What's a GORGET?

Yesterday I visited 
South Carolina via The Crafty Quilter's Closet.   Kristin's beautiful license plate includes a palmetto tree and gorget. 

Now, I know lots about sewing and have made some interesting pieces, including a few costumes, but I had never heard of a gorget.  

Kristin was sweet enough to define it, "A gorget was orginally a protective military throat covering, although over time it as become an ornamental military piece."  

Oh, yeah, that clears it all up!  Just kidding, Kristin, it actually makes pretty good sense, but I am not one to be satisfied with a bit of good sense.  I am an English teacher, after all, and we need to know all the unimportant information.  

I did what any one of my students would do: I googled it.  I discourage them from "just googling" but I do like that Google has great pictures: these all came from that very quick search.  The one here has both the gorget and epaulettes, which served the same purpose of protection as the gorget.

In addition to being made of various materials--wood, metals, leather, and fabrics--some gorgets were very ornamental.  Some consist of two pieces to encircle the throat and neck completely, others were a single piece.  Regardless they all needed a strap or tie to hold them in place.  

This one reminds me of the collar my husband wore after his neck surgery.  Actually, that would make sense, wouldn't it.


 How about that?  I expected to have fun on this blog tour, but to learn a new sewing word, also?  Well, that's was an unexpected pleasure. BTW, there are patterns available on the Google images page.  For the push that Kristin gave me to learn something new, thanks Kristin.

Before I close, I need to correct something that I wrote yesterday, the blog tour happens Monday through Friday only, so there is no one scheduled for today.  I don't know which part I forgot, but I do apologize for my confusion.  This means that New York and North Carolina will debut their license plates on Monday.  I'll see you there then.

Happy weekend,