The Quilt of Belonging: The Invitation Project

Reviewed: December 17, 2005
By: compiled by Esther Bryan & Friends
Publisher: Boston Mills Press
296 pages, $29.95

While The Quilt of Belonging isn’t exactly a Christmas offering, this seems like a good time of year to be looking at such a rich volume. It contains a selection of quilt squares from what must be just about every ethnic and cultural group represented in Canada. The mind boggles at the coordination needed to assemble work from 192 immigrant nationalities and 71 aboriginal groups.

Each page shows one of the squares, along with an essay explaining the themes it illustrates and some information about the square’s creator.

The actual quilt which was assembled for this project contains 263 squares and is “120 feet long and 10 feet high” according to the press package that accompanied the book.

Book editor Esther Bryan writes: “Our vision was to create a collaborative work that will recognize Canada’s and the world’s diversity, celebrate our common humanity, and promote harmony and compassion among people.”

The final product has been on tour since last April and will begin a Northern Tour in January, with stops in Yellowknife and Whitehorse before it moves on at the end of March.

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