Quilt Festival Blog
A Journey Through Quilting History
Author: Y. Bilan-Wallace
Part Seven
Patterns and Survival in Canada
In England, quilting was primarily an upper- and middle-class pastime, but in 19th-century North America, it became a necessity for survival—especially in the harsh Canadian climate. Early immigrants to Canada, often unprepared for the severity of winter, were forced to be resourceful. They stitched together scraps from garments, furniture, and even old socks to create quilts, which served as both practical bedding and protective layers against the cold. These patchwork pieces became more than just sources of warmth—they also served as family records, preserving memories through the fabrics of daily life.
Quilt: All My Samples by S. Pisesky
(Displayed at the 2023 Quilt Festival)
Quilting as a Community Effort
With resources scarce and little free time for non-essential activities, quilting often became a communal effort. In rural Canada, quilting “bees” or “parties” were essential social gatherings. It was said that if you wanted a social life, you had better be a skilled stitcher. These events were not just about finishing quilts—they also served as a time for women to connect, share stories, and exchange knowledge. For Indigenous women in particular, quilting and other forms of textile art often became a way of maintaining cultural traditions and passing down stories through generations, even as colonial pressures sought to disrupt their communities.
The Quilting Bee, 19th Century Americana
Quilts as Status and Identity
While quilts were first and foremost practical, they also reflected status, worldliness, and cultural heritage. Wealthier families used fine fabrics and intricate designs to showcase prosperity, while those with fewer resources often created quilts from repurposed materials. Canada’s diverse immigrant populations, including Irish, German, French, and Scottish settlers, brought their own quilting traditions with them, and over time, these merged with Indigenous and French-Canadian influences. For instance, French-Canadian quilts in Quebec often featured bright, bold patterns inspired by the region’s history and cultural symbols, while settlers from the British Isles often favoured simpler designs, such as log cabin and nine-patch patterns.
As settlements expanded westward, new patterns began to emerge, inspired by the Canadian landscape—quilts featuring pine trees, mountain ranges, and prairie flowers became common. These quilts not only reflected the settlers’ connection to their environment but also helped preserve their memories of migration and settlement. In particular, Métis women contributed to the evolution of quilting styles in Western Canada, blending Indigenous and European elements in their work.
Appliqué and the Practicality of Quilting
Quilt: Floral Outburst by P. Aldridge
(displayed at the 2023 Quilt Festival)
Although appliqué was popular in Europe, it was less common among early Canadian settlers. Appliqué was a time-consuming technique that required large, uninterrupted pieces of cloth—resources that were often hard to come by. For settlers who were living in isolated communities, quilting was not just a form of art; it was a practical necessity, and many chose to focus on pieced designs that used small, scrap-sized pieces of fabric. Patchwork quilts, made from a combination of geometric blocks, became the go-to method for creating warmth without wasting valuable fabric.
Decline of Traditional Quilting
By the 1880s, quilting began to decline across much of Canada, particularly with the rise of steam-driven sewing machines and mass-produced textiles. This technological advancement allowed for faster production of garments and bedding, making handmade quilts less necessary. However, quilting continued to thrive in isolated communities—especially in rural Canada and among Indigenous peoples who maintained traditional crafting methods. For them, quilting was more than a practical tool; it was an important cultural practice and a way to keep historical and familial ties alive.
Despite the rise of industrial textile production, quilting never completely faded. It transformed from a necessity into a craft, practiced by those who valued its historical significance or those who wished to preserve the art form for future generations. Today, quilting is experiencing a resurgence, particularly as people rediscover the importance of handmade items, local craftsmanship, and personal storytelling through fabric.