©2012 30" x 30" In my previous patterns, Mary Smith's Dishrag and Lizzie's Tents, I've recounted stories of women who tried to disguise themselves as men so that they could serve as soldiers on the battlefield. Richard Hall tells the story of Loreta Janeta Velazquez who, in addition to wearing a fake mustache and walking with a practiced swagger, donned a specially-designed chain-metal corset to hide her curvaceous body shape. The only problem, she reported in her memoir, was that because the corset shifted and got "out of order," she was repeatedly stopped and interrogated. This 4 ½-inch block reminds me of metal chain links.
