| So you want to make or upgrade your Civil War | | | | discussed. Cuffs can be added using the |
| uniform shirt, but you don't know where to | | | | material of the shirt or a different color or |
| start. What type of material do you use, | | | | material. Most cuffs were about 2 inches |
| should you use metal, porcelain or bone | | | | wide.41. Next, get yourself some good |
| buttons, should you have a collar on your | | | | buttons. Stay away from plastic and modern |
| shirt, what about the cuffs - how many inches | | | | buttons. Go with glass, bone, shell, metal, |
| are they supposed to be, should you hand | | | | porcelain, 2-hole cat's eye or Mother of |
| stitch the button holes, where should you put | | | | Pearl.Metal buttons are authentic but they |
| the pocket on your shirt, Ahhhhh!Your | | | | have the potential to rust and stain your |
| questions about making your Civil War uniform | | | | fabric.45. Some shirts had button on collars, |
| shirt authentic are answered in this shirt | | | | and many shirts were collarless. ECHOES: The |
| article and continue to be answered in 101 | | | | Confederate Version shows seven shirts on |
| Tips for Your Authentic Civil War Uniform | | | | pgs. 154-155, and each one has a different |
| Shirt Course at are some of the tips for | | | | collar. Pvt. John Burgwyn MacRae Starr's |
| making Your Civil War Uniform shirt | | | | North Carolina is a dark blue wool collarless |
| authentic:4. To start, you could purchase a | | | | pullover shirt while the one below, Pvt. |
| shirt that is already made that has machine | | | | Andrew Thomas Beam, 28th South Carolina |
| buttonholes in it and rework the buttonholes | | | | Volunteers' shirt is a white cotton with a |
| to make it look more authentic. Take a seam | | | | square edged collar made of the same color |
| ripper and pick out the buttonholes and | | | | and material.50. My rule of thumb is that I |
| handwork them.5. I would pick out and redo by | | | | only make Civil War uniform items that I have |
| hand all exposed machine stitching. Someone | | | | seen in an original photograph or museum. |
| can show you how to do that in about 15 | | | | Note: what is in museum is only the very |
| minutes. You should have about 6-7 stitches | | | | smallest tip of the iceberg because there are |
| per inch. You have just increased the value | | | | very few actual items that made it through |
| of your shirt and made it more authentic.32. | | | | the war. The vast majority of the original |
| "Pockets were not sewn on most shirts, and | | | | clothing is long since gone. Some of the |
| not at all on the army-issued shirts. Heavier | | | | fabrics and colors can be seen in very old |
| shirts had a breast pocket or two. The | | | | quilts because they reused everything.53. |
| pockets were generally lower on the shirt and | | | | Note the different collars, buttons, and |
| larger than breast pockets on shirts | | | | fabrics, color combinations. I personally do |
| today.33. Buttons were metal, wooden or bone, | | | | not like solid color shirts. I like something |
| or sometimes commercially made from other | | | | with a little color to it. These shirts have |
| products, such as glass or ceramic materials. | | | | original glass buttons on them. I prefer |
| For Southern troops, different stylesof | | | | glass buttons for shirts because I like to |
| buttons can be used, including bits of wood, | | | | match the color combinations.55. Keep |
| bone, or even acorns. You can use dental | | | | everything 100% wool and 100% cotton. Make |
| floss to tie them on, but make sure the | | | | sure that the material is a good grade, like |
| modern materials are not visible.38. Battle | | | | homespun. If you are going to take the time |
| shirts are a bit controversial. Some troops, | | | | and energy, to make your own shirt, buy |
| especially early-war Southern troops, had a | | | | something high quality that will last. The |
| tunic or heavy shirt instead of a wool | | | | price of the shirt material is negligible |
| uniform coat. It would fit over aregular | | | | compared to the time and energy you will put |
| shirt but was not as heavy or bulky as the | | | | into making it.70. Original coin buttons are |
| wool jacket. Before you get a battle shirt, | | | | still available and affordable if you want to |
| make sure one is documented for your | | | | look for them. You can find them anywhere |
| regiment's history, since they were not | | | | from one to three dollars. You might even |
| typical and are controversial.39. Cuffs on | | | | want to go with a mismatched set - one or two |
| Civil War uniform shirts varied as much as | | | | state seals and the remainder coin buttons. |
| all of the other parts that we have | | | | |