New stamps show quilts are stories well told, one stitch at a time
FLORENCEVILLE, NB, Sept. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canada Post unveiled today a new stamp issue celebrating Canada's rich quilting heritage.
The stamp issue celebrates quilt-making in Canada and the craft's role in preserving personal and collective histories. A quilt is far more than a pattern or an image created using interconnected fabrics; with each stitch, a quilt speaks through its materials and methods. Whether crafted for warmth or as an expression of artistic and communal vision, each quilt tells a story.
The two quilts depicted on these new stamps, along with the quilts depicted on the stamp booklet cover and Official First Day Cover, exemplify this tradition and are part of the permanent collections at the Royal Ontario Museum:
- Northern Night (1956) stamp image: Designed by Ada Bruce Torrance, an artist based in Orillia, Ontario, this quilt was inspired by the aurora borealis and features the Big Dipper and the North Star overlooking an image of a loon. It was sewn by members of the Simcoe County Arts and Crafts Association for a quilt contest in Star Weekly, where it was awarded the grand prize and later gifted to the Royal Ontario Museum.
- Log cabin (circa 1890s) stamp image: Created by Frederica Matilda Tompkins of East Florenceville (now part of the District of Carleton North), in New Brunswick, this quilt made of cotton and wool features a barn-raising pattern. It was gifted to the Royal Ontario Museum by Mrs. Audrey L. Livingstone.
- Wreath of Flowers (1865) stamp booklet cover image: Created by Catharine Gage Pettit in Fruitland, Ontario, this special appliqué quilt was made for her wedding to William Ira Case Jones as part of her trousseau. Pettit's family and friends came together to complete the quilting. It was gifted to the Royal Ontario Museum by Hattie I. and Charlotte Jones.
- Patchwork quilt (circa 1840-50) Official First Day Cover image: Crafted by a quilt maker connected to the Lingham family from Belleville, Ontario, this quilt represents the finest type of bedcover a woman brought into a marriage. These "best quilts" showed off sewing and design skills and often featured fashion textiles purchased specifically for the quilt. This quilt was gifted to the Royal Ontario Museum by Mrs. C. D. McPherson.
These quilts were part of the Royal Ontario Museum's Quilts: Made in Canada exhibition, which ran from June 29 to November 17, 2024.
About the stamps
The stamp issue was designed by Shelby Guergis, with photographs provided by the Royal Ontario Museum. It was printed by Lowe-Martin and includes a booklet of six Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover. The cancel location is Florenceville, N.B., where the log cabin quilt was made.
The stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and select postal outlets across Canada beginning September 10.
Links to images of the stamps and other resources are below:
- External folder with high-resolution images.
- Social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
™ Trademark of Canada Post Corporation.
SOURCE Canada Post
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