Canadian Red Cross quilt
Patchwork Quilt
ca. 1939-41 (made)
ca. 1939-41 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Quilted patchwork bedcover of printed and brushed cottons. The cottons used in the quilt are mostly recycled dress and pyjama fabrics, with most dating to the late 1930s. The printed cottons have been arranged in blocks of 9 patches and then pieced into a wider design of 42 blocks against a patterned light blue ground. It is tuft quilted with red wool and lined with a brushed cotton in a design of grey, blue and red striped. The original Canadian red cross label has been removed at some point prior to acquisition.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Canadian Red Cross quilt (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Cotton patchwork |
| Brief description | Canadian Red Cross quilt, patchwork with printed and brushed cottons, ca. 1939-1940. |
| Physical description | Quilted patchwork bedcover of printed and brushed cottons. The cottons used in the quilt are mostly recycled dress and pyjama fabrics, with most dating to the late 1930s. The printed cottons have been arranged in blocks of 9 patches and then pieced into a wider design of 42 blocks against a patterned light blue ground. It is tuft quilted with red wool and lined with a brushed cotton in a design of grey, blue and red striped. The original Canadian red cross label has been removed at some point prior to acquisition. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Rosemary Cox |
| Bibliographic reference | Prichard, Sue. Quilts, 1700-2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories. London: V&A, 2010.
The following excerpt is taken from p. 226:
'This quilt was made by the Canadian Red Cross Society as part of its initiative to provide relief for civilian victims of the Second World War. The scheme set up a supply network across Canada, whereby women could create quilts from donated materials.
This particular quilt was donated to a child who lived in Bromley, England, in August 1944. The family were on holiday in Wales when their house was demolished during an air raid. After losing most of their material possessions, the family sought out both a building to shelter in and essential goods. The mother of the child found an empty house and then purchased grey utility blankets, china, saucepans, chairs and a white kitchen table. At some point, the family received three quilts from the Canadian Red Cross, of which this is one.
The [previous] owner charted not only the resilience and inspiration of her mother, but also the strong feeling of dislocation that she felt in the wake of the war. She remembers how strange it was to 'sleep in a bed again and have a room of my own'. Having slept in a Morrison shelter, the return to a sense of the interior was both welcome and unfamiliar'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.124-2015 |
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| Record created | September 28, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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