Petticoat Press #1: Olivia's Chronicle for Emily Edson Briggs

 

Petticoat Press: Block # 1 Olivia's Chronicle by Jeanne Arnieri

Our 2025 pieced Block of the Month is Petticoat Press. This celebration

of women journalists reporting on the Civil War will include a

free pattern posted on the second Wednesday of each month in 2025.

Emily Pomona Edson Briggs (1830-1908) "Olivia"

1906

The first block Olivia's Chronicle recalls Emily Edson Briggs who wrote for the newspapers during the Civil War under the pen name Olivia. Her specialty was Washington society and fashion but she also expressed opinions on politics---the ever-fascinating subject to Washingtonians.

Harper's Weekly

A White House levee (reception) early in the war

Olivia's Chronicle by Becky Brown

"What's Black & White & Red All Over" seems to be our favorite joke.

Emily arrived in the capital when the war began as so many new government employees did. Ohio-born, she was married to John R. Briggs who had a history of work in midwestern newspapers. He'd obtained a job as clerk for the House of Representatives. The Briggses had one young son John.

Washington changed as young men went to war. The Treasury Department replaced them with female clerks, horrifying conservatives who believed it was the edge of the slippery slope to equality (It was.) Emily was outraged to hear their opinions that women were too inept to do the work and wrote a letter to the editor of the Washington Chronicle expressing her contrary ideas in eloquent fashion. Editor James Forney was impressed and hired her to write for his Chronicle and Philadelphia Press.

James Forney

The President's enemies called him "Lincoln's Dog."

Olivia's Chronicle by Elsie Ridgley

Elsie is using my Moda William Morris reproductions.

Our Ebony Suite collection from last year is perfect for the

color theme of "Black & White & Red All Over."

Olivia wrote on a variety of topics; she visited the White House often and became friends with the Lincolns.

Olivia's piece on "Assassination Night" was collected in a post-war compilation of news clips.

 Olivia's Chronicle by Denniele Bohannon

During the last year of the war Emily was pregnant with her second son but Arthur L. Briggs died soon after birth.

Library of Congress HABS

The Maples or Maple Square, an 18th-century house where Emily lived after the war. 

Her husband died here soon after they bought the house, which is still standing.

Emily had a long and distinguished career in journalism.

Becky Collis's block in William Morris Ebony Suite and

a period madder red.

The Block

Blues from my Morris Manor collection for Moda

BlockBase # 2302.5 is unnamed in BlockBase.

Most of the blocks using this 4X seam structure do not seem to have published names, so we'll enjoy naming them for our Press Women. This one pieced of a single triangle is in BlockBase but with no published source. We'll call it Olivia's Chronicle.

Here's our Facebook group. Post your pictures on PetticoatpressQuilt

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570543959924 

Further Reading: A collection of Emily Edson's Brigg's columns was published in 1906 as The Olivia Letters

https://books.google.com/books?id=WlKtbzjZ1c0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=female+treasury+clerk+civil+war+emily+briggs&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsu8Wyut6HAxXukIkEHTzXGL4Q6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q&f=false

You can buy a PDF of all 12 patterns at my Etsy shop for $12.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1836924572