Signature Quilt Quest
Did you ever think of how our foremothers who created special quilts for remembrance, fundraising, or gifts, were really the keepers of history?
This is especially true for “Signature Quilts”.
They were given as presentation gifts for, say a minister leaving the community or a bride moving to a new home. Perhaps a family member emigrated to another country or province, and the signatures embroidered with love and care. “Remember us! Remember where you came from! “
Sometimes a quilt would be a fundraiser for a church, an organization, a community. You would pay ten cents or so to have your name embroidered. It added up, and such quilts made many contributions to community infrastructure or organizations. These are valuable historical and genealogical documents as well as cherished artifacts.
The Paradise Historical Society is the grateful recipient of one such quilt. We invite you to a very special viewing – a Quest, if you like. Our quilt has 221 signatures embroidered on white cotton. We invite you to come and see if you recognize the names of community members or your ancestors from the early 20th century – or just to see this bit of living history.
The quilt is dated 1911/12 and existed or travelled for months before it was finished. There are names from Paradise, Nictaux, Kingston, Port Williams, New Albany, even Cuba! There are family names, clergy names, boarders’ names-names of people here before us who may or may not still be in our memory.
The event will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the Paradise Heritage Centre
Tea and cake will be served.
Admission is free but we ask you to register so we know how big we need to make our cake.