QUILT INDEX RECORD

32-28-599

Alberta Heritage Quilt Project Number:

AHQP 1-0085

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Royal Alberta Museum

Who documented this quilt?

Alberta Heritage Quilt Project

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Tribute to our Native People "Plains Indians"

How wide is the quilt?

89 inches

How long is the quilt?

101.5 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Rounded

What color is the quilt?

Beige or Tan; Brown

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt finished?

c.1983

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Subject of the quilt:

Tribute to Native Peoples

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing; Separated by inner and outer sashing (sashing surrounds all sides of all blocks)

Sashing width:

2.25 inch

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

8.75 inch beige fabric with buffalo appliqued on it

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Polyester

Fabric patterns, styles, motifs, or print categories used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Applique

Materials used to make the back:

Synthetic

What color is the back of the quilt?

Brown

How is the binding made?

Bias grain; Front turned to back; Hand sewn; Home cut; Machine sewn

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Polyester

How thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16?)

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

8

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline; Single parallel lines

Quilt top made by:

Noonan, Alice Ellen Spackman

Where the quilt was made, city:

Calgary

Where the quilt was made, province:

Alberta

Where the quilt was made, country:

Canada

How was this quilt acquired?

Made by owner

Why was the quilt made?

Other

Details about why the quilt was made:

Tribute to Native People of Canada

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

Brother of quiltmaker, Reys Spackman, designed the quilt pattern using childrens books and magazines.

Contests entered:

Calgary Stampede- 1st prize and silver cup Heritage Fall Fair- 1st prize

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

See Alberta Heritage Quilt Project 1-0082, 1-0083, 1-0084, 1-0085, 1-0086, 1-0087, 1-0088, 1-0089, 1-0090, 1-0091, and 1-0092.

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

See Alberta Heritage Quilt Project 1-0082, 1-0083, and 1-0084

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Spackman

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

03-29-1921

Quiltmaker's birthplace, city:

Lineham

Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:

Canada

Quiltmaker's birthplace, province:

Alberta

Number of children:

4

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

3

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

1

Description of quilt:

Nel Noonan by Mary Carrol of Peachland BC This is a biographical account of Nel Noonan's life and quilting work

Essay:

Nel Noonan by Mary Carrol, Peachland, BC Nel Noonan was born and grew up in southern Alberta, and has spent her married life in Calgary. While raising her family (one son, three daughters) she was always sewing and knitting for them, as well as doing many crafts in her spare time. These included hooked rugs, needlepoint and leatherwork. Nel always had an interest in quilting and saved scraps and pieces of material for when she was able to follow through on this desire. Nel started by making several pieced and Cathedral Window quilts. A friend invited her to join the quilters group of the Alberta Handicraft Guild. Here she had her eyes opened to the variety and quality of quilts which the members produced. The first quilt she entered in competition at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede was a Wedgewood type design of Alberta flowers she named “Flowers of the Foothills”, an original design by her sister. It won a 3rd place ribbon. Nel decided to do another of the same design but in the meantime she worked on improving her quilting. This second quilt won a 1st place ribbon, which launched Nel in the making of her unique designer style quilts. As well as making these special quilts, she has made many children’s quilts, quilted cushions and bags. It wasn’t long before Nel was winning top prizes at exhibitions in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and several of her quilts have been featured in Canada Quilts magazine. A design of the West Coast Indians led to a series, “A Tribute to the Native People” and “People of the Midnight Sun”. When the Calgary Stampede executive chose as their theme “A Salute to the Cowboy”, Nel produced a rodeo quilt. This was shown at the Millarville Fair where local ranchers enjoyed finding their brands in the border design. Many of these were brands belonging to old family friends or well known ranchers in the foothills country. This quilt has just come back from Japan where it was included in a travelling exhibition in that country. Other special quilts include two done in a stained glass technique. One of these is a design of Canadian children of different ethnic backgrounds playing together, which she named “Listen to the Children While They Play”, the other “Blossoms and Butterflies” was Viewers Choice at the “Thimbles and Thistles” Quilt show held at the Banff School of Fine Arts in conjunction with the Patch in Time quilt conference, 1985. Nel has done a number of quilts in traditional designs, celtic designs and plain coloured quilts with all-over quilted designs. The most astounding this is that she quilts without a thimble! She says the callous that develops helps! Her method of doing intricate machine appliqué is to draw the design onto the appliqué material, baste it securely to the background with the straight of the material corresponding to the background. After sewing all the lines in a narrow satin stitch, she then cuts away the waste material. This method leaves a design that does not pucker, crinkle or pull loose. Nel along with other members of the Handicraft Guild have done a number of demonstrations at local fairs, the Glenbow Museum and at several elementary schools in Calgary. The interest and response from both boys and girls is always gratifying. The ladies dress in turn-of-the-century costumes while doing these demonstrations. The school demonstrations are offered in appreciation of the school board for providing reasonable accommodation for guild activities. Some years ago she was approached to help plan a fall fair at Heritage Park in Calgary and has helped with this annual event ever since. Nel is both fortunate and especially proud of the quilt designs created for her by members of her family. Her sister Mary E. Smith, Peachland, BC, her brother Rey Spackman, Kelowna, BC and her son-in-law Alain Corbeil have designed quilts which Nel executes with pride. Nels colour inspiration, her fine sewing skills and excellent choice of colour in adapting the designs to fabric is what makes each quilt very special.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Royal Alberta Museum