The Canadian Red Cross played a key role in organizing the collection and distribution of these quilts. According to the Canadian Red Cross, our country shipped over 52,000,000 items to Britain during the war. Of these items, over 400,000 quilts were made and sent for use in military barracks, hospitals, and most of all for civilians who lost their homes in the bombing raids.
The quilts were a way for women to express their patriotism and contribute to the war effort, demonstrating their dedication and ingenuity.
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| Women workers at the Red Cross Work Room in the basement of Hespeler Public Library, Hespeler, Ontario c. 1942. Credit Hespeler Heritage Centre. Photographer Frank Johnston. |
Labels - Red Cross Quilts
The quilts made by the Canadian Red Cross volunteers were often identified with a label reading "Gift of the Canadian Red Cross Society".
While the label usually indicated the origin of the quilt, quilters rarely identified themselves due to restrictions about personalizing the quilts.
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| Jan Hassard Label |
Repatriation and Legacy
In 2023, thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Red Cross Quilt Research Group in the UK, twenty quilts handmade by Canadian women during the Second World War and sent overseas have been repatriated to Canada and donated to Toronto Metropolitan University.
This collection of 20 quilts showcases just a few examples of the estimated more than 400,000 quilts that were made by Canadian women to offer comfort to people impacted by the war.
Links and Resources
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