Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sherman's Neckties-150th Anniversary Quilt

Sherman's Neckties

Here's a sketch for a 98" square quilt using a variety
of blue prints with gray-blue neutrals. I drew it
in EQ7 in my Union Blues repro collection for Moda,
which will be in shops about March 1.


In November and December, 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led 60,000 Yankee soldiers on a march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia.

The march covered nearly 300 miles and took about 6 weeks
from November 15, 1864 till just before Christmas.


Their major goal was to destroy the Confederate infrastructure---the bridges and railroads that connected Atlanta, a major rail terminal, with Savannah, a major seaport. Troops pried up wooden railroad ties and metal rails. To insure that the Georgians couldn't immediately rebuild the track they burned the ties.

You can see the bonfire in the background in this illustration
from about 1895.


The soldiers laid the steel rails atop the bonfires till they were red hot
in the center and twisted them around a nearby tree to cool.

The story is that the rail beds from Atlanta to Savannah
were lined with the unusable twisted metal.

In the late 19th century several histories of the war reported that the damaged rails were called Sherman's Neckties, Sherman's Bowties, or Jeff Davis's Neckties. Other names were Sherman's Hairpins or Mrs. Lincoln's Hairpins.

Sherman's March was a significant step in ending the Civil War. The Union Army shocked the Georgia civilians by confiscating their recent harvest and their livestock as they traveled through. The Yankees carried no provisions and lived by stealing the food stored in the women's larders and pens. 

Sherman's Bummers were undisciplined looters who followed the troops.

The civilians were mostly women because the men of Georgia were fighting in Virginia. Sherman's tactic was a new and effective way of war.

Another way of shading using grayish taupes and
Union blues.

Making large blocks 12" x 12" will give you a 98" quilt. You'll need two blocks, one for the center field and one for the border.

BlockBase #1376

The center requires 36 Necktie blocks, given the name in Ruth Finley's 1929 book
Old Quilts and the Women Who Made Them


BlockBase #1646a

The border is 40 blocks in a pattern given the
name Sherman's March in a 1930s Capper's Weekly magazine column.

Cutting the 12" Necktie Block:

A & B - Cut 2 light and 2 dark squares 6-1/2" for each block.

C - Cut 1 square 3-7/8". Cut in half with a diagonal cut.

You need 2 triangles.

Sewing





Cutting the 12" Sherman's March block:
A - Cut 4 squares 4-7/8". Cut each in half with a diagonal cut.

You need 8 triangles.

B - Cut 8 rectangles 4-1/2" x 2-1/2".

C - Cut 1 square 4-1/2".

Sewing:



11 comments:

Chantal said...

What a waste of ties and metal. It must have made a very sad, like tortured landscape after their passage. Love the border on this one. I have to remember this for a quilt. Thanks for sharing.

Jacqueline said...

Don't know which I like more, the block and instructions, or the history lesson. Thanks so much for sharing.

Rosa said...

Great post and block.I`m enjoying reading it.Thanks for sharing!

Cindy said...

You forgot the part about him burning Atlanta and every home he came to before he reach Suvannah a lot of women and children were left homeless, cold and starving.
No Southerner worth their salt has forgotten Sherman
It's hard to forget that kind of treatment even 150 years later.

Barbara said...

We studied Sherman's March at the year of its centennial as little kids in grade school. We did not have the slightest understanding of the true hardship perpetrated in our own land. Half of us had parents who sheltered us from the realities of the Depression and WWII. The other half were told to polish their plates every evening because the children in Europe were starving. How little was imparted of realities in America...

On a forward-looking note: I have heard we are hosting you, Barbara, at the Empire Quilt Show, the end of March, 2015, in NYC. A quilter's dream come true. I'm just tickled to my toes!

Sandy said...

I cant help wondering about the men (and women?) who did those illustrations. Not exactly like snapping a picture, ya know?

Looking forward to the new fabric line, Barbara.

cynthia collier said...

I agree with Cindy's comment. If I were to make this quilt I would call it Sherman's Necktie Party!

Karen said...

I really like this quilt and can't wait to see your fabrics. This is definitely one I would like to make! Hoping you have a delicious and Happy Thanksgiving!

Karen said...

Oh, I forgot to ask. Could you tell me how much fabric I would need? I want to use all of the prints in the series and have reserved the fabric. But I would like an estimate of what I need, like fat eighth bundle or fat quarter or half yard bundle? Thank you!

Barbara Brackman said...

I haven't figured out yardage at all.Sorry. I'm iust thinking the blue scrap bag with some new additions.

Jane A. said...

If anyone needs a PDF in correct size for this month's, block number 11, email me at 1122qqwwaa@gmail.com. Jane.