QUILT
Dimensions193 x 167.5 cm
Object numberHF.2023.11.1
DescriptionLarge rectangular quilt that mainly consists of 4 patch and 16 patch blocks. The 16 patch blocks are hand pieced while the 4 patch blocks are machine pieced. Between each of the blocks is a blue check fabric sashing with white corner stones. The blocks and the sashing are machine sewn together. There are very few duplicated fabrics throughout the quilt. The quilt top has two borders, the first is blue fabric with white flowers and the second border is white with red flowers (possibly roses) that have green leaves. The back of the quilt is made up of seven pieces that have been sewn together. Six of the back pieces are the same fabric that have faded to different levels and the last piece is a fabric of the same pattern but in almost alternate colors. The quilt is self bound with both the outer border and the backing being double folded to hide the raw edges and is machine sewn down with the backing on the outside. The quilt has a layer of cotton batting between the quilt top and backing. The layers of the quilt are joined (quilted) together by hand using a white thread in a pattern of radiating semi-circles that stop and start where they meet other semi-circles. The quilt has been patched using a blue fabric with grey framed orange and green backed flowers. This fabric has been attached using whip stitches overtop of some of the damaged areas. Narrative
Between 1935 and 1945 the Canadian red cross collected quilts made from across the country that were sent to Europe. Most were sent to England to support those who had been affected by the bombing of England. Others were sent to mainland Europe to support people affected by the Second World War. The quilts all bore a label denoting that they had come from the Canadian Red Cross, some of the labels also included where they had come from within Canada.
Found at a jumble sale in 1986/1987, the quilt was discovered inside other material and retained for a future project. The Canadian Red Cross Quilt Research Group became aware of the quilt in 2010 when the purchaser learned about this initiative. The research group has been working to return the Canadian quilts to museum collections across Canada, thus making sure that this story was represented in all collections. It is unclear where this quilt was made in Canada but as PEI contributed quilts to the Red Cross, the Museum and Heritage Foundation accepted this quilt to reflect contributions of Islanders to the war effort.
More information on the project can be found here, http://www.crcq.co.uk/crcq_rg.html.
