[February 13, 2021]      

Pictures by Curtis Fox

The members of “Quilters at Heart” survey their task for the day.

 

And the sewing begins with the expert quilters applying their superstar skills to attaching the flag.

 

The quilters decided to use a whip stitch to attach the flag to the foam core. The tan material is called a handling edge, and was attached during restoration for the express purpose of attaching the flag to the foam core. This is a standard practice. The edge with the stitches will not be visible to a museum visitor. At no time did the needle and thread touch the actual flag. The skilled artisans wore gloves during the project, and at no time did they touch the flag.

 

An old-fashioned quilters circle sewed the flag to the handling edge. There was plenty of back-and-forth conversation with helpful comments by all as the work progressed. The project went quickly. They swiftly established a rhythm.

 

The work of attaching the flag proceeded at a rapid pace. The group even went beyond the original scope of work and sewed a continuous stitch on the sides as well as the top. A few stitches were placed on the bottom of the handling edge.

 

The flag is firmly in place. Jason Hoffman would next install the flag in his custom made display case just before the opening of the new exhibit “Our Cause is Just” and the unveiling of the restored Middletown flag.

The new exhibit and the flag opened to the public for viewing on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, February 12.
Contact Olivia Partlow at the Lincoln Heritage Museum to schedule a visit.

 

Lincoln Heritage Museum is open Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 1 to 4 p.m.