Canadian women making history and quilts at the same time
>> Thursday, December 8, 2016
Next year marks Canada's 150 birthday and the preparations are well under way. As a Canadian quilter, I was thrilled to find out about a quilt along with 150 blocks each representing a Canadian woman.
Next Step Designs releases three blocks a week through their newsletter. There will be a CD available at the end of all the blocks if you're late to this party :) Each block is named for a Canadian woman and a one page bio explaining the role they played in Canadian history is included.
I have been keeping up! So far the blocks have been piecing only so that helps:) Here's a photo of my blocks from the first three weeks.
Today's timely news is that Viola Desmond will be the woman on the new Canadian $10 bill. Her block is block 9 in this quilt! What a thrill to have a connection in the present to this woman from our past. I almost want to make her block again in purple - as our $10 bill is purple:)
CBC link to more information about Viola Desmond - be sure to listen to the speech by her sister at the announcement.
Here are my three blocks for this week. I think I'm going to need to get some more red and white fabrics to keep this party going!
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| Conservators at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa carefully stitched repairs, and used custom-dyed modern underlay fabric for the quilt’s most fragile sections (Canadian Conservation Institute) photo from CBC website |
Another Canadian quilt that has been in the news lately is the Confederation Quilt, made by a dress maker and includes material from the gowns worn by the women at the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 which led to the creation of Canada. Here's a link with a full shot of the quilt and another with more information about the restoration of the quilt.
I feel a year of historic quilt making - or making historic quilts {or BOTH!} - coming on!
With Joy,
Sarah V.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing this program Sarah! I hadn't heard of it, and I'm VERY interested in doing it. I've printed off the info to share at my quilt guild meeting next week. I've already missed the first 6 blocks, but I'll get the CD at the end. This quilt might even help me get rid of some of my red stash!
Funny you say that about needing more red fabric as I was just in a quilt shop this morning and saw a red and white tiny hexies fabric that was cute and only $3/yard but I thought no...can't think of where I'd use it. As I'm folding and petting some of the ones I did buy I suddenly thought WHY didn't I remember the 150 CA Women quilt?? Ah well hoping to keep it 100% scraps and stash. I love yours so far and wow I didn't know that Viola is going to be on our $10 bill, (yahoo!) and yahoo that I know who she is now!
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