My "Oh, Canada" Crazy Quilt is at the NDP Convention


This simple designed flag is my one symbol I have that I can say belongs to me and every other Canadian. This flag hanging outside a typical northern Canadian lake campground reminds me of the pride I felt when Trudeau opened Expo 67!

I have lived a quiet rural life with intermittent rebellious youthful times spent in cities, just like thousands of other Canadians. Many of us returned to the country to find our roots and revive rural farming communities. Its not just me that thinks that we're seeing and living a return to the basic country lifestyle. For us to get down and have some good clean rodeo fairing good times is often held at a small local rodeo or fall fair. We eat up all sorts of dripping corn on the cob and wrestle back a few bugs while taking in our communities agricultural offerings. I love checking out chickens, rabbits, horses and goats and sheep. Sometimes its the flavor of our version of "hippie concert in the bush" festival and that for me would be a toss up between Kispiox Music Festival and Midsummer Festival in Smithers.

Whatever it is that makes us feel so proud that we can state our opposition to Enbridge Pipeline. Even, our NDP MP, Nathan Cullen speaks out in support of us when we say "No Pipeline." This is the stuff that grabs your gut and vomits the words "No Damn Way!" and your have an MP so worthy of our mutual support, He's shown us to be fair, honest and committed, what more can a candidate give?



For Canadians,  many of us, who are members of the Federal NDP (New Democratic Party) http://www.ndp.ca/ and for those who are not Canadian, this is a pivotal time in our  history. Our membership is picking a new leader after the sad loss of our beloved Jack Layton. We lost Jack last summer to cancer, we miss his wit and strong leadership skills with so many good years, to come within striking distance of the Conservatives in the last election.

Several years ago, I decided I wanted to make a Canadian Flag quilt and contacted the Canadian government about this and made this one to scale, otherwise its not really a flag. 

Just a vague idea of a "flag in a quilt" was not where my mind was at and I wanted the one I was making, to be exact.


 Of course, my crazy quilting creative juices started gathering speed as I searched for and stored all sorts of satin, silk, rayon, lace etc in white or off white. Not to mention the variety of red prints and red solid fabric varieties, my favorite red in this was the raw silk. So soft and supple, almost a mini-velvet.


My high school art teacher would be proud as I transferred the simple outline of the maple leaf from one one  of the Canadian Governement web sites I think, maybe somewhere else, but I transferred it with a grid. I made the template and carried on with beginning the quilt.



My son and Nathan were hanging out when Nathan decided to enter federal politics. I have heard hime speak, read newspaper articles and continue to follow on FB Nathan Cullen's career as a politician. 

I still say, he's hit a tender place in many Canadian hearts because he's drawn a line in the sand! This is what we are looking for in our leader. The  next Canadian Prime Minister cannot be a woosie! We're going to have continued challenging times between our economy and our natural landscape filled with Indeginious people, immigrants, families and businesses that derive all their income from the very ecosystem that is threatened in Northwestern BC. Not to mention the Bulkley River right in front of our riverside property. We fish and lots of anglers fish the water above and below the Quick Bridge every year. Our groundwater is fed by the river and related water table.


What can I do to promote my candidate for leadership of the NDP?

 I can give him my "Oh, Canada" crazy quilt. I can fantasize that he'd take it with to a debate during the convention, I don't know what exactly goes on at a political convention like this, but maybe he'd use the quilt to show grass roots national pride!



Another interesting fact about this "Oh, Canada" quilt is that my best guesstimate would around 70% is reused fabric from clothing, the white and off white is harvested from a beautiful wedding dress I found at the local Telkwa/Smithers Transfer Station Reuse Shed.


Comments

  1. Fantastic Carli! Was the quilt for Nathan, or the NDP in general? Any ideas on where it can be seen?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kirsten,

      This quilt can be seen on my Facebook page and I understand its hung in Ottawa in Nathan's office. I'm so proud that he loves it.

      Delete
  2. Hello Carli..

    This is my first visit to your site and i really enjoyed the tour.Really like this project it is very neat..Thanks for the great ideas that you pass along to the quilting community.. I will most definitely come buy and visit again..

    Thanks again

    Tommy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tommy,
      Thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I am really glad you liked the tour, see you again sometime?

      Delete

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