Quilt Festival Blog
A Journey Through Quilting History
Author: Y. Bilan-Wallace
Part Eleven
Quilts and Colour in Canada
From the earliest days of European settlement, Canadian quilters relied on natural dye sources found in their environment. Maple and oak bark provided deep purples and violets, walnut husks created rich browns, and sumac berries yielded dark reds. However, certain colours, such as true green, were difficult to achieve before 1815, and early black and brown dyes often weakened fabric over time.
By the early 19th century, the introduction of madder dyeing brought the popular Turkey red to Canada, a vibrant and colourfast shade that was frequently paired with white in quilts. This coincided with the rise of the Red and White quilt, a favourite among French Canadian and Loyalist settlers, which often featured bold geometric patterns or appliquéd motifs inspired by European folk art.
Antique Quilt 1830’s Turkey Red Applique Album Quilt Top (Link to photo)
Canada’s early textile industry was slow to develop due to British trade restrictions, which required the colonies to send raw materials like wool and flax to England for processing. However, by the mid-1800s, local wool mills began producing homespun fabric, giving rural women greater access to material for quilting. In Quebec, habitants often used wool from their own sheep, dyed with natural substances such as indigo, lichen, and butternut husks.
The late 19th century saw a transformation in Canadian quilting with the invention of aniline dyes by British chemist William Perkin in 1856. This led to an explosion of bright, colourfast fabrics, making commercial calicos and printed cotton more widely available, even in remote areas. By the 1870s, the variety of colours was so vast that scrap quilts, which aimed to avoid repeating a single fabric, became popular. Women traded fabric scraps with friends and neighbours to create quilts with as many different colours as possible.
During the Great Depression, Canadian quilters faced severe material shortages, leading to the widespread use of flour and feed sack fabrics. Rural families, particularly in the Prairies and Atlantic Canada, repurposed these cotton sacks, which often featured soft pastel floral prints. The Grandmother’s Flower Garden and Dresden Plate patterns were especially common during this period, reflecting both resourcefulness and a desire for beauty amid hardship.
Throughout the 20th century, Canadian quilters adapted to changing times. The Red Cross Quilt movement during World War I and II saw women across the country making red and white quilts for soldiers and refugees. The Bicentennial Quilt Revival (USA) in 1976 renewed interest in traditional patterns, while the modern quilting movement of today embraces bold colours, improvisation, and contemporary interpretations of classic designs.
From the early settlers to today’s quilting artists, the use of colour in Canadian quilts has reflected the country’s history, geography, and resilience. Whether stitched from homespun wool, imported calico, or recycled feed sacks, each quilt tells a uniquely Canadian story.
Grandmother’s Flower Garden (Link to photo)
Dresden Plate (Link to photo)
