It is time to take a drink, I agree with Greg & Bob. Some things to add, looms of the period could only produce 18 inch wide material, give or take an inch or two, so a flag’s field without seams was not posable. Hand stitching the stars was a much faster method of attachment then trying to manipulate the material to machine sewn them on the blue cross bars. In most cases, the stars are attached to the bars and laid on the field, there are exceptions, when bunting was in short supply.

The “sloat’s” machine advertised, was probably the one improved on by Ellias Howe, on these machines, the needles are in a wheel and moved sideways, making a sloshing sound when it is being hand cranked. The Isaac Singer’s machine was around also but in much bigger supply. Both did a looped lockstitch, Singer’s, the needle moved up & down. Zig-Zag stitching came into use in 1873. Machine stitching made mistakes, hand stitching did not, one telltale sign to tell which is which.

Side note: all of the profit that Howe made on his machines went into the making of Federal uniforms.

Happy Trails!
Tom Martin