O Canada! Canadian quilts

Since Canada Day is coming up (July 1), we wanted to share some of these wonderful quilts.  They were made by Canadians to honor the country's 150th anniversary in 2017.  Each of these outstanding quilts incorporates a nine patch design, either overtly or in a subtle way.  The quilts represent Canada’s history, geography, and culture as expressed by each artist.

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I Must Go Down to the Sea Again by Leah Gravells (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Leah Gravells says she was inspired by Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island’s potato fields, the Westpoint Lighthouse, and the sea. "My maternal grandfather and my father were lobster fishermen. The Westpoint Lighthouse (now iconic) guided them home to a safe harbor. I spent my early years at the shore and the lighthouse. I make a pilgrimage annually, as I must go down to the sea again."

This beautiful landscape quilt was created with machine piecing, hand applique, hand embroidery, and quilt-as-you-go techniques using cotton batik, wool, velvet, rayon, toile, silk, and ribbon.

Paint The Town Jelly Bean by Shelley DeHay-Turner (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

Paint The Town was inspired by the brightly colored, whimsical Jelly Bean houses of Newfoundland. Shelley DeHay-Turner says, "My quilt pays homage to the people of Newfoundland who showed tremendous compassion, kindness, and generosity in their support of the many passengers re-routed to Gander, Newfoundland following the tragedy of 9/11."

Spinnaker Sails by Leslie and Ronald Prokop, quilted by Shelley DeHay-Turner (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada)

Canada can boast the longest coastline in the world with over 200,000 km of shoreline (over 152,000 miles)!  It is no surprise that Canada has a proud nautical history.   In this quilt, competitive sailors at the regatta, with colorful spinnaker sails full of wind, make a patchwork of color across the horizon.  This colorful quilt was hand appliqued, machine pieced and quilted.

Winds of Change by Kathy Mundy (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

Winds of Change is a tribute to the First Nations of Canada. It is based on a dreamcatcher pattern from No Hats in the House, a dreamcatcher pattern. It is the belief of the Ojibwa, that the dreamcatcher allows only good thoughts to pass through and provides a positive lens for the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of future generations. Kathy Mundy incorporated blue jay feathers as she loves catching a glimpse of the vibrant blue color throughout the four Canadian seasons.

Late Skate by Janet Waurechen (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)

Late Skate was hand pieced, appliqued, embroidered, and embellished, machine pieced. Janice Waurechen says, "I wanted to create a quilt to portray an iconic Canadian image. My Canadian nine Patch quilt pictures a lone figure skater on a frozen pond at night. She is illuminated by the Northern Lights, the moon and the stars. I called my quilt Late Skate, ice dancing under the stars."

Fall in Canada by Helen Monighan and the Stoney Creek Quilters’ Guild, quilted by Ginny Hoages (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada)

The Stoney Creek Quilters Guild members were each asked to create a Maple Leaf square. The 56 maple leaves were brought together by the design of member Helen Monighan. Each Maple Leaf square is unique, as each guild member comes from a different cultural background. Fall in Canada was hand appliqued and embroidered, machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.