creative forces

Blog 28… December 2013 

Could it be the recent horror of the sweatshops in Bangladesh, our leaner economy, or maybe it was just time for its re-appearance on the scene…whatever the case, sewing seems to be going through a renaissance.

There’s always been a hard core group of quilters around though and this extraordinary story is about the champion of them all.  It began when Esther Bryan, an artist living in a tiny centre in eastern Ontario traveled with her father to Slovakia shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain.  Inspired by many aspects of life there, Esther was particularly touched by the valuing of family connections and simple objects and the comforting creativity of fabric. When she returned to Canada, the notion of making a quilt to celebrate our cultural diversity gradually emerged. Her community included a number of women with both the interest and skills in sewing as well as a remarkable wealth of ethnic connections. As the project began to take shape, it expanded to include every nationality in the world with residents in Canada as well as our Aboriginal First Nations.

 

Official launch - April 1, 2005 -  Canadian Museum of Civilization

 The result of their amazing collaboration, the Quilt of Belonging, shows that there’s room for all of us in the human tapestry. Composed of 11 inch fabric squares, 263 of them are sewn together to create a panel that stretches out almost as far as the eye can see.  I was lucky to discover it about 5 years ago at the Canadian National Exhibition, thanks to my friend Karen Paavila who lives near Williamstown, a small crossroads town that was the centre of activity…Karen’s married to a Finn, qualifying her to be part of the creation of the Finnish square.

Australia

  

The Quilt has travelled to every corner of Canada, the US and abroad. 

Central African Republic

Its message of inclusion and recognition of the unique heritage of each of the nations it represents helps inspire tolerance in us all.                                                                                                      

 It speaks also to our need to embellish, to provide beauty and to mirror and proclaim our identity both in harsh and peaceful times.  The material  used - from homespun to fine linen, sealskin to African mud cloth, wood and metal, thread and wool as well as the colours, designs, styles, motifs and techniques used all reflect the particular culture being honoured in the square.       

Inuvialuit

St Lucia

            

More than any of my other blogs, this one presented the enormous challenge of capturing the richness and complexity of the Quilt of Belonging and the notions, emotions and process that went into its creation.  The Quilt nails clearly and exactly the essence of what the blog sets out to do and Blog #28 is a tribute to it and its creators.  I hope I’ve made you want to know more…check out the website www.invitationproject.ca

And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.