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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, May 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 23, 2004 Kathleen Petrie of Central Point works on one of the Civil War-era uniforms she�s making for her wedding Saturday. She began the daunting task last year but says it turned out to be easier than she thought. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Blue and gray will be as one Bride sews Civil War-era gowns and uniforms for her wedding party By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune When the Union blue and the Confederate gray forces square off, they won’t be lining up for another Civil War. This will be the civil union of bride Kathleen L. Petrie of Central Point and groom Robert Boone of Grants Pass, whose wedding will be held at the Medford Friends Church Saturday afternoon. A baker by profession but a seamstress by preference, the 43-year-old Petrie made Civil War era costumes for the wedding party, including herself, the groom, her father, the groom’s brother and the minister and his wife. She began the task last year. "Everyone really wanted to do this — Pastor (Mark Burton) is into the Civil War," she said. "And I’ve always loved making things. I’ve made lots of gowns for that era." Advertisement Besides, the groom’s great-grandfather was in the Civil War. Hailing from North Carolina, John Blalock was a captain in the Confederate Army. The groom, a carpenter, will be dressed as a Confederate captain; his brother, John Boone, as a Confederate sergeant. The bride’s great-great-grandfather from Nebraska also was in the Civil War. "We’re pretty sure he fought for the North," she said. In fact, the Nebraska Territory was pro-Union when the war broke out in April 1861. The father of the bride, Dick Ellingson of Grants Pass, will be wearing the uniform of a Union captain. Pastor Burton will don a Union lieutenant colonel’s uniform. It was the 25th reunion of the Grants Pass High School class of 1978 that reunited the bride and groom, who knew each other as classmates but had gone their separate ways. Petrie long has been interested in art design and sewing techniques, beginning in 4-H as a youngster and later at an art institute where she studied fashion history. "I’ve always wanted to do clothing for re-enactors," she said. "I’ve done some medieval costumes for nieces and nephews for school programs. Finding fabrics is always the biggest challenge. "I’ve learned so much from this," she added. "It turned out a lot easier than I thought. Pastor went on line and found just about everything." Her gown is patterned after one she saw on a postcard while traveling in Spain four years ago. The matron of honor, Patsy Burton, the pastor’s wife, will be wearing a gown that would have rung a few Southern bells 150 years ago. "Her gown is a variation of one on the ‘Gone With the Wind’ movie," the bride said. Frankly, Scarlet would be darned pleased. Some gowns Petrie had made earlier fit the wedding ambiance. "My dress is a little behind the times, from the early 1800s," said her daughter, Kathleen M. Petrie, 22. "But my mother made it." In addition to the four uniforms — and some last-minute adjustments to her father’s uniform late this week — the bride also made replicas of undergarments worn in the 1860s. "Men’s shirts were an undergarment back then," she explained. "It looks just like a shirt, but it doesn’t unbutton all the way down." It wouldn’t do for a lady to see a gentleman in his shirt back then, she observed. "That was seen as his underclothes," she said. The women in Civil War-era clothes will be wearing corsets and petticoats. The groom bought a replica of a sword and scabbard that would have been worn by his Confederate unit. All four men will be wearing replica caps of the period. During the wedding reception, the caterer is providing historically correct food. That includes items such as hush puppies, beef steak pie, red potatoes and boiled meat in a sauce, cucumber with lobster salad and bacon baked in maple syrup. For wedding guests who like the real thing, there will be hardtack. "It’s kind of like a cracker, only worse," Petrie explained. When the bride and groom leave the church, it will be to the tune of Dixie. But they are heading north to Port Townsend, Wash., for their honeymoon. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times