Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"CANADA 150 QUILT"

Date

2017

Materials

COTTON, WOOL, POLYESTER

No. Pieces

1

Length

239

Width

216

Description

QUILT WITH BACKGROUND PRINTED WITH RED NAMES OF CANADIAN TOWNS AND CITIES ON WHITE, AND WITH RED TRIM AROUND EDGES PRINTED WITH WHITE MAPLE LEAVES. QUILT HAS INNER BORDER ON FRONT ALONG LEFT, RIGHT, AND LOWER EDGES; INNER BORDER HAS 13 FABRIC BLOCKS TRANSFER PRINTED ON WHITE WITH THE FLAGS OF ALL CANADIAN PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES, THE NAME OF THE PROVINCE/TERRITORY, THE FLOWER OF THE PROVINCE/TERRITORY, AND THE DATE THE PROVINCE/TERRITORY JOINED CONFEDERATION; TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCKS ARE ARRANGED GOING DOWN THE LEFT SIDE: QUEBEC, ONTARIO, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, BRITISH COLUMBIA; TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCKS ARE ARRANGED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ALONG BOTTOM EDGE: YUKON, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, NUNAVUT, ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN; TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCKS ARE ARRANGED GOING DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE: NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVE SCOTIA, MANITOBA, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. CORNERS OF INNER BORDER HAVE TRANSFER PRINTED FABRIC BLOCKS HAVE BROWN, WHITE AND BLUE BACKGROUNDS WITH YELLOW TEXT “DISCOVER” AND RED TEXT “CANADA” WITH BLACK SILHOUETTES OF BEAR AND CARIBOU ON SIDES OF TEXT, WITH RED MAPLE LEAF BELOW TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCKS. CENTER OF QUILT HAS RED FABRIC BLOCK WITH APPLIQUED WHITE MAPLE LEAVES IN UPPER CORNERS, AND WHITE APPLIQUED TEXT IN CENTER “CANADA 150, 1867, 2017”. ABOVE CENTER BLOCK IS SEWN RED AND WHITE CANADA FLAG; LEFT OF FLAG HAS TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCK DEPICTING POSTER OF ORANGE, RED, AND BLACK CITYSCAPE WITH RED TEXT “OTTAWA”, AND TRANSFER PRINTED BLOCK OF BILINGUAL [ENGLISH AND FRENCH] ”ELIZABETH THE SECOND…A PROCLAMATION…” ON THE ADOPTION OF THE 1965 CANADIAN RED AND WHITE MAPLE LEAF FLAG; RIGHT OF CANADA FLAG SHOWS FOUR TRANSFER PRINTED FABRIC BLOCKS OF ITIERATIONS OF THE CANADIAN FLAG, STARTING FROM TOP: ROYAL UNION FLAG “USED PRIOR TO 1801”, RED ENSIGN “1871-1921”, CANADIAN RED ENSIGN “1921-1957”, AND CANADIAN RED ENSIGN “1957-1965”. BELOW CENTER “CANADA 150” BLOCK IS MAP OF CANADA WITH APPLIQUED PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES IN ORANGE, YELLOW, BLUE, AND RED FABRIC WITH WHITE PRINTED TEXT LABELLING THE PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES, WHITE STITCHED EDGES AROUND PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES, AND WHITE PRINTED IMAGES OF: ORCA AND FISH BESIDE BRITISH COLUMBIA; MOOSE AND TOTEM POLE ON BRITISH COLUMBIA; PUMPJACK AND SKIER ON ALBERTA; WHEAT HEAD ON SASKATCHEWAN; BEAR ON MANITOBA; BEAVER, LEGISLATURE BUILDING, AND CN TOWER ON ONTARIO; FLEUR-DI-LIES AND “SKIDOO” ON QUEBEC; LIGHTHOUSE AND FISH ON NOVA SCOTIA; FISH ON NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR; WHALES BESIDE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR; HAWK ON YUKON; DIAMOND ON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES; CARIBOU, BEAR, AND INUKSHUK ON NUNAVUT. PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES HAVE CAPITAL CITIES INDICATED WITH BLACK STARS AND CITY NAMES IN WHITE. UPPER LEFT CORNER OF MAP HAS RED MAPLE LEAF AND YELLOW TEXT “DISCOVER” AND RED TEXT “CANADA”; UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF MAP HAS RED MAPLE LEAF AND BLUE TEXT “FROM SEA TO SEA” AND RED AND WHITE CANADIAN FLAG; LOWER LEFT CORNER OF MAP HAS RED, WHITE, AND BLUE ROUND COMPASS ROSE WITH “N” LABELLED AT TOP OF COMPASS IN BLACK. CENTER BLOCKS HAVE BORDERS AROUND THEIR PERIMETERS OF CREAM FABRIC PRINTED WITH RED REPEATING TEXT “CANADA 1867-2017”. BACK OF QUILT HAS WHITE LABEL ON TRANSFER PRINTED FABRIC IN UPPER LEFT CORNER WITH RED TEXT “SYDNEY FISHER; LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA; 403-327-5838; QUILT FOR CANADA’S 150TH; 1867 – 2017.” BACK HAS MINOR STAIN AT LOWER EDGE; OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

DECORATIVE ARTS

History

ON JULY 26, 2018, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED SYDNEY AND FRANK FISHER REGARDING SYDNEY FISHER’S CREATION OF THE CANADA 150 QUILT DONATED BY VERN NEUFELD. NEUFELD WON THE QUILT IN A RAFFLE AS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE LETHBRIDGE SOUP KITCHEN. ACCORDING TO A LETTER SENT TO THE GALT MUSEUM, NEUFELD INDICATED THAT HE AND HIS WIFE HAD NO NEED TO KEEP THE QUILT, AND HAD OFFERED THE QUILT BACK TO THE LETHBRIDGE SOUP KITCHEN FOR ANOTHER RAFFLE. BILL GINTHER, CEO OF THE LETHBRIDGE SOUP KITCHEN, DIRECTED THE QUILT TO THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES, WITH THE DONATION COMPLETED BY NEUFELD. ON THE CREATION OF THE QUILT, SYDNEY FISHER RECALLED, “AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT’S THE ONLY ONE WITH THAT LAY-OUT THAT I’VE SEEN, ANYWHERE. IT WAS MY ORIGINAL IDEA. I LIKE TO MAKE THEME QUILTS. THE 150TH BIRTHDAY WAS THE IDEAL TIME TO DO IT. SO, I WENT ABOUT COLLECTING ALL THE PIECES, FROM THE INTERNET, AND THE MIDDLE PIECE IS TOTALLY MY OWN. THIS WAS FROM FABRIC STORES…THE MAP.” “I MADE THAT [CENTER PIECE], TOTALLY FROM SCRATCH. I BOUGHT THE TEMPLATES, CUT IT OUT, AND APPLIQUED IT ON. THESE LITTLE THINGS, I MADE UP OUT OF THREE MAPLE LEAFS, JUST STUCK TOGETHER, UP IN THE CORNER. I MADE THE FLAG, AT THE TOP. THIS PIECE [THAT READS “OTTAWA”] WAS FROM A PANEL [OF] MATERIAL.” “[I INCLUDED IT BECAUSE] IT’S THE CAPITAL. BELOW THAT IS THE DECLARATION FROM THE QUEEN THAT SAYS THAT THE MAPLE LEAF BECAME OUR FLAG IN 1965. THAT, WE GOT OFF THE INTERNET ALSO. AND, SOMEBODY SAID TO ME, 'YOU CAN’T DO THAT. THAT’S --' I SAID, 'IT’S ON THE INTERNET. I CAN SO.' THEN WE ALSO GOT, ON THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER, ARE THE FOUR FLAGS THAT [WERE] USED FROM 1867 TO 1965, AND IT’S GOT THE DATES UNDERNEATH EACH ONE OF THEM.” “[THERE ARE] THE FLAGS AND THE FLOWERS, AND THEN THERE’S ALSO THE DATES THAT THEY JOINED CONFEDERATION, WHICH BRINGS THEM DOWN THE QUILT FROM BOTH SIDES. THERE’S THE FOUR ORIGINALS, AND THEN AS THEY JOIN, THEY COME [AROUND THE EDGE], AND NUNAVUT IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST ONE IN 1999.” “THAT CAME RIGHT OUT OF MY HEAD. IT’S JUST SOMETHING I LIKE TO DO. I LIKE THEME QUILTS, AND IF I HAVE A THEME, I RUN WITH IT. [THE QUILT] HAS MORE MEANING BECAUSE IT IS CANADA. SOMEBODY SAID TO ME, 'WELL, IT SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MILITARY.' NO, IT’S CANADA’S BIRTHDAY, IT’S NOT MILITARY! THAT ONE IS A CANADA QUILT…THIS ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR CANADA.” “IT WOULD BE ABOUT MARCH OF 2017 [WHEN I STARTED THIS QUILT]. WHEN I START A QUILT, I FOCUS ON NOTHING ELSE. I HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTURE IN MY HEAD, AND IT’S GOT TO TURN OUT THAT WAY, OR I DON’T LIKE IT. I JUST KEEP GOING. THE FIRST ONE ENDED UP KING-SIZE BECAUSE I HAD ALL THIS STUFF I WANTED TO GET ON IT…THEN I STARTED NARROWING IT UP A BIT, SO THAT IT WOULD BE A QUEEN-SIZE INSTEAD.” “[THE FIRST QUILT] TOOK ABOUT 120 HOURS, BECAUSE I HAD TO GATHER ALL THE STUFF FOR [IT]. I [HAD] ALL THE PATTERNS FOR THIS, AND THE DOWN-SIZED ONE, SO I CAN PUT IT TOGETHER [FASTER]…BECAUSE I HAVE ALL THE PATTERNS…I WORK USUALLY FROM 7:00 IN THE MORNING TILL 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.” “THIS ONE WAS THE SECOND [QUILT] MADE TO SHOW OFF, BECAUSE [THE FIRST] ONE WENT TO ENGLAND. MY PLAN WAS TO MAKE ONE, AND I MADE THE ONE AND HUNG IT IN THE [ROYAL BANK ON MAYOR MAGRATH DRIVE]. IT WENT OVER SO WELL, I MADE TWO MORE. QUEEN-SIZE. THEN SOMEBODY SAID, “BUT THAT’S SO BIG.” THEN I MADE [ABOUT SIX]…WALL-HANGINGS.” “[THIS QUILT] WENT OVER WELL, EVEN IF THE BIRTHDAY IS OVER. PEOPLE WANT IT. THERE WAS A FELLOW AT THE BANK, HE WANTED THE QUILT BECAUSE HE’S SETTING UP, OUT IN STIRLING THEY HAVE A CP RAIL [MUSEUM], BUT THE QUILT WAS TOO BIG. HE ORDERED TWO—ONE FOR HIS HOUSE, AND ONE FOR STIRLING, BUT HE WANTED THE CP RAIL ACROSS CANADA, SO THAT ONE HAS THE CP RAIL ACROSS THE BOTTOM.” SYDNEY FISHER ELABORATED ON THE DONATION OF THE QUILT TO THE LETHBRIDGE SOUP KITCHEN FUNDRAISER, NOTING, “[THIS KING-SIZED VERSION ENDED UP] IN THE ROYAL BANK ON MAYOR MCGRATH. THAT IS MY BANKING BANK, AND I SAID, 'WOULD YOU CONSIDER HANGING IT THERE?' BECAUSE THAT WAS THE END OF JUNE…THEY HUNG IT THERE SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE IT THERE FOR THE FIRST OF JULY. [THIS QUEEN-SIZED VERSION] WENT TO THE EXHIBITION WHEN THEY HAD…A CANADA DAY PAVILION, OR CANADA’S 150TH BIRTHDAY. I HUNG ONE OF THE WALL HANGINGS ALONGSIDE OF IT.” “[THE KING-SIZED VERSION] WENT TO ENGLAND…THERE WAS AN ENGLISHMAN CAME INTO THE BANK, AND HE GAVE THE GIRLS HIS PHONE NUMBER, AND SAID, 'GET HER TO PHONE ME.' I PHONED HIM, AND HE SAID, 'I WANT ONE.' I SAID, 'EXCUSE ME?' WELL, HE SAID, 'THAT QUILT AT THE BANK…I WANT ONE.' I SAID, 'WELL, IT’S A KING-SIZE (IT’S 100X104, OR 108), IT’S $1000.00.' 'I’LL TAKE IT.'” “THAT’S WHEN I MADE TWO QUEEN-SIZED ONES. I DONATED [THE QUILT FROM THE PAVILLION] TO THE SOUP KITCHEN. I PUT [THE QUEEN-SIZED QUILTS] ON KIJIJI, AND GOT NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. I WOULDN’T PAY $800.00 FOR A QUILT, BECAUSE I COULD MAKE THEM. I BROUGHT THEM BACK HOME, AND I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, WE DONATE TO THE SOUP KITCHEN. THEY’RE DOING A BREAKFAST PROGRAM. THEY CAN TAKE IT, AND RAFFLE IT OFF FOR THEIR BREAKFAST PROGRAM.' I [DONATED ONE QUILT TO] NOR-BRIDGE. THEY RAFFLED IT OFF, FOR WHATEVER PROGRAMS THEY NEED.” “WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, AND [THE SOUP KITCHEN STAFF] ALL SAID TO ME, 'OH, THAT WOULD BE NICE FOR US TO RAFFLE OFF.' I THOUGHT (THIS WAS BEFORE I PUT THEM ON KIJIJI), 'I DON’T KNOW.' WHEN THEY DIDN’T SELL ON KIJIJI, I TOOK IT TO BILL, AND I SAID, 'DO YOU STILL WANT IT?' WELL, HE HUNG IT ON THE WALL, AND STARTED SELLING TICKETS…I THINK THESE GUYS GOT $1500.00. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT NOR-BRIDGE…$1500.00 IS WHAT BILL SAID THEY MADE ON THAT QUILT. [TICKETS] WERE $5.00.” “THIS ONE HAD GONE TO SASKATCHEWAN…TO [THE KELVINGTON HERITAGE SHOW]. THE LEGION LADIES SAW IT, AND ASKED MY SISTER HOW MUCH I WANTED FOR IT. OF COURSE, THE LEGION ISN’T AS FLUID AS A LOT OF THINGS, AND $800.00 WAS TOO MUCH. I SAID, 'WELL, YOU ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE A WALL-HANGING.' THE WALL-HANGINGS ARE ONLY $150.00. THAT’S HOW THEY STARTED. THAT, AND LARRY AT THE ROYAL BANK, WHO WANTED A SMALLER ONE FOR STIRLING.” ON HER INTEREST IN QUILTING, SYDNEY FISHER RECALLED, “MY MOTHER [FRANCES DICKS, NEE FENNELL] SEWED EVERYTHING, FROM HER OWN BRAS ON UP, AND SHE SEWED FOR EVERYBODY. I WENT HOME TO HER HOUSE, WHEN I WAS IN NURSING, AND SHE SAID, 'WELL, DON’T TOUCH THAT.' THERE’S A SHEET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR; THERE’S ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE; THERE’S ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE. I SAID, 'WHAT HAVE YOU GOT IN -?' “WELL, THAT’S THE WEDDING DRESS, AND THESE ARE THE BRIDESMAID DRESSES.” THAT’S HOW SHE SEWED! ON AN OLD TREADLE SEWING MACHINE.” “PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO I STARTED QUILTING. I WAS PAST DOING CLOTHING, AND TO DO THESE SILLY LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE OF NO USE, OTHER THAN TO COLLECT DUST, I CAN’T BE BOTHERED WITH THAT. I NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING I CAN KIND OF SET MY TEETH IN.” “QUILTING HAS MADE ME EVEN A WORSE HOUSEKEEPER THAN I ALREADY WAS, BECAUSE, WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING, AND I HAVE AN IDEA, WELL, 'IF YOU DON’T DO THE DISHES, FRANK, THEY AREN’T GOING TO GET DONE, BECAUSE I’M DOING SOMETHING.' I’M NOT A SUPER HOUSEKEEPER, AS IT IS, AND WHEN I HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, EVERYTHING ELSE TAKES A BACK-BURNER.” SYDNEY FISHER NOTED HER THOUGHTS ON THE DONATION OF THE QUILT TO THE MUSEUM, “IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME, BECAUSE I AM A CANADIAN. I WAS BORN IN SASKATCHEWAN, AND THE FURTHEST I’VE GONE IS TO LETHBRIDGE. I’VE BEEN TO TORONTO ONCE, AND WE WENT TO NOVA SCOTIA ONCE. I’VE BEEN TO B.C. ONCE. I LIVED IN WINNIPEG FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT, YOU’RE STILL IN CANADA, AND, AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, THERE ISN’T ANY PLACE LIKE IT, EVEN IF IT IS THE DUST BOWL OF THE WORLD…I’M QUITE PROUD THAT IT’S AT THE MUSEUM. I DIDN’T THINK THEY’D EVER GET THAT FAR.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND LETTER FROM VERN NEUFELD, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20180018000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20180018000

Acquisition Date

2018-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail