Divided Hearts, A Civil War Friendship Quilt

Barbara Brackman, a renowned quilt historian, has written several books about quilts during the Civil War era. She was a founding member of the American Quilt Study Group and is an honoree of the Quilters Hall of Fame. Barbara lives in Kansas, USA. For more information visit www.civilwarquilts.blogspot.com.

I love quilting history and this book gives us 12 blocks, detailing the history of the women behind them.This quilt is about love and friendship, and while some of the stories about the women are not always happy, their tragedies add to the creation of each block.Of course, in those days the women did not have an endless supply of beautiful fabric, instead using remnants of old dresses and shirts of family members.  This again makes the quilts unique and personal. I love the idea of using old clothing, giving each block a memory of a person or event.Each block has full instruction and templates where necessary. You can use one or two blocks for your quilt or make one each of the 12 to create something precious and amazing.  The ideas are endless and using your own colours and designs each quilt will be a unique heirloom for generations to come.