Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PUNCH EMBROIDERY PILLOW COVER

Date Range From

1954

Date Range To

1959

Materials

VELVET, THREAD, YARN

No. Pieces

1

Height

48.5

Length

48.5

Width

0.5

Description

BLACK VELVET CUSHION COVER, EDGED ON ALL SIDES WITH TASSEL OF GOLD THREAD. TOP EMBROIDERED WITH BLUE, YELLOW, GREEN, RED, WHITE AND BROWN YARN IN DESIGN DEPICTING TWO BIRDS AND FLOWERS ON VINE. MINOR WEAR SPOTS ON VELVET; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

HOUSEHOLD ACCESSORY

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

THIS CUSHION COVER WAS PUNCH NEEDLE EMBROIDERED BY ELIZABETH “ELSIE” HALMRAST, SISTER OF THE DONOR, CHRISTENA CRAIK. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF HALMRAST WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM HER LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY AND A EULOGY SUPPLIED BY THE DONOR AT TIME OF DONATION. ELIZABETH INGRAM RUSSELL WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND IN 1923 AND CAME TO CANADA WITH HER PARENTS AND OLDER BROTHER IN 1924. THE FAMILY FARMED NEAR PICTURE BUTTE FOR 13 YEARS, THEN MOVED EAST OF MILK RIVER, WHERE ELSIE MET AND MARRIED ERNEST HALMRAST IN 1954. THEY FARMED AND RANCHED IN THE KIPPENVILLE AREA FOR OVER 50 YEARS. ELSIE WAS WELL-KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR HER TALENTS FOR BAKING AND POETRY, AND SHE ACTIVELY COMPETED IN HORSEBACK RIDING AND SHOWING CATTLE. IN 2008 THE HALMRASTS RETIRED TO LETHBRIDGE, WHERE ELSIE DIED IN AUGUST 2014. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE DONOR, CHRISTENA CRAIK, ABOUT THIS CUSHION COVER AND HER SISTER. CRAIK SAID: “THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO IT… BACK THEN, WE DID A LOT OF HANDICRAFTS… YOU COULD DO WORK WHILE YOU WERE LISTENING TO THE FIBBER MCGEE SHOW AND ALL THOSE [RADIO PROGRAMMES]. YOU COULD KEEP YOUR HANDS BUSY… WE ALL DID THINGS, WE CROCHETED AND KNITTED… IT WAS JUST PART OF OUR LIFE… [PUNCH NEEDLE EMBROIDERY] WAS CURRENT AT THE TIME… YOU COULD BUY ALL THE WOOL AND EVERYTHING… JUST A TIME-FILLER… YOU PUT IT ON A HOOP AND WORKED ON IT. I SAW [ELSIE] DOING IT A LOT. SHE WAS ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING… SHE WAS A BUSY WOMAN… THEY WERE LIVING ON THAT RANCH THAT THEY BUILT UP… IT’S GOT A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE SWEETGRASS HILLS… SHE WAS CONTENTED DOING WHAT SHE LOVED, HORSES AND CATTLE, THAT WAS HER LIFE. SHE’D HAVE BEEN MISERABLE IN TOWN.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND ELSIE HALMRAST’S OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P20140036000

Acquisition Date

2014-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail