because 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, Barbara started a new blog: Civil War Quilts. Each Saturday, she will share pictures and stories from people who lived during the Civil War (she has an amazing collection of antique pictures) and a pattern for an 8 inch quilt block.

I LOVE history and antique stuff (one of my dreams is to work at a living history center) but don't have any Civil War reproduction prints and I don't really know if I want to buy any. (Although I must say there are some pretty coral pinks, reds and browns out there). But I still want to participate in Barbara's quilt along, so this is what I have decided to do:

• I will make a goodly number of the blocks out of my stash of Meadowsweet.

From Sandi Henderson's webpage.

• Add a two inch sashing in white to make them 12 inch blocks.
• When my month comes around in A Twist on Tradition Bee I will ask for 12 inch star themed blocks.
• Put the Bee blocks on point and alternate with my Civil War blocks.

I think I am in love with the quilt already! Now I just have to get sewing!