That is very creative!! Good Job

I sent a link to the door covering to my son, he is a member of "General Lee's" active army, LOL. He will love this. Rene

Very nice and creative indeed. Good job Sandra!

Our 5th grade grandson has been studying the civil war in Social Studies recently. I help him with his homework each afternoon, and I've certainly refreshed my memory of the civil war by helping him. In March, we took the boys to Vicksburg MS to the Battlefield Park. We had been there when our DDs were growing up, but it was interesting to go back and see it all again.

Your DD will certainly enjoy her door quilt for June.

Kathy

As the child of a Civil War buff, I was taken to every battlefield and place of like interest "100 miles either direction" of our vacation route, according to my Mother, although I've not been to those in Ms......and, we somehow don't seem to travel in that part of the country either.... after my husband retires I hope we can rectify that, even though battlefields are 'tough' for me...I reckon I'm just too empathetic, so I am invariably influenced by the suffering and death that took in all these place.
My family genealogical research has added another dimension to things....most of my Father's family were Quakers, from Chester Co, PA, and as such could not take part in the war...however, they were given a very hard time by their neighbors. Pacifists always suffer at the hands of people who are unwilling to understand the beliefs of others! I also discovered that several Pa ancestors served in the Union forces, and their unit was at Fredericksburg, Va. These troops were bivouacked on the farm owned by my Mother's family, and I have a contemporary record of the events that took place before the battle. There were, of course, only women left ...all the men served with the Confederacy, and these woman and children had to give up their home to the officers of this PA unit, and move to an outbuilding. The Union forces staying there stabled their horses in the family chapel and desecrated the family cemetery, breaking stones and destroying the iron fence, etc. How VERY amazed those men would have been to know that the family they abused would later marry into theirs! (and, I doubt the woman would have BELIEVED it!!) Terrible times.

Sandra, your quilt is very nice! Good use of the fabric. I'm a Civil War buff, too, and have dragged DH to a lot of battlefields and museums. My sister lives in DC and several years ago we took her to Gettysburg when we were visiting. We were able to see the cyclorama right before they dismantled it for restoration. My mother's family is from Georgia, so there were lots of them in the confederate army.

Donna

I like it and like the idea of door hangings rather than the pictorial quilts. I have a lovely pictorial quilt my DIL made but can't keep it on a bed. I'd have it hanging if it were smaller.

Wow. What a story. And what a great conversation piece for the door.

What a great idea! You have helped prolong the life of those old photo cards, in a sense, and also made it possible for others to enjoy them. Nice "framing" and sashing treatment, too.

Another winner Sandra! You are sooo creative!
Lynn in PA

Well, I'm always amazed at the creativity and originality of your door hangers. I love your stories too. What are we going to have to look forward to when you've made a year's worth? LOL

Well done! I always wait with interest to see your door quilts!

Teresa

Only 2 more to go, pal....Aug and Sept (I've already posted the July flag that I made out of sequence).....then, the year of door quilts will be done! I must admit I've enjoyed them.....and, because they've been small projects, they didn't take forever to make, which is an added bonus and have allowed me to try some different techniques. I STILL prefer foundation piecing and love applique, but liked reverse applique, too, and plan to do more of that.... anything that lends itself to hand work is right up my ally.
Donna, I've been to Gettysburg many times and never fail to be so very moved by the 'feel' of things there. I don't know what it is but there is an atmosphere there that I always experience....even did as a child. Perhaps when so MANY poor soul suffer and die in one place, they, somehow, leave a bit of that pain behind.
I well remember the cyclorama from childhood - I always enjoyed it. It's amazing how things can change, and not totally for the good! I remember going to Williamsburg, Va, as a child, and driving right down Duke of Glouchester Street, and my Dad parking in front of the Raleigh.... one of the buildings down toward the House of Burgess, was owned by a little old woman who operated a gift shop in the 'front'room.....unlike the buildings opened to the public, it 'smelled' old to my childish nose, and was always one of my first stops. It simply 'felt' old....not like the restored bldgs. Glad I got to experience that! We've always gone to Wmsbg...my mother started back in the late 20s, and me in the '50s...so, I've always loved it and enjoyed it all....we started taking our daughter as a toddler, so she has 'grown up' visiting, too....riding bikes, taking our own lanthorn tours of The Bruton Parish cemetery, etc. I even made her a "williamsburg dress" every year, that she wore on her trips there...absolutely LOVED it...she was the envy of every little girl she saw!
My genealogical research gave me a real thrill a few years ago. I located Berry Plain, a home built in 1721 by my Berry family, a bit north of Fredericksburg, VA. I met the current owners (that's another story), and delved into the history of the house with them, as it had been owned only by 3 families...the Berrys, the Dickensons and the current folks. (here comes the Wmbg part)...the Dickensons fell upon hard times and were going to have to sell the house (depression time), till the Colonial Wmbg foundation bought from them, a huge boxwood maze, planted in the 1700s by my family. The foundation wanted to use large adult boxwood in the restoration, and the maze was perfect. So, it was dug up and taken to Wmbg, divided up, and planted various places ...so, when you see those huge, old box, you'll now know that they were planted and enjoyed by my family, hundreds of years ago...and, that their sale permitted the Dickenson family to stay at Berry Plain!
Here's Berry Plain.....(and I hope I'm encouraging some of you to become involved with your families history, when you see what you might find!)

Sandra, that's such a neat story about Berry Plain! I have a little book published by one of my mom's aunts that traces her family back to when they arrived in the US from England in 1624, I think. It's really neat to learn about the family history. My mom has a copy of a document indenturing one of our ancestors to Thomas Payne back before the Revolution.

Donna

Sandra, that is a wonderful story, know your family has benefited from knowing and understanding it's history, that draws us closer together, several of my groups ar doing the DNA matches, maybe someday we will find we are all connected.
Just wanted to tell you I got a phone call from my son and he did love the Door hanging, wondered why he didn't have one! the old cards gave him a good enjoyable connection to my world of quilts. thank you for sharing, he said you are a very inspiring quilter.

Sandra, I loved reading the history behind your quilt,very interesting.

Kay

Keep these stories coming! I always learn something new about American history.

Sandra,

As you already know, I just love your wall hanging. Reading your stories brought tears to my eyes. Thankfully, we have all come a long way and now live as one united country as we should be doing.

Berry Plain is a magnificent looking house and looks so well kept. That surely must have made you and your family feel quite good. I love hearing your stories and I think with some help, I might just have to look in my past. I have thought about it and I know that it is not the easiest thing to do and I am sure there will be many tears shed for my ancestors for the hardships that they endured.

Thanks for sharing,