The Twelve Quilts of Christmas 2017 – #1

Okay, I admit it. I am starting with a small novel!

 

I remember Canada’s 100^th birthday. There were festivities and a world expo in Montreal … and a song written for the year long party we had. A few years ago, I met the son of a friend who had lived in Canada in1967. Talking about going to school that centennial year, we both started singing that song that had been taught in the classrooms and sung at festivities. (Any other Canadians out there who still remember the chorus?) It was a moment of deep national pride. In 2017 Canadians have been celebrating 150 years since the British colonies of North America united into on single federation and formed the Dominion of Canada. And I thought, this is the perfect moment to commemorate Canadian antique quilts. So I dove into Canadian quilt history for this year’s “Twelve Quilts of Christmas.”

 

Canada is a relatively young country compared to our neighbour to the south. Immigration patterns to Canada from overseas mirrored, in many ways, those to the United States, so I wasn’t surprised to see many similarities in traditions of design in the early years of our country. Additionally, movement between Canada and the United States was plentiful: Loyalist supporters of the crown who left during or after the American Revolution and later Americans who went to the new Canadian west in hopes of land and employment. So I was not surprised to find a beautiful quilt from Ohio in a Western Canadian museum, and it made perfect sense to see similar Mennonite quilt designs in both Canada and the US as their makers moved back and forth between Ontario and Pennsylvania.

 

As I did my research, my quest for quilts to share faced a few challenges. I found photos that simply were not flattering to the quilt and while there were traces of uniqueness that perhaps warranted inclusion, the photos detracted rather than enhanced them. We also have a smaller population in Canada compared to the United States, which means fewer quilts were made here and that there are fewer institutions here that have dedicated space to preserving quilts. Many Canadian antique quilts also remain in private hands or if they have gone to market or auction, in this day of the internet they have travelled to lands far and wide, with history of place and provenance lost. Recently I saw what I knew to be a Canadian antique quilt up for auction, the careful notations of the collector omitted from the description, the quilt seen for it’s beauty and not it’s detailed history. Finally, the many quilt documentation projects that so many states in the U.S. have done, simply have not occurred in Canada, save The Alberta Heritage Quilt Project, which is the only exception that I know of.

 

All that being said, we have had champions who, over the years, have shared what they know, exhibited their quilts, donated their collections and left some record of our Canadian quilt history. These guardians of Canadian antique quilt knowledge include authors like Ruth McKendry, Marilyn Walker, Sherrie Davidson, Scott Robson, Sharon MacDonald, Mary Conroy, Marjorie Kaethler and Susan D. Shantz.  Additionally fantastic efforts like the Alberta Heritage Quilt Project (which has put the collection of the Royal Alberta Museum into the Quilt Index data base), and quilt documentation records of organizations like Doon Heritage Crossroads, Black Creek Pioneer Village, the Canadian Textile Museum, The Canadian Museum of History, Infomuse (a wonderful quilt romp in French!), the Canadian government’s Artefacts Canada program and other institutions means that many, many quilts and their history have been preserved for future generations.

 

This year has been such a rewarding research project, and because of it I have a deeper understanding of my country’s history, the tenacity of those that came to create new lives, the challenges of the environment and isolation for many, and the growth of our nation. I found many truly lovely and delightful Canadian quilts; quilts that in their origin, influence, or style recorded bits of our history as a country. I am so glad you are joining me this year. Thanks for coming along on this Canadian antique quilt journey.

 

 

 

What a spectacular example of Georgian delicacy.  The hand-dyed colours of the wool used in the crewel embroidery remain vibrant and contribute to it’s charm.  I am left breathless by it’s quiet energy and the dedication of it’s maker.  When it was time for her to put the top together, the fact that she did not have every single block embroidered did not stop her.  She skillfully balanced the placement of the “empty” blocks and I think those blank spots actually let the design breath more than if every block had been embroidered.

 

I could stare at this for hours taking in every detail of her floral interpretations.   That centre medallion composition … sigh.  

 

Thank you for joining me again this year.  Be sure to share my blog with your friends and invite them to join us too!  And I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

 

Cheers

Mary Elizabeth