Hospitality Morning: Canadian Red Cross Quilts & 'Love & Duty'

As I was listening to our wonderful speakers at last Tuesday's special Remembrance Day Hospitality Morning, it occurred to me that I've learned an awful lot about Canada in the past few weeks from some very special people. Interestingly, they've all been British!

Learning more than I was ever taught at school about Canada's boreal forest and early settlers from Ray Mears on his wonderful TV series has been a real pleasure. But learning about the quilts made by Canadian women and shipped to the UK by the Canadian Red Cross to help those in need during WWI and WWII, from two lovely British women, was truly special.

Anna Mansi and Maxine March, our speakers, talked passionately not just about the efforts made by Canadians and the Red Cross to help provide food, clothing, blankets and quilts to people who perhaps had lost everything after their homes had been bombed, but about the fact that so many of the quilts that were shipped, with their label of 'Gift from Canadian Red Cross', still bring enjoyment to the people who own them and a thrill to the people who manage to see them.

With thanks to Anna's husband Tony (who helped by bringing in some of their gorgeous quilts for display), we were able to look at the wonderfully detailed stitching, the beautiful (and sometimes unusual) patterns and fabrics used.

It was also a great pleasure to discover the connection with the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE), whose members contributed some of the quilts the Canadian Red Cross distributed and who continue their work today with the CWC to make funds available to the Maple Leaf Trust and Canadian veterans in the UK. This connection with the CWC was a new discovery for Anna and Maxine, who have been collecting these quilts for many years.

Anna with a quilt made by IODE members

Anna, Maxine and Jackie Maxwell (who unfortunately couldn't be with us on the day) are thrilled that the V&A will be showing one of their Canadian Red Cross Quilts at a major quilting exhibition in 2010. Other quilts in their collection will also be on display at the Quilt Museum in York. If anyone is able to provide them with information about these quilts - perhaps with stories about relatives in Canada who were involved in making them, or with people who might have some of these quilts, they can reach Anna by email at a.mansi2@ntlworld.com. She's especially interested in finding someone with a contact who can tell her more about a quilt that is labelled Vista, Manitoba. She would love to hear from you!

As part of this special Remembrance Day event, we also enjoyed the film 'Love and Duty'. Margaret Wickware, our past President and current Chair of the Maple Leaf Trust, was able to present a cheque from the Trust to Jenny Tripp Black for the Veterans' Support Committee to continue the Canadian Women's Club work in helping needy Canadian veterans and their dependents in the UK.