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 Although
this flag of 45 stars is in a relatively common star
count, the flag is visually striking and uncommonly
beautiful for a homemade flag of the period. The
flag is entirely hand stitched and made of cotton.
The each of the 90 stars, 45 on a side, are hand
embroidered of a luminous silk which gives the stars a
silvery sheen that is striking against the dark blue
canton. Although the stars vary in their spacing
from one another, the
maker of the flag was meticulous when
aligning
the stars by canting them to the 11 o'clock
position, adding folky charm and another visually
interesting element to the flag. Beneath each star
there is evidence of cut cardboard which served as a
base or form for the embroidery. Several of the
stripes of the flag are
pieced from more than one length of white fabric.
This is a trait sometimes seen in homemade flags owing
to frugality or scarcity of materials. At a time
when it was simpler to cut and sew cotton stars onto
homemade flags, this seamstress opted instead for a more
time consuming construction technique that even today,
more than 100 years later, elevates it among its other
surviving peers.
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