General's Wives

History and quilting..are two of my favorite subjects (especially Civil War era history). This month, our block of the month project "General's Wives" featured the wife of CSA General Robert E. Lee--Mary Custis Lee, great-grandaughter of our first president, George Washington.

The block itself was easy to sew, four flying geese, 12 half square triangles, 4 rectangles and 4 squares. The fabrics are soft green and brown.  (Finished block size is 12 inches.)

I had to get some more of the back story of Mary Custis Lee and visited a wonderful website, http://www.civilwarwomenblog.com/2008/11/mary-randolph-custis-lee.html . Please go there and read about an incredible woman who lived most of her life in chronic physical pain, yet lived to bless and help others.

I also love to delve into the story about the houses the women lived in. Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. is of course, a historic site in DC many Americans have visited. But did you know that before it was a national cemetery it was originally the home of Mary Custis Lee? http://arlingtonhouse.org/arlington-house/history/ . Visit this website to learn more of that story.

Here is a picture of the Lee's bedchamber. Don't you love the blue on the walls? And the white trim? I've been wanting to paint my master bedroom...I think I found my color scheme! You can learn more about the Arlington house at this website. http://www.exploring-america.com/arlington-house-the-robert-e-lee-memorial-virginia.htm

Thanks for visiting, and keep stitching! Mary