Tales of first ladies

[kho]

I enjoyed El's video. Do you suppose there are any quilts made by first ladies that have survived??
I know Martha Washington was a expert seamstress. I know she made pants for the soldiers that fought with George. This battle went on for several years. I know there is a blue quilt she made that was left to someone in her will. I wonder if it still exsists??
I've read that it was illegal to send goods to this country when we were just getting started. That makes sense if you dont want a country to succeed why help them.I have also read where quilts were stuffed with corn husks because of lack of battings, wouldn't that have rustled,but I think the noise would have been comforting too. Did you know Andrew Jackson had a parrot that attended his funeral for awhile? Only the bird's language was such that it had to be removed for part of the service. LOL
What odd things do you know about the first ladies and their hubby's, just off the top of your head? I think you all know something that is worth sharing.
I have read these things over the years and it just stuck. LOL

[towens71]

I wish I knew something! But I do so enjoy history and learning about the Historical figures from our country's past. I'll be keeping my eye on this section!

[kenderosa]

Has anyone read the book "Founding Mothers" by Cokie Roberts????
Very good read, with all sorts of information.

Sue

[fabricgirl]

Sandy how did you enquire all this information that is so fasnating.


Thanks forthe HISTORY LESSON I realy enjoyed it.


Lois

[corning]

I'm sure most of you know that they thought Mary Todd Lincoln was crazy because she horded bolts of fabric. Oh my! are some of us in trouble? Did you also know her best friend was her seamstress?

[kho]

I didn't know Mry Todd Lincoln hoarded fabric by the bolts. I wonder why. Was it because of the war and a fear that she may not be able to find it? That is interesting and now I am curious. I sure hope El will have some answers on this for us as this series continues.

[sewngran]

Mary Todd Lincoln had a personal dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley, who became her close friend and confidant. Maybe Mary Lincoln bought up fabric for all those elaborate gowns Elizabeth made her. Elizabeth Keckley was a black lady who came from a slave family in the south, and managed to buy her freedom and use her great talent as a dressmaker to establish a dressmaking business. She came to the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln, and the rest is history. Elizabeth Keckley later wrote a book titled:
"Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House." Elizabeth Keckley, ca. 1818-1907. It is a great book to read, and is still available. I recently bought one for a gift at Amazon.com

[sewngran]

One kind of unusual thing I remember reading about Mamie Eisenhower, is that while she was first lady, in an interview, recommended that all women should spend one day a week in bed for rest. Remember, this was in the 1950's when there were not so many women working and they carried most of the responsibility of running a home, and caring for the children ( as usual ). Still, it makes me chuckle when I think about it, because who has the time to do that? Mamie claimed to spend that one day a week in bed, and that is not hard to believe, because she was known to be pretty pampered by her husband and staff, and she also pampered herself.

[sewngran]

I remember years ago reading in a book about the Lincoln's, that it took 40 yards of fabric to make Mary Todd Lincoln's elaborate full length gowns. I assume that included the yardage for those full petticoats. I don't think fabric was very wide in those days, so it would of course take more. Eventually, fabric was 35"- 36" wide, but I don't think it was that wide in those days,

[sewngran]

I have read that quilts were once stuffed with corn husks, but didn't know Martha Washington was an expert seamstress, or that she sewed George's pants ! The story about Andrew Jackson's parrot is a hoot, and I loved it. I hope there will be more stories on this thread.