Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

[Moonshine]

Does anyone have a picture of a U.S. gray blanket that has a BUNCH of needlework flowers placed on it. I can recall it was printed in a book I saw some years ago, but I didn't buy it and I can't recall the title.

Also, does anyone know if this needlepoint work was done during the war or post-war? I'm thinking post-war, but you never know.

If anyone has the book and can share the image I'd appreciate it. I want to do a similar project and want to see how the flowers and stems were done.

Thank you,

[jones56ga]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

It seems that I've run across a similar picture but, like you, I can't recall where. My uneducated opinion would be, if you like it, do it.

"The roots of needlepoint go back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians who used small slanted stitches to sew up their canvas tents. Howard Carter, of Tutankhamen fame, found some needlepoint in the Cave of a Pharaoh who had lived 1500 years before Christ. Modern needlepoint descends from the canvas work in tent stitch that was a popular domestic craft in the 16th century and from 17th-century Bargello through the shaded Berlin wool work in brightly-colored wool yarn. Upholstered furniture became the fashion in the 17th century, and this prompted the development of a more durable material to serve as a foundation for the embroidered works of art."

http://www.needlepoint.org/exhibit.php#

[Hank Trent]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

Was it truly needlepoint, or another kind of embroidery? Berlin-work (what we call needlepoint) was popular in the 19th century, but made for a fairly stiff fabric, good for upholstery and that kind of thing.

For the context of a flowers on blankets, I'd look more at the popularity of "roses" on blankets.

The same thing is mentioned in the 1862 song, "Just Take Your Gun and Go, John", though it references a civilian blanket:

The army's short of blankets, John,
Then take this heavy pair,
I spun and wove them when a girl
And work'd them with great care.
A rose in ev'ry corner, John,
And here's my name you see,

Of course that doesn't address whether it was done during or after the war, since it was a prewar tradition but could have been done afterwards like other post-war decorations of military items.

Edited to add: a photo of the blanket might help also, to look at the style of the embroidery. If they're art nouveau flowers instead of antebellum blanket "roses," well...

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

Hallo!

"My uneducated opinion would be, if you like it, do it."

That can be read as a violation of this Board's No Farbism Rule, as well as below the research and documentation standards we strive for here.

Curt

[BobRoeder]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

I'm sure this is probably going to be way off, but I wonder if (besides the obvious possibility it was purely decorative) if it is an extension/remnant of the idea of British/English "Rose Blankets".

My knowledge of these is rather limited and I cannot recall if these were the blankets issued to British soldiers, or if they were just a common "artifact" of the period - i.e. 18th century - ??? The "roses" on these blankets were not meant to be realistic representations, but rather abstact/geometric in nature.

[James Brenner]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

I'm thinking pre-war. I've come across several period sources that mention rose blankets issued to Harrison's Northwestern Army in 1812 and 1813.

[KarinTimour]

Re: Neeedlepoint Flowers on U.S. Blanket?

Dear Sir:

I encourage you to first find a picture of the blanket, or if it's still in existance, to visit it in person. "Needlework" is a general term that covers more than 100 different methods of applying thread or yarn to a background fabric. "Needlepoint" is a particular technique for doing this, usually on a fairly coarse canvas, stongly resembling a window screen made out of canvas. Needlework or embroidered embellishments can have radically different appearance, based on the type of background, type of thread or yarn used, and the various stitches employed. There are several different facets to consider to evaluate the project -- as Hank points out, even the design and the shape of the flowers can telegraph to an educated viewer that the work was likely done post-war.

I don't want to appear to discourage you on this project, but I'd hate to have you waste the time and effort involved because you got bad advice. If I had more computer skills, I could better illustrate what I'm trying to get across by giving you links to different types of needlework. Because I don't, a google search on any of the following terms could give you some idea of the varieities of needlework that was done in our time period: "Berlin work," "Needlepoint," "Cross stitch," "Embroidery," and these are only some of them, and only those involving a threaded needle applying thread or yarn to a cloth background in some form.

Certainly sailors and Navy men had a well-deserved reputation for doing fine embroidery while at sea -- I remember that either the Atlanta History Center or Pamphlin Park had a wonderful spread-winged eagle which was embroidered in fine thread on a navy-blue shirt. And as Hank points out, Berlin work, a technique involving fairly heavy needlepoint yarn was extremely popular in our time period. I'd describe Berlin work as closer to crewel work than needlepoint, but that's a matter of opinion.

Mind you, while I've got many sub-categories in my mind for various types of needlework, if asked to describe most armament, from derringers to seige guns, there will be a long pause and then I'll say "Uhhhhhh, parts were gray......and there were some brown bits, too."

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com