Quilt shop offers lecture on Civil War women

A special program honoring the work of women during the Civil War will take place at the Quilted Crow Shop in Lehighton at 11 a.m., June 28.

A lecture, "Money, Myth, and Madder: Women and Quilting During the Civil War," will be presented by quilt professionals Beth Bacher and Michele McLaughlin. The lecture will feature quilts and various visual aids.

Bacher and McLaughlin began with research about Civil War quilts but their focus quickly grew.

"We were astonished at how much women accomplished during the Civil War," Bacher said. "Society changed during the war and the impact greatly affected women and the way they were perceived."

A unique feature of the program is that much of the research focuses on the war effort conducted in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

"I have a paternal grandfather and two uncles that fought in the war and grew up aware of their sacrifices," McLaughlin said. "But I always wondered: what about Grandma? This program provided us an opportunity to study the lives of women during the war."

Bacher is the owner of Backstitch Quilt Repair. Her love of fabric and quilt-related history inspired her to open a business in the field of quilt restoration, conservation and preservation.

McLaughlin lectures regularly about quilt history and has presented programs at various museums, historical societies and universities.

Both women belong to a number of quilt history organizations and are avid quilters.

There is a fee for tickets, which can be obtained at the shop or by telephone at 610-379-4700.

The Quilted Crow is located at 179 Interchange Road in Lehighton. Visit its website at www.The-QuiltedCrow.com.