Here is an exciting opportunity for genealogists who have a talent for sewing, quilting, or other fiber based arts. It is a fundraising project that is designed to help get the images in the FGS 1812 Preserve the Pensions digitization project online, (so that many genealogists can use those images as a resource). You can help!
The FGS 1812 Preserve the Pensions digitization is a joint effort from several prominent genealogy organizations. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), the National Archives, and Footnote.com are all involved. People who are “Genea-Quilters” can help, too.
There exists a series of around 180,000 pension and bounty land warrant application files that all relate to claims that were made based on military service that was done between 1812 and 1815. The full collection includes application files for men who were soldiers or sailors who served in the War of 1812, applications from their widows and children, and from other heirs of the military men.
The collection is not currently online, and accessible to genealogists. This is because the images and documents have not yet been digitized. In order to make that happen, the FGS is trying to raise $3.7 million dollars to pay for the effort that is required in order to digitally preserve this important collection.
You can help this effort by donating a historically accurate quilt square that you made. You must complete them and submit them before October 30, 2011. You can either submit a digital photo of the quilt square you made, or the actual quilt square itself.
There are several suggestions about what types of fabrics that you can use for this project. You can see photos of ten different styles of fabric that would be great choices to use. At this time, it seems that the links that connect to where you can purchase these fabrics has been discontinued, but, you can still send an email to DearMYRTLE to find out about how to get a kit of these fabrics.
There are very specific details that each quilt square must meet. Each one is to be 8 inches square. If you were unable to obtain the fabrics suggested on the website that talks about the project, then you should use “old-timey patterns” of the kind that would have been used during the 1812-1900 time period. That was when most of the 1812 servicemen and pensioner’s wives and mothers would have been making quilts. You may need to do some research for this part.
Do not use fabric that includes glitter, that sparkles, or that has a shiny finish. Don’t use machine embroidery. They want to maintain an “old-timey” feel to the finished quilt. Women from that time period didn’t have fabric that glittered or that had sparkles.
If you want your quilt square to be added to the collaborative quilt, you have to submit it by photo that is in .jpg or .png format. The photo should include the quilter holding the square. You also need to submit a story about an ancestor who lived in America during the 1812- 1900 time period. Your ancestor doesn’t necessarily have to have received an 1812 pension, for the purpose of this project.
Image by quiltexplorer on Flickr